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Larry Short

Archives of The Last Word and other notes are on the Communication page

Most of you probably know that I am involved, professionally, with World Vision as a "web guru" and online social networking expert. As such I have functioned, over the last decade or so, as one of World Vision's chief evangelists of the potential of new technologies for assisting us in achieving our mission to help children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

While I have been evangelizing for new technologies, I have also been evaluating new technologies. I am convinced each new technology carries with it both potential for great good and potential for great evil. Which of those two ends is achieved depends heavily upon the character and intentions of those who are using the tool.

This is one reason I am excited about the way Elim is moving forward fearlessly in its embrace of new technology to further our mission as a church. Using social networking technologies like Facebook has been an incredible tool for various church ministries, including the Young Adults ministry which Darlene and I are involved with, because of their utility in connecting groups of people, helping them communicate and stay informed. Simple things like converting the church bulletin to a weekly e-mail has simultaneously helped us save valuable ministry dollars while keeping people better connected and informed and also enabling staff to better understand reader preferences.

But, I have also observed dangers, and I wanted to use this column to point out a few of these key risks ...

Online pornography. Pornography on the web is so ubiquitous and easily accessed that this has become a huge danger, for men (both old and young) in particular (although I am sure there are probably equivalent forms for girls and women). I am inherently suspicious of the claims of any man who knows how to use the internet and says he has never lingered on a risque photo or description ... mostly because I know my own heart and the power of this temptation, firsthand!

How do you deal with it? There are practices that help. Be sure your computer is in an open and easily observable area of your home. If possible limit your surfing activities to times when others are present. Tape reminder Bible verses where you can see them easily when you are looking at your monitor. Make a mutual agreement with others in your family that you won't delete histories, and that anyone is free to periodically check histories (traces of where you have gone and what you have done) and to have a serious heart-to-heart talk if you find anything there that is questionable, or if it looks like it has been recently erased. (If you would like to know how to check your computer's internet history, e-mail me at larryshort@gmail.com ... be sure to include the computer and browser type you are using.)

There are also technologies that help. Many use a web filter such as WebSense or Integrity Online. Others use a reporting tool, such as XXXchurch, coupled with accountability relationships (an agreement with someone safe to whom reporting e-mails are sent).

I believe accountability is the main key to success here. I encourage all men in particular to have at least one trusted friend who holds them accountable and asks tough questions on a periodic basis. Knowing you are going to be asked difficult questions makes resistance to temptation much more effective.

Inappropriate/predatory relationships and cyber-bullying. Online social networking has increased the risks of inappropriate or predatory relationships and cyber-bullying, particularly among our children. Recent articles reveal that elementary-aged children are now using tools like Facebook to open themselves up to the possibility of anonymous relationships, and as you can imagine how that can end up in tragedy. Here is a recent example (an article by a school principal): http://ydurl.com/p6xw. Parents should also be sure to take advantage of services like YouDiligence (http://www.youdiligence.com/) to help protect their children.

Urban myths and inaccurate information. I am amazed at how many mass e-mails I receive, forwarded by well-intentioned friends and acquaintances, containing inaccurate or inflammatory information. Even the most reasonable-sounding e-mails often contain an admonition to forward to a thousand of your closest friends. Such e-mails are usually thinly disguised vehicles for spammers to harvest large numbers of e-mail addresses, in themselves a valuable commodity.

I urge everyone who sends me such e-mails to first check them out thoroughly using an internet urban legend evaluation tool such as http://www.snopes.com and/or http://www.truthorfiction.com. Invest a few minutes of your own time to save hours' of your friends'. And follow this general principle: IF IN DOUBT, DON'T SEND IT. (Believe it or not, often I receive such e-mails with a personal forward such as, "I don't usually forward such e-mails ... but I thought I should just in case this one were true.")

Also don't automatically believe any e-mail that says, "I checked this out in Snopes and it's true." Check it out for yourself before forwarding.

In addition to not making life easy for spammers, the principle here is integrity. I don't care how good and true the cause or ideology is ... truth matters! Let's hold one another accountable for our words and actions.

I know there are many other online dangers, such as gambling. But here I have hit on a few that are major concerns for me and I feel a possible hazard for our body. But I would be interested to hear from you about your own experience ... so please visit our church blog, http://www.gotgodquestions.org, and give us your feedback! Thank you!