Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Search
A couple of months ago I read The Search by John Battelle. I found it so compelling that I am going to use it as part of my E-Business Strategy course this spring. It is the story of the search industry, with a special focus on Google. According to the author, the folks at Google feel that only about 5% of the search "problem" is solved so far. These search companies want to get inside your head and determine your intentions so that when you search they will fully understand what you want and provide you with the exact result. A fascinating idea. But just how will they get inside my head? That is the question.
Pondering this idea of search has led me to another path: how could technology be used to help those seeking information about Christianity? How can the results be presented so that the seekers can truly find Christ? Do a search right now on "Jesus Christ" and you will find a mix: Campus Crusade's web site, results from a PBS special, a Mormon web site, and a news story discussing the idea that maybe Jesus never did exist. Campus Crusade shows up first, so I am guessing that they have done their homework in regards to search results on the term "Jesus Christ". Kudos to them.
I have been playing around with the idea of developing a site that can be used as a resource for those working to understand the Christian worldview and theology. This would not be an evangelism site, but instead a place where current events and philosophies can be discussed in an environment that is trusted but allows for differences of opinion. Think Wikipedia for Christian thought, but with a guarantee of well-thought articles and opinions. Is this a good idea? Do you know of other sites that do this well? Send me your comments and ideas. ¶ 8:00 AM 0 comments
A couple of months ago I read The Search by John Battelle. I found it so compelling that I am going to use it as part of my E-Business Strategy course this spring. It is the story of the search industry, with a special focus on Google. According to the author, the folks at Google feel that only about 5% of the search "problem" is solved so far. These search companies want to get inside your head and determine your intentions so that when you search they will fully understand what you want and provide you with the exact result. A fascinating idea. But just how will they get inside my head? That is the question.
Pondering this idea of search has led me to another path: how could technology be used to help those seeking information about Christianity? How can the results be presented so that the seekers can truly find Christ? Do a search right now on "Jesus Christ" and you will find a mix: Campus Crusade's web site, results from a PBS special, a Mormon web site, and a news story discussing the idea that maybe Jesus never did exist. Campus Crusade shows up first, so I am guessing that they have done their homework in regards to search results on the term "Jesus Christ". Kudos to them.
I have been playing around with the idea of developing a site that can be used as a resource for those working to understand the Christian worldview and theology. This would not be an evangelism site, but instead a place where current events and philosophies can be discussed in an environment that is trusted but allows for differences of opinion. Think Wikipedia for Christian thought, but with a guarantee of well-thought articles and opinions. Is this a good idea? Do you know of other sites that do this well? Send me your comments and ideas. ¶ 8:00 AM 0 comments
