The Church Tech

Software, Hardware, Sound and Technology for Churches and Worship Ministries

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Public Technology

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Everyone is an expert.  Well, at least so they say.

It used to be that techies were few and far between.  People would discuss our supposed electronic prowess with hushed tones and admiring sighs.  When you told someone that you worked with computers, they would always say with a knowing grin, “That’s a good field to be in.”  And it was.  And still is.

But now, everyone is an techie.  And everyone they know is an techie.

The guy down the street … the 40 year old lady at church … the 13 year old kid with his laptop.

Well, at least they are enough of experts to try to tell you how much they know and why what you know is wrong.  And, sometimes, they actually do know something that has value!  And it may be something that you didn’t already know.  (I hate that!  Especially when it is the 13 year old kid!).  And, it’s really not fair!  When did a 13 year old kid ever go up to an accountant and tell them that they debited the wrong account?  Never.  Doesn’t happen!  It only happens with techies!

I’ll admit it.  Keeping up with all of the developments in technology today is mind numbing.  In fact, it is practically impossible.  The latest and greatest wireless networking protocol is barely out and going before they introduce another.  Operating systems are being released with dizzying frequency.  New capabilities are springing onto the web.  Our phones are turning into computers.  And, everything is connected to everything … and it actually works most of the time!

As a tech guy (person) at the church, you have to be an expert at them all.  PC’s, Operating Systems, Internet, Phones, Macs, Switches, Wireless, WiFi, Servers, Programming languages, firewalls, file systems, network topologies, sound, video … it’s all in your realm.

So now, I will bring some focus to this rambleing … right?  Wrong.  I’m just venting.  I have no answers today.  I’m too tired.  Hey, I’ve been a tech guy for many years.  I forgot more than most of these guys ever knew.  But, of course, much of that was on old hardware, antiquated operating systems, retired protocols and promising technology that never came to fruition.

Oh well … their time is coming!

Church Web Sites … Really?

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I’ve had it with Church Web Sites.  The next person that tells me that their church really has to get on the web, I am going to disagree with them!  How about that?  From a Church Tech guy!

OK.  This is a reaction.  It is a reaction to the fact that so many well intentioned “tech wannabes” have set up horrible web sites.  It is a reaction to the fact the many churches have perfectly good web sites … but never update them.  It is a reaction to the lack of follow through by the church staff and congregation to really make the web site worthwhile.

The reason why this happens is because Churches don’t ask the questions that any self-respecting business should ask before they go on the web:

  • What should be on a web site?
  • Who will update it (REGULARLY)?
  • Will anyone see it?
  • Will anyone want to use it?

It reminds me of the myriads of business owners in the early 2000’s who went around muttering to themselves “I’ve got to get on the web … I’ve got to get on the web”.  When you asked them why they wanted to get on the web, they said that they needed to get on the web because that is what everyone is doing.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!  Who does something successfully “just because someone else does it”?  When my kids say that we need to do something “because Sally’s family does it”, I tell them that we don’t do something just because everyone else does.  I would imagine that nearly every father and mother has had that conversation at least one time in their lives.  But, somehow, we didn’t translate the fact that “doing something just because someone else does it” is a bad idea in our own lives.  Let me give you a hint:  Putting up a web site does not make you a technically savy congregation.  In fact, putting up a poor web site is worse than nothing because it has diverted you attention from something else that could have been more valuable to build up the kingdom of God.

On the other hand, if someone wants to be on the web because they have compelling and interesting reasons to be there … I say “Go for it”.  Next, I ask them who is going to keep it current and fresh.  Here are two simple rules that anyone putting up a website should follow:

  1. Any Web Site should be compelling and interesting or it should cease to exist.
  2. Any church web site that isn’t updated regularly (and I don’t mean every couple of months) should be deleted.

So it’s time.  Let’s make web sites that actually have a purpose and a benefit for people to go to them.  Let’s update the content so that it doesn’t have last year’s “events” on them and pictures of the previous leadership or pastor, etc, etc, etc.  If we can’t do that, let’s get rid of them.  There are still too many “businesses on the web” that only have a single home page!  But never mind … they are “on the web”!

Microsoft Office? I think not!

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For many years, when you bought a computer, you also had to think about the cost of the other software that you were going to need to actually make the computer useful.  The top category of software that was necessary (other than games, of course) was Office Productivity Software.  And, that meant MICROSOFT OFFICE!

This software was pretty pricey and a cause for many an individual to attempt to pirate the software in one way or another.  Of course, for anyone with ethics, this was not an option.  But, it made a huge increase in the otherwise bargain you sniffed out on the net or the local computer store.

Those days are now over.  Really.

If you have not yet tried OpenOffice, it is time.  This *FREE* Office Productivity Suite is finally ready for prime time.  The word processor (“Microsoft Word” replacement) is just fine and has nearly all of the features in word that anyone actually uses.  The Powerpoint equivalent is quite usable as well.  So, what does that leave … Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access (assuming you use the “Pro” version).

Short of the accountant, who really uses Excel for what it is made for?  Who sets up complex spreadsheets?  In my environment of over 100 computers, there are probably 2 people who use Excel for anything other than a formatting tool.

Access … I love Access … I write programs in Access … I use it to do stuff on SQL servers.  I don’t think there is anyone else in our organization who even knows how to start up the program.

OK … so out of 100 computer users, we have maybe 3 people who need Microsoft Office.  Everyone else can use the free and usable Open Office!  By the way, it reads and writes Microsoft file formats, so you can still read those files that others send to you.

So … what are you waiting for?  Want to try it out?  Go to www.openoffice.org and download the software.  By the way, you need to be careful because there are a few sites out there that want you to pay for this software that you can download for free.  The link I provided takes you to the “real” place.

Is this the only option?  Well, surprisingly, no.  As it turns out, Google is also providing some of this type of software via “Google Apps”.  It’s a little more “clunky” than the open office suite, but it is available anywhere you go.  You don’t have to copy anything on your computer and you can store the files out on the net.  It is cool.  If you haven’t tried it, you should.  And, while you are at it, you can check out Gmail which allows you to use your own Domain Name just as if the email server was setting in your building.  That means that all these people who now have HotMail accounts can now have their own domain name instead.

About a year ago, I purchased a domain name that was a variant of my last name and set up a Google Apps “post office”.  Then I was able to set up my family and anyone else who wanted an email address with my last name embedded with a permanent email address.  You can set up a free (they call it “Standard”) Google Apps account and have 50 email addresses attached to it.  And … for non-profit organizations (churches), you can have more accounts than that.  If you want to check this option out, go to www.google.com/apps.

These options are both real and usable.  I don’t know about you, but I think that anyone who is thinking about spending hundreds of dollars per copy for Microsoft Office is just plain crazy!

Kind of reminds you about how Microsoft ruined Netscapes’ business doesn’t it!

– The Church Tech