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A great deal of the discussion about electronic communications involves the term "network", and words derived from it. In fact, it's difficult to describe the phenomenon without using the word, because it's such an incredibly apt metaphor. Basically, a "network" is to or more computers linked to one another so that they can exchange information. This linking together of computers within a building, and linking together of computers in different buildings, even in different cities, is called "networking", because as more and more nodes are connected together by means of electronic communication, a map showing the electronic links ends up having so many lines on it that it begins to resemble the mesh of a fishnet (See figure 1).
A---B---C---D---E---F Figure 1: A stylised representation | | | | | | of a computer network. The letters A-X G---H---I---J---K---L represent nodes (either computers within a | | | | | | Local Area Network or sites within a Wide M---N---O---P---Q---R Area Network) and the lines represent the | | | | | | links between nodes. S---T---U---V---W---X Figure 1
(In fact, some people take advantage of this terminology to indulge in the love of puns which seems to be common among computer users. One of the denominational computer networks in the United States is called "FishNet", playing up on the network terminology and Jesus' promise to the disciples that they would be called "Fishers of men." [Mk. 1:17])
The reason that it's so hard to get away from the word "network" is because it applies to the technology so very well. For example, a few years ago, it was fashionable to describe the Internet as the "information superhighway", to convey the speed with which information can travel, but the real power of the Internet is not that its speed, but the myriad connections it contains. A superhighway may be fast, but it only goes from one end to the other. A better metaphor for the Internet would be to compare it to the whole vast infrastrucure of individual driveways leading to back lanes, leading to side streets, leading to busy streets, leading to arterial connectors, leading to the superhighways. It's the fact that, once you're on the road, you can go anywhere which makes driving so useful, and it's fact that, once you're on the Internet, you can find out anything which makes the Internet so useful, and so it would make more sense to call the Internet the "information road network" except that that description uses that deaded "N word" again.
For clarification, here is a brief rundown on the different kinds of computer networks.
In a LAN, several computers within the same building are linked together, through telephone circuits, network wiring, fibre-optic cable, or "wireless" systems using radio waves or infrared light. LANs enable several computers to share high cost peripherals, such as laser printers and large hard disks. Some LANs have other services, such as electronic mail between computers, client-server applications, or "workgroup" applications, in which several users can work collaboratively on a project.
Large churches with multiple staff, denominational offices, missions, and other Christian organisations have frequently opted to install a LAN, so that they can save money by only buying one laser printer, and having everybody in the office share it. That is good as far as it goes, but a LAN can provide more functionality than that. Many Network Operating Systems come bundled with a LAN E-mail application. Even though it only operates within the limits of the building, such an E-mail system can be used to pass notes to other people, take phone messages while they are busy or away, send announcements to all the staff at once, and generally increase the communication level within the office. Such E-mail usage doesn't need to be limited to written messages, either. On most E-mail systems, you can attach a file to an E-mail message, so one person might send a note to another person which says, "Here is my departmental budget for next year", and attach a spreadsheet file with all the numbers filled in. Using that kind of ability, the recipient can then cut and paste the spreadsheet into a larger budget spreadsheet, and have the complete budget spreadsheet add up all the numbers from each departmental budget.
You can also link up the E-mail system in a LAN to a Wide Area Network, an Information Service, or even the Internet, so that a user can send a message from their desktop to users outside the office in the same way as they send mail within the office.
In a WAN, computers or LANs at different sites are linked by high speed leased data lines or satellite links, which can make it appear to the user that another computer or user is right next door rather than across town or across the country. Typically, WANs are run by large corporations, as the means of linking sites can be quite expensive. It may be that a consortium of Christian organisations might be able to share costs and put a WAN into place, but most churches, missions, etc. could not generate enough E-mail on their own to justify the cost.
"Bulletin Board" and "BBS" are short for "Bulletin Board System." A BBS is a computer which users connect to through their own computers, modems, and telephone lines. Users call into the system to send and pick up messages, just like on a real bulletin board in a laundromat or grocery store. The topics discussed on BBSs can range widely, starting with the usual "For Sale" ads, and extending to every hobby you can imagine. (A few years ago, one of the BBSs in the Vancouver area had an extended discussion on skydiving.) On Christian BBSs, the topics can range from Christian rock music to the place of women in the church to the doctrine of the Trinity to which is the best Bible-on-disk program. BBSs are also a good place to find software. You can "download", or retrieve, files from BBSs using file transfer protocols, so that a copy of the software on the BBS is created on your computer. Many BBSs are free, run as a hobby by the owner. (For more details on BBSs, consult Part III. For a list of Christian BBSs around the world, consult Appendix A.)
In this system, each BBS in the network is set up to call another system at a set time to exchange mail. For example, a BBS in Vancouver might call another BBS in Edmonton every night and send all of the new messages it has received during the day. In return, the other BBS sends its new messages. The BBS in Edmonton might be connected to another in Chicago, and so on. Thus, public messages can reach around the world in a matter of days, at little or no cost to the sender. (Private messages can be sent directly to a receiving BBS overnight, usually for less than the cost of a stamp.) In all, there may be anywhere from a couple of dozen BBSs in one of the smaller networks, to 30,000 in FidoNet, the largest BBS network. (For more details on BBS networks, consult Part IV. For a list of discussion areas on different Christian BBS networks, consult Appendix B.)
In this system, a large computer or network of computers is set up to accept calls via modem. Users call in to the system to send and pick up messages, or exchange files, just as with a BBS. The difference is, while BBSs are small and low-cost, information services are quite large and expensive to set up, and thus must charge for the use of their services. While two churches in the same city could exchange information through a BBS in the same city at no cost, it is not as simple to communicate across the country. On the other hand, information services are typically available in many cities, and generally cost less than dialling directly and paying long distance telephone charges.
Some information services, like CompuServe, have the ability to share mail with a LAN E-mail system. A computer on a LAN equipped with a modem might be programmed to dial into the information service daily (or even several times a day), send new E-mail from the LAN to the information service, get new mail from the information service, and then hang up. In this way, users on a LAN E-mail system can send messages to anyone else who can be reached through that information service right from their desks, just as easily as they can send a note across the hall. (For more details on Information Services, consult Part V. For a list of discussion areas on different Information Services, consult Appendix B.)
The Internet started as a link between universities and government agencies in the United States. It has grown to include corporations and BBSs, and is now the largest network in the world in terms of the number of users, and nobody actually knows how big it is, because new hosts (computers or LANs) are added all the time. The Internet carries over ten thousand public message bases (called "newsgroups") and provides for private mail, file transfers, and even logging on to other computers through the network. Because the links in the Internet are in place all the time, there are no charges to send messages per se. Many Internet access providers charge a flat fee to use the Internet, no matter how much mail you send or receive. Others charge for time to access their computer. There are hundreds of places for Christians to witness to non-Christians, and discuss different topics with other Christians, on the Internet. You can also link up a LAN to the Internet, either with a "live" connection, or with "dial-up" access to exchange mail or get files or other information. Many missions, Christian schools, and other agencies now use the Internet to exchange E-mail and files. (For more details on the Internet, consult Part VI. For a list of discussion areas on the Internet, consult Appendix B.)
There are several reasons why networking has not progressed as far as it might have in churches:
Baptists have a tendency towards what I call "the Lone Ranger Syndrome", where we seem to have the attitude that anything which happens outside our own congregation has nothing to do with us. (My Anglican priest friend assures me that this syndrome is alive and well in the Anglican Church, too.) Christians don't seem to talk to one another, and this leads to duplicated efforts, where people "reinvent the wheel", rather than collaborate with existing efforts. The result is a number of networking projects which are incompatible with each other, and frequently unaware of each other's existence.
Not all efforts are oblivious of each other. Some networks are aware of each other, but have theological differences. There are substantive differences between churches which make it difficult for some of them to work together, and there are some groups which most churches would have difficulty recognising as "Christian" in any real sense. But surely there is a place for those denominations with similar doctrine to work together.
Many people look at the cost of a modem, or use of an online system, and say "we can't afford that!" While it's true that spending hours in "chat mode" or "just browsing" on a pay-by-the-hour system can be costly, responsible use of electronic mail or file transfer can be cheaper than alternative methods, as well as faster. For example, it costs 48¢ to send a first class letter within Canada. You can squeeze up to 5 sheets of paper into the 30 gram weight limit. After midnight, it costs 27¢ to place a two minute long distance call between Vancouver and most places in Canada. (Telus has a 27¢ minimum charge per call. Of course, if you sign up for a savings plan, or use an alternative long distance carrier, your rates will be lower.) In those two minutes, a fax machine can send up to 12 pages of text. A modem could send more than 200 pages of text, or a combination of text, graphics, and even database or spreadsheet files. For less money, you can send more information electronically and that information will arrive at the destination much faster.
One of the new terms of the information age is "technopeasant." It refers to someone who is unaware of, or even afraid of, high technology. The reason some people do not get into electronic communications is simply that they find the technology involved too bewildering or threatening. This toolkit is designed to make the technology easier to deal with.
Moving to a paperless office is only effective if people can find the files they need on their computer. Many people do not give their files names which make it easy to finding them again. For example, a letter to SIM might appear on a disk as simply "SIM". But what was it about? Using meaningful filenames like "SIM-PERU.LTR" would be a big improvement in keeping track of information on disk instead of paper. In the same way, computers allow users to create directories or folders on hard disks, and to nest related ones within one another, but users often keep all their word processing files in the same directory as the program, or possibly have a "files" directory with all their word processing files in one place. It would be better to create different directories for committee minutes, church correspondence, Bible Study notes, sermon preparation, or whatever other categories are necessary.
One of the biggest fears of technophobes is that the computer will crash, burn or in some other way rob them of their hard work. Files stored on computers can be lost for a variety of reasons – that's why it's important to make "backups". That is, copy all the important files from a computer disk onto a second disk or other medium. Some of the software included with this Toolkit will make it easier for you to protect your files, by helping you to make backups, and to protect your system from computer viruses. The software in the Toolkit is discussed in Appendix D.
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