A recent poll by the Pew Forum shows that the Internet is now the third-highest platform for receiving news coverage. So, what can members of the Church do to help shape public perceptions, conversations, and media-talk news about the LDS Church online? Here are some suggestions adapted from a blog by the More Good Foundation:

• Bookmark your local and national online news media outlets.  Search religion content, and comment on articles about the Church in positive ways.
• Share with your friends links to stories about Mormons in the news in your area. You can also send links to the More Good Foundation for them to share with others.
• Check the Church’s Newsroom, LDS Church News, and Mormon Times for the Church’s position on key news issues before responding to articles on sensitive issues and link to their content.
• Subscribe to the More Good Foundation’s blog to stay updated on ways to contribute to the conversation.
• Join the More Good Foundation’s page on Facebook for additional updates as well.
• Create your own news blog, or adopt-a-site from The More Good Foundation, where you can comment on the news.
• Place links to positive news stories on Facebook and tweet about them.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

Youth.lds.org is featuring new videos with inspiring stories about LDS youth. Meet a young woman from Texas who is a world champion at horse reining, and then get to know two young women from Missouri who wanted to change the world and did something about it.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

Thinking about buying an e-reader device? Which one should you buy? Kindle? Sony Reader? Or do you wait and get Apple’s new iPad? I’ve just spent 3 days attending sessions at the Publishing Business Conference in New York City about e-readers and the future of publishing. (See my posts about the current status and the future of the publishing industry.)

Modern e-readers provide a very nice experience in reading. E-paper devices are not backlit like a computer screens, so they are very easy on the eyes. It’s very similar to reading ink on paper. They are slim and lightweight and allow you to sit back and enjoy reading. And you can’t beat the average price of about $9 per book.

E-readers are still a bit clumsy for reading magazines, but they work great for reading text-based books. (It’ll only be a few years until larger, color, foldable e-paper readers will be available for a great magazine experience.)

So, back to the original question, which device should you buy?

• Kindle (Amazon): Is the most popular reader. It has lots of momentum, but you are limited to Kindle’s proprietary content format. (Although there are free tools that can convert standard ePub files to Kindle-compatible files.)
• Librie and Reader (Sony): I like my Sony Reader. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and easy to read. Books are available from the Sony library and other sources (see overdrive.com), since this reader accepts files in the standard ePub format, as well as PFD, RTF, Word documents, text documents, and Sony’s own .lrf, and .lrx formats.
• The iPad was introduced recently by Steve Jobs and is getting a lot of hype. It’s not yet available in the market. The iPad has a multi-touch color display, which will open great opportunities, especially for magazines. Hoever, the iPad has a backlit computer screen, not e-paper technology. Also, it will have slow connectivity until 4G networks are more broadly available.  If you’re the type to buy the latest, greatest Apple product, this is definitely for you (if you have $499). But if that’s not you, it’s probably not worth buying.
• Finally, you may want to consider the PocketBook , which has 75-80% of the market share in Europe and is just starting in the USA. It is an open reader that reads all e-book formats, except Kindle. It holds 1,500 books, plus external memory available up to 32 G. It supports all languages (you can add your own fonts), has 6 font sizes, allows you to create your own folders and themes, and allows firmware upgrades. (This is important because the technology is changing so quickly.) You can also download games and new models have text to speech and handwriting to text functions.

If you’re not willing to pay a few hundred dollars to get an e-reader today, don’t write off the idea completely. In 3-5 years, the devices will come down in price to $100 or even $50. The devices will also become lighter, have better color, and roll up or fold up to fit in your shirt pocket.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

The Mormon Channel has a great series of programs called Questions and Answers. The 13 episodes produced to date pose a series of questions about gospel topics, and provide answers from General Conference audio clips, the Church’s Web site, and other publications from the current and previous First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

This is a great way to learn simple ways to answer gospel questions from your family, friends, and neighbors. Another great source for answers to gospel questions can be found at Gospel Topics (GospelTopics.lds.org) on the Church’s Web site.

See previous posts about other great programs on the Mormon Channel.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

Many have asked me for a list of good Internet filters and accountability programs. You can read Internet Filter and Parental Control Software Reviews, Top Ten Reviews, and Free Internet Filter Reviews.

Everyone has their favorites, but here’s my short list of filters:

• K9 Web Protection (free)
• x3watch.com (free and paid versions)
• OpenDNS (free and paid versions)
• Content Watch (offers a 25% discount to LDSMediaTalk readers)

Rather than just having a filter, you may want to consider a more comprehensive program with a filter and accountability software. For example, Covenant Eyes is a program that helps families stay clear of gambling, pornography, and other bad influences. Accountability software monitors and reports all Web activity to an Accountability Partner of your choice, thereby removing the temptation and secrecy of the Internet. The reports score Web sites to easily identify mature Web addresses, searches, and links. You can choose which services to use by each person in your family: accountability, filtering, or both. If you decide you want to try it, LDSMediaTalk readers can use the promocode saints to receive the first 30 days free.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

ConnectSafely (ConnectSafely.org) is a Web site for parents, teens, and educators interested in using the social Web safely. The social Web is a big part of young people’s lives, and this site is for learning about the safe, civil use of it. It has forums and social-media safety tips for teens and parents, the latest youth-tech news, and many other resources.

You may also want to check out SafeKids.com and NetFamilyNews.org.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

History of Hymns is an interesting program on the Mormon Channel (radio.lds.org) that investigates the inception and the evolution of the hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The episodes talk about the history and the progression of the music and the text. So far, they have produced espisodes about 20 of the most popular hymns, with interesting stories about the creators and others involved in the evolution of the hymns from the beginning to today.

See previous posts about other great programs on the Mormon Channel.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

Through full-time and Church-service missions, seniors can serve and bless others in many ways. Visit the redesigned senior missionary Web site to learn about opportunities, watch videos of missionary experiences, review frequently asked questions, and learn how to apply.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

The Utah Coalition Against Pornography will hold its 9th Annual Conference on Protecting Children and Families from Pornography and Other Harmful Material on Saturday, March 27, 2010, 9:00am – 1:00pm, at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This conference has become recognized nationally for its efforts to protect children and families from pornography and other harmful material.  Each year, UCAP unites various agencies and organizations who seek to establish and maintain standards of decency in our communities and promote safety for children and families.  The focus of the vast array of presentations in this conference will address the issues of pornography and other harmful material that threatens the foundation of stable life for individuals, families, and communities. The purpose of this conference is to educate the citizens about problems related to obscenity, provide resources and help, and teach people what they can do to promote community standards that will safeguard children and families.

Learn more about the conference on the UCAP site.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark:

Chatroulette is the weirdest new Internet pastime. The site pairs you with a random videochat partner. You can choose to videochat with that random stranger or click on to the next. Fox News describes Chatroulette as a “predator’s paradise.” There’s nudity and lewedness, and who knows what else. Parents beware.

www.chatroulette.com is definitely an address you want to add to your Internet filter to block.

Share on Facebook

Bookmark: