In light of the recent debate surrounding the usage of social media at Synod, Tweeting Synod: Healthy for whom?  I thought this excerpt of interest:

“How tweet it is” by Paul Smith, The Weekend Australian Financial Review July 16-17, 2011

“The micro-blogging network has acquired a heavy-duty credibility unimaginable when it set up just five years ago.

twitter@the good: Over 200 million accounts created and 1 billion messages sent in just fives years

twitter@the good: Used a rallying tool for pro-democracy protests around the world like the recent “Arab Spring”

twitter@thegood: Broke news like the death of pop star Michael Jackson before major outlets

twitter@thegood: Has allowed royalty, presidents and prime ministers to speak directly to millions of people

twitter@thebad: NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell accidentally sends a “deeply off the record” comment for a journalist to thousands of people

twitter@thebad: A Westpac staffer accidentally tells the banks’ customers it was “oh so very over it today” via its official twitter account

twitter@thebad: Channel 7 presenter, David Koch, tweets it was”time to sleep like the dead” while reporting from the Christchurch earthquake

twitter@thebad: Channel 9 host Richard Wilkins reports Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum had fallen off a cliff and died in New Zealand after a Twitter hoax

Christians are not immune from the dangers of Twitter, here and here.

My earlier, Tweeting synod: Healthy for whom? – I have had a number of helpful conversations and will write a follow up blog post.  Culture holding conversation and context are recurring themes.

The use of social media by louts in the London rampage is an example of a culture that is a long way from Christ holding a conversation (where to cause harm next) that is a long way from Christ. As Christians we will hold conversation using social media to build the way of Christ.