At the point of transition from the UCHUG experiment into the next phase of Small Computers in the Church a disturbing feeling went through me. I described it as 'boredom' - that's how it immediately felt, and I wrote about it both to my UCHUG colleagues and to some friends on the SOURCE network:

 Posted: Fri Mar 8, 1985 10:39 PM EST
From:DG.LAIRD
TO: SCC.ALL
Subj: TIME OF TRANSITION

This is my recent experience after 4 months of using the Envoy system. Just this week I started to get a bit bored. Hohum, I am talking to 10 or more people a week on the lectionary, so what else is new?

So it took a program by a lady who is travelling through Vancouver speaking [on the radio] on how people can make a difference, to draw me up short, and give me an inkling of what may be going on. I may have too neatly fit this system into my life as a pastoral minister and lost the sense of the excitement of it, and the possibilities.

 To tie in with what I heard on radio, we are at a turning point in the life of the world. We are facing the bankruptcy of a lot of institutions, including political institutions, to really respond to the concerns of people. What is exciting now is the informal and ad hoc ways in which ordinary people are joining together to change their situation and in effect to change the world. The strong word she used was "networking". With a small group of somewhat like- minded people amazing things can be done. Well, thanks to the experiment of this last 4 months we have the networking.

Perhaps the problem is we are using it in very traditional ways. Perhaps we are still bringing the concepts from the past to bear on this medium rather than freeing ourselves to let this medium take us into uncharted areas. For example, we may be developing a new kind of theology, just in our interaction. Perhaps the invention of books had the result of making us more individualistic. This medium may be making us more collaborative.

 Already I have talked to someone, not on this network, about writing a book collaboratively, so that the "author" would be a group of people rather than an individual. I hope to get some more food for thought from a booklet David Lochhead is bringing back from Seattle, which I heard about in Hawaii. It is called "At the Crossroads" - the theme is I think, that the world is at a crossroads of history, and now is the time to make new patterns rather than fitting into deep ruts. That's enough for now, but I would really welcome some feedback.

Norm Perry responded immediately to my concern:

 Posted: Mon Mar 11, 1985 4:20 AM PST From: NA.PERRY
TO: DG.LAIRD Subj: RE: TIME OF TRANSITION

Yea, I can concur with that! I sense however, that the new directions are still not too clear. As an expensive online network person, I do more observing than participating, and probably live in my rut trying to see how to get more of my life work done through the system itself. NAP.

I replied to Norm:

 I understand, Norm. I think the day to day work has to be made efficient by the machine before there is time to think about what more could happen. But look at this conversation, for example. There is not a chance in the world that I would pick up the phone and phone you long distance to talk this over. In fact I would be lucky to find anyone with whom I could share this concern. My point is that we take for granted even what we have learned so far. And that we may be inclined to stop short of some really exciting developments. I don't really know what they are either.

Paul Mullen responded as well:

 Posted: Mon Mar 11, 1985 10:02 PM PST
From: JP.MULLEN
TO: DG.LAIRD CC: SCC.ALL
Subj: CROSSROADS

Gordon, I don't want to let your comments pass by unanswered, but I'm not sure I have much to contribute. I too am a bit frustrated by the elusive potentials of these machines and this medium. There are those obvious gains and obstacles like time saving and time wasting, paper saving, and paper flooding. Perhaps what has changed in me the most is that I'm enjoying many things that I didn't even do before because I didn't enjoy before. Our lection dialogue is much more fun than sitting in a room with others and talking it out. True, that style has its own benefits.

There is something to be said for being able to state an opinion without being interrupted, or to be able to read and think before composing an answer. The very process of composing an answer changes the answer in a way that wouldn't be done in person. The fact that people don't have to actually be at the same place at the same time removes some major aggravation in terms of travel, finding a parking space, people not showing up, etc. It is this enjoyment, or lack of aggravation, or both, which aides the kind of cooperative effort we have been making and sets the stage for the kinds of cooperative ministry which you are suggesting.

But the most immediate and challenging response to my 'lament' came on another network, the SOURCE, from Bob Cramer, who asked me to write an article for RFC news with a fuller expression of my thoughts.

 Another overview was expressed by Clare Holmes in which he summarized for many of us the possible negative impact of this computer networking in a piece he called, "Via Negativa"

 Posted: Sun Feb 24, 1985 10:59 PM PST From: CA.HOLMES
TO: lection.list Subj: via NEGATIVA

 I know this message VIA NEGATIVA will be at the top of my mailbox tomorrow. Every time I purge my own messages I am reminded of a story my partner tells about an American politician who returned a letter to its sender with the note 'some fool sent this to me over your name' This note is part of the discussion about this medium and our ministry in it but it breaks the present pattern of via excita positiva.

 We have learned in our generation that mediums are all mixed blessings and have subtly built in mixed messages. Television, for example, has real limits as a medium for the gospel. We are all properly excited about the values for ministry we are discovering in the use of our computers and modems but we need also to be alert for when the modem may be the wrong metaphor for the kingdom; when, as my great grandfather would have said, your modem speaks so loud I can't hear what you are typing. So, having already made the headstrong decision to continue in March, here is a modem meditation via negativa.

• Privacy: Very early we noticed the problems of privacy. This is the right problem to have in a communication medium for people. It is a good social pressure to have to speak what can stand scrutiny and to have to be publicly respecting of the person you address. As the use of the modem increases, however, we may have to stand up and be counted in a medium that invites the invasion of privacy.
• Broadcasting: We do some limited "broadcasting" but, so far, only in UCHUG or a SIG where we are reasonably accountable to each other. I have not tried a Christian bulletin board yet to see if people using them are careful to not promise what they cannot deliver by way of salvation or fellowship and are mindful both of the possible need and despair of their listeners and the limits of human fellowship through a modem.
• Escape/Isolation: The modem seems to provide well for a continental fellowship and for special interest fellowships which are very valuable. On the edge of holocaust it is hard to imagine our connections could become too global.
• The pastoral episcopal function of Presbytery often suffers now, however, because we (presbyters) are all just outside the space where we are each so busy. Will the modem emphasize a "skip" in the circle of our care from the parish to a national fellowship.
• Community online: This brings up the question of how much pastoral care we can have via the modem. How intentional or casual will our fellowship be. Is a level of commitment to the online fellowship essential? Much of this will come via positiva because we are excited and keen and caring. We have, for example, maintained a full-sentenced approach to each other and not succumbed to a clipped efficient business language (although as soon as I type online I revert to see Dick run). Perhaps a more important question is how will this affect the "body of Christ" who/which is not only online.
• The Body In and out of Envoy, SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS are a good idea but they could very easily become SUB INTEREST GROUPS. I remember when some of us were rediscovered by God in the Group Process Lab Movement of the 60's and how some of us chaffed at not being washed in the blood of the lab. Inevitably, I suppose, some of us will be found with our interfaces on crooked. As a University Chaplain I help a lot of students these days hack the mandatory computer course and the lab assistants who can't interface with non-hackers. Many good students give warning that Boolean algebra is a very limiting form for human relationships (fast and stupid).I erased the Eschatalogical paragraph - I need another dose of via positiva. If we are going to follow the leads we have about how the spirit may well use the modem we need also to be alert to how the spirit may need to critique, even transform the medium..

Most of us had experienced the fears which Clare had eloquently named for us. The Envoy messages were so urgent, immediate and involving, had we been experiencing a subtle change in our other relationships? How were we now relating to family and our regular daily colleagues and responsibilities?

 And how to compare our experiences with our newfound, distant, electronic friends with our immediate face-to-face neighbours?

 Could this talk of the increased fellowship with our "electronic community" be an excuse for isolating ourselves from those they were meeting day by day in the flesh? Is there such a thing as an "electronic community" or did the absence of contact in the flesh make it an abstraction rather than real community?

 As we were becoming more loquacious electronically was there a danger we were becoming less engaged with people on a personal level?

---

 

May, 1985 - "Welcome to UNISON!"

After the review of all the available networks which were offering teleconferencing (the SOURCE, COMPUSERVE, DELPHI, etc) it was decided that we would move to a new and relatively small network based in Denver, Colorado called "UNISON". Why a network in Denver when most of our work is in Canada? It is important to remember that questions of geography almost disappear and become irrelevant when we are discussing computer networking. It is as easy to contact a network in Denver or Washington, D. C. from our local Canadian phone number as it is to contact Envoy 100.

 I have already stated some of the deficiencies of Envoy 100 for the purpose of teleconferencing. Here are some of the advantages which the UNISON network presented:

 

It was cheaper. When I divide the cost for my usage on Envoy during the month of January by the number of hours I had been accessing the result was $23.38 per hour. Unison had a starting rate of $6 US per hour, to which would be added a surcharge for DATAPAC of $3 US.

It was not owned by a giant U. S. conglomerate. We understood that the SOURCE was owned by Reader's Digest and COMPUSERVE by H & R Block. UNISON was owned by Fred Dudden of Denver, Colorado. David Lochhead was able to establish a personal relationship with Fred, and was able to custom-design our network.

But one of the greatest attractions was that UNISON was already using Participate 4.40, a very advanced teleconferencing system which seemed to us to exceed the flexibility and capabilities of the Participate 3.4 which we had experienced on the SOURCE. (It must be acknowledged that none of us had explored all the dimensions of Parti 3.4 before making this judgment).

We now had a new, very unfamiliar system for us all to learn very quickly. Participate on UNISON was quite different from what we were used to on Envoy 100. Envoy 100 is a business system and is very formal and business-like in all it's communication with its customers.

 The differences were noticeable immediately you successfully logged on to UNISON. (One of our members tried unsuccessfully for a whole week to logon to UNISON. He found the problem ultimately by reading the manual for his Modem software yet another time.)

 You were met with a welcome message in which you were addressed by name, followed by a proverbial type statement which can at times read like a horoscope. "You are a good planner and will achieve success". My favourite was: "It is better to save one human life than to build a seven-story pagoda". Then you receive the following message (this was my actual message from July 21, 1985 - I did not retype it): Loading Participate 4.45 for your use now....

 Welcome to PARTICIPATE for the United Church of Canada, DGLAIRD!

 Copyright (c) Participation Systems Inc. (PSI), 1985. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED "PARTICIPATE" and "PARTI" are trademarks of PSI, Winchester, Massachusetts.

SEGMENT NAME (# OF NOTES)

 

Urgent Notes (0)

Personal Notes (0)

"TOWN SQUARE" (2)

"SEXUALITY AND THE UNITED CHURCH" (1)

"DIALOGUE" (1)

"DIALOGUE TALK" (1)

"FINANCIAL CRUNCH" (2)

PARTI had provided for me a list of only those notes which I had not yet read in conferences I had joined. They could be read entirely by pressing the Carriage Return key.

 But we had to master this new and very flexible system very quickly. We decided to download the whole of the "manual" and print up copies for any of our new members.

 We discovered that it was possible to set up "Branches" of discussions with remarkably flexible features: for example, the "Organizer" of the branch could decide exactly which people would be invited into the conference (it is always up to the individual as to whether s/he "joins" the conference), whether some or all of the members could only read the conference or whether they were allowed to write comments which would be added as a note to the conference.

 David Lochhead immediately "organized" two "Roots" which would be the main starting points for almost all of the rest of the discussions: "SCC" would be the Root for all official Small Computers in the Church Committee business and discussions. "UCHUG" would be the Root for all interactive conferences set up by our members.

The first conference we transferred from Envoy 100 was the Lectionary conference. I set this up as a branch of "UCHUG" on May 19th as "LECTIONARY" and within the next week branched 2 conferences from "LECTIONARY" for each of the next two Sundays. (We had decided to begin a new branch from "LECTIONARY" for every Sunday - this allowed Lectionary participants to be working two or three Sundays ahead).

 Next we transferred a number of files from Envoy 100. David Lochhead "organized" two new discussion groups, "BEM" on May 25 (to discuss the report on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry) and "SEXUALITY AND THE UNITED CHURCH" on May 22nd.

 A number of new dimensions had entered our discussions as we became more familiar with the UNISON PARTI system. Because we were now inviting a number of people beyond the previous strictly United Church membership of UCHUG to join our discussions as UCHUG members we were becoming less parochially Canadian and United Church.

 Bob Cramer was one of the first to join and immediately began contributing to every conference which had been established and began "organizing" a number of his own. Bob is one of the most interesting of the many new contacts we were making. He lives in Windsor, California, in the San Francisco area, and is a consultant to a number of U. S. Churches in the area of communications, with particular reference to computer communications. He seems to spend his entire day on his computer, sending and receiving notes to various of the computer networks.

 Bob has a wide and ecumenical interest in the Church in North America (and the world) and began establishing conferences on UNISON which offered us a wider perspective on the concerns we brought. He "organized" conferences on various aspects of the current Church life and Church communications scene.

We found that at any time in our conversations we might have a response from Bob Cramer or Fred Dudden, the owner of UNISON, or Diana Campbell, who helped Fred with the organizing of UNISON and who lived in Lubbock, Texas. We had people join us from many parts of the United States, from Boston, Mass, to California, representing a number of different mainline protestant Churches as well as one Jewish Rabbi. Furthermore there was a whole other aspect to UNISON, yet to be explored, which was the greater part (we might call them the "secular" conferences).

One of the features of UNISON was a live interaction called "SPEAKEASY". Sometimes in the midst of your regular sending of a message on PARTICIPATE (or PARTI) you might receive a message:

 Paul Mullen invites you to join CHAT

This bizarre statement might flash across your screen while you were quietly and patiently at work at something entirely different. The meaning was that you were being called to a real-time conference on SPEAKEASY. That means that Paul Mullen was also using the network at the time and you would be able to conference with him live.

 When you found your way, through an electronic maze, to SPEAKEASY, and asked for the conference dubbed by Paul as "CHAT" you were speaking to Paul. If I were talking to Paul it would look like this on the screen:

 DGLAIRD> Hi, Paul!

 JPMULLEN> Hi, Gordon, how are you doing?

 When three or four more joined this conference you had to be really sharp to keep track of all the conversations coming across the screen.

 My judgment was that this novel procedure was interesting at first, but I doubted the validity of the use of the time it took. When you were in a live conversation the minutes ticked away, often without either party having said much more than passing the time of day. However SPEAKEASY was very flexible and has an interesting variety of features which allowed you to break through with a message onto the screen of anyone who is currently in contact with UNISON. It also provided an easy way of knowing who was currently on UNISON. It could be invaluable in some very specialized situations in the Church, for example when an immediate decision is required from a geographically-dispersed group.

 Having now successfully completed the move to UNISON we noticed more and more of our members gradually showing up in discussions. For many of them this was their first experience on a truly interactive teleconferencing facility and as we were all getting to know the intricacies of PARTI 4.40 (which was soon upgraded to 4.45) and pored over our Manuals we were gradually moving from the initial frustration bordering on despair to real comfort and enjoyment of the new system.

 Continue reading: Chapters 6 and 7
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