Kidologist.com: Karl Bastian’s Personal Site and Blog
Archive for Technology
October 16, 2008 at 11:06 am · Filed under Computers, Internet, Technology, iPhone
My buddy Todd McKeever twittered that he was having lunch with Brian Dollar, a guy that many know as the creator of the awesome High Voltage Kids Ministry resources available on Kidology.org. I then text messaged Todd to tell Brian “Hi” from me and suggested they visit a Dollar Store. (Yes, my humor is that lame.) But soon I got a picture sent from Todd’s iPhone that cracked me up:
Brian Dollar at a Dollar Store!
Everything he creates is totally awesome - from cool game music to countdowns and transitions to PowerPoint games to Kids Church curriculum. This picture made my day, so I just had to share it, and while I’m at it, encourage you to check out the cool stuff Brian cranks out that will be a great asset to your ministry to kids!
I love the way the Internet, Twitter and cell phones can connect friends all over the country, in real time. THAT is the power of Twitter and connecting electronically. Just another reason why I Twitter.
October 10, 2008 at 6:24 am · Filed under Blog World, Computers, FREE Stuff, Internet, Technology
Why do I Twitter? I get asked that a lot. And I seem to stumble around for an answer because there isn’t just one simple answer, so I usually just say “to keep connected with remote friends.” Which is a big part of the reason, but I thought I’d try to expound a little on why it is I have posted over 1000 “tweets” to my Twitter page. Someone recently asked me what the ministry benefits were. I’d probably have to honestly say none, or not much. It’s not about ministry. It’s more about interpersonal relationships.
Here I will try to explain what Twitter is, how you Twitter and lastly WHY Twitter.
WHAT IS TWITTER?
It would help first of all, to try and explain what Twitter is. First of all, it is found here: www.twitter.com. And if you know a Twitter-er’s username, you can simple put it after the domain, such as mine is: www.twitter.com/kidologist. Users can customize their page with a background as well as the color scheme of the page. And their Twitter profile icon of course.
But what IS Twitter? It is a micro-blog whose posts are made up not only of your own, but of those you are “following.” It is similar to a blog except that your posts are limited to 140 characters or less. So you can’t get too wordy. And like a blog, your most recent post is at the top of the page. But what makes it unique is that the post of anyone you choose to follow also appear on your Twitter page. So your Twitter page becomes not only a mini-blog of what you are doing, but a news feed on what your friends (or whoever you are following, they don’t have to be friends, as I’ll get into below) are doing or thinking or posting.
As you can see in the image above, as of this morning, I am following 65 people. 109 are following me and I’ve posted 1208 “Tweets” so far. That means that whenever any of those 65 people post, it appears in my Twitter and anything I post, 109 people are blessed or bothered with what I posted. And I’ve sent 1208 such messages to whoever was following me at the time!
HOW DO YOU READ & POST TO TWITTER?
The key to the success of Twitter’s growth, is that there are MANY ways to post and read the posts that appear on your page. You can simply use the webpage interface, but that is the least used method for me. I have a desktop application called Twifferrific. It can be on top of all windows, minimized, and set to check at intervals I choose and actually “tweet” like a bird when someone posts. A screen shot of it is to the right.
You can also post via text message to your phone.
You can also have your facebook status post to your Twitter. (I do that in reverse, anything I post to Twitter becomes my Facebook Status.)
But I do most of my Twittering directly from my iPhone using a variety of applications, each has its advantages.
If you are an iPhone user try Twinkle, it allows you to also see people who are nearby and Twittering. I tend to use Twittelator the most and love how you can include pictures taken on your iPhone so I paid $4.99 for Twittelator Pro which bosted of extra features and the ability to have multiple accounts, and it flat out doesn’t work and I can’t get my $5 back. Every time I open it is says “Server load error, unable to load Tweets, try again later.” And its been over a month. OK, rant over. Don’t waste your $5 like I did.
With the iPhone application, (showing Twittelator here) you have many more options than the website, or at least, easier and faster to access such as:
But my favorite thing about Twittelor (and Twinkle can do it too, but crashes often) is attach pictures from my iPhone picture library OR simply take and attach a picture:
Then you simply type your message and post!
(note: iPhone changes your spelling a lot,
like: Twitteding, I didn’t type that!)
To most users, the image will look like a link from Twicpic.com and they can click on it to go view it. When Twittelator Pro works, it actually displays the picture IN the Tweet, which was why I wanted the $5 version, to just show the picture and skip the clicking and waiting to view just to see a picture wasn’t worth the wait to see. (see link at the beginning of my first post)
You can see the picture of my laptop I just Twittered here. Curious if these pictures will remain hosted “forever” or if there is a time limit, no one seems to know.
BUT WHY TWITTER?
That, indeed, is the question. Yes, Twittering takes time to post and to read, and can become a bit of an addiction. So what is the value in it? Why bother? Why should YOU Twitter? Here are some of my reasons.
- It’s fun. Hey, it’s O.K. to have fun, not everything has to have a profound ministry purpose!
- It fills idle time. When you are stuck somewhere bored, communicating with friends is just a text message or iPhone away.
- It’s fast. Calling a friend takes time. It’s important, but a Tweet to a friend is a fast easy way to let them know you are thinking about them, praying for them, that they matter to you.
- Keep up with friends. I have a bunch of friends around the country that without Twitter I’d only see or talk to once or twice a year, perhaps at a conference. But because Tom Bump, Todd McKeever, Larry Shallenberger, Henry Zonio, Dave Truit and others Twitter, I get to be a small part of their daily life and know what they are dong. If I only see them once a year the conversation goes, “How’s it been?” They answer, “Great!” But with Twitter I know about the ins and outs of their daily lives and can ask more specific questions about the kids, the job, or whatever.
- Monitor your staff. Know what your employees are really doing during the work day. Ha! Just put that in as a joke to see if my staff read this. They all have flexible hours and most are part time, so I’m just razzin’ them!
- Get to know new friends. When I make new friends at a conference or somewhere, like Ken Wheeler, Twitter is a way that we can get to know each other and keep in touch. Otherwise, those infant friendships might not get the chance to grow.
- Keep a pulse on the world, politics and even people unlike you. By following people unlike me, I get glimpses into how other people see the world. I’ve had some people comment that not all my followers (which I can’t control) or those I follow are Christians. Yes, I’ve even seen bad words appear in my Twitter! (oh, no!) If someone gets too offensive, you can block them. (It’s a little tedious as there is no system to how your followers are listed, that I can tell.) But I don’t just follow people who I agree with or who see the world like me. I want to be IN the world (not OF it!) and following people unlike me when it comes to religion or politics is good exposure. I’m trying to reach these people, and it starts with listening.
- Argue Politics. As a passionate American, I am very engaged politically. Sometimes that annoys people - which baffles me - as to be a true American you ought to care and be engaged in politics. Not that our hope is in politics, but they do matter and impact our lives, freedom and economy. You can follow streams of political posts here: http://election.twitter.com and I’ve picked up some people I follow there. Warning, most Twitters are pro-Obama and the venom and nastiness can be shocking if you aren’t used to it. Sad but true. Go be a light. (regardless of your political leanings)
Save links and quotes. I use Twitter as a way to save links and quotes I like. Sometimes I come across something cool or funny or helpful or insighful on the Internet and I just Twitter it and then mark it as a favorite. Going back through your favorites later can be like an electronic scrap book- Follow / Broadcast Live Events. When friends get to be places you can’t be, they can Twitter and let you experience a taste of it, like a friend recently did at a McCain Palin rally and like I will at the Chicago Marathon this Sunday or at various CM conferences. When my wife went on a trip across the country with her parents, she Twittered their progress and pictures for me and the little back home. We got to feel a little less lonely and could picture where she was along the trip. It was great to get those glimpses into her days while she was away from us.
- Entertain and brighten people’s day. If you are like me, you enjoy telling jokes or looking at life through a humorous lense. Twitter allows you to share those funny moments. Normally, it would be pretty lame when you see someone to say, “last week the toilet bowl handle broke and I had to reach in the water to flush.” But as a live Twitter its funny, as every one can picture you doing this, as it JUST happened. Or like one I saw this morning, “Unless someone actually invented a real flux capacitor, I’m pretty sure I need a new watch battery.”
- Communicate with friends. Twitter also allows back and forth communication, either publicly or privately. If you start a post with @kidologist than I and everyone knows the comment is directed at me, though anyone can read and enjoy it. If you put a “d” before it: d @kidologist than only I will get the message. This can be fun. One time I Twittered, “Where should I go to lunch today?” and there were a bunch of @kidologist replies/suggestions. While they were all to me, others got to see the suggestions. A bunch of people separated by hundreds of miles and time zones all collaborated on my lunch destination. (Taco Bell won) That is a part of what makes Twitter unique.
- See what’s new on Kidology.org That’s right! One of the best ways to see what is new on Kidology (or other sites that publish to a Twitter account) is to follow www.Twitter.com/kidology as you will get notified when new things post to Kidology. It’s now one of the main ways I click into discussions and see new posts!
There are other reasons I’m sure I’ll think of after I publish this, and please gives yours in comments. But Twittering is a fun way to interact and stay connected with a wide variety of people from literally all over the world, instantly.
Try it, you’ll like it.
September 30, 2008 at 9:41 pm · Filed under Children's Ministry, Computers, Conferences, Internet, Kidology, Technology, just cool
WEDNESDAY EVENING, October 1st, 2008 is the Kidology Celebration Banquet as the Kick Off Event to Kid U Celebration Conference. YES! We are celebrating 10 YEARS of KID U! Actually, we’ve done FIFTEEN of these large conferences (in different states same year) and I’ve literally lost track of how many of the smaller Kidology To Go events we’ve done, including their predecessor, “Science of Kidology.” We are takin the opportunity of this 10th anniversary event to celebration, look back, and vision cast for the future of Kidology!
We have many family, friends and fans who were not able to make it to Chicago for the banquet so I’m excited to announce that we are planning to broadcast the event LIVE via Ustream.com.
GO TO: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-with-the-kidologist or just visit the home page of Kidology.org. You not only will be able to watch the event, but chat with others who are watching as well. I recommend you register on the site for a free account so your chat name will be your username. I did a test braodcast last night and got to chat with four members from virginia, florida and oregon all at once and they got to see my Star Wars museum in my basement. What a perk for being the first! I will send out a reminder via Twitter if you follow me there or on facebook.
I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE - well, you’ll be able to see me, I’ll be able to say hi at the camera and occasionally in the chat room! Now you can attend the banquet no matter where you are! (Isn’t technology fun?)
June 20, 2008 at 5:38 pm · Filed under Computers, Internet, Luke, Technology
How does Luke survive looooooong drives in the car? By watching online videos of himself of course on his Mac.
That is, when daddy isn’t borrowing Luke’s Mac to do e-mail, twitter, or make videos of Luke while driving. (well, while mommy is driving that is!) But we are finally home and hitting PUBLISH as we pull into the drive way! Yippppeeeee!
June 14, 2008 at 9:06 pm · Filed under Blog World, Internet, Technology
Starting a blog? I often get asked advice on starting a blog since I’ve been blogging since before there were blogs! (I used to create stand alone webpages to record events, like this one or these) I have a detailed post titled What Makes a Good Blog? but let in short I’d say just start one (and yes, just ONE will do) and keep in mind, it is primarily for YOU not your readers. I consider my blog to be my personal digital scrap book. It is first and foremost for stuff I want to save and remember, secondly to keep in touch with family and friends and yet I know that there is a wider readership and so I keep them in mind to - but I don’t seek to please them or worry whether they ‘approve’ all the time. (I’ve had complaints from time to time which is really odd since its a personal blog and the complaints I’ve received are totally inappropriate for what a blog is, but oh well.)
Bottom line: Blog whatever you want. You’ll be your #1 reader over the years, especially the old posts! (I doubt anyone reads my archives, but I cruise them often!)
May 31, 2008 at 1:11 am · Filed under Blog World, Internet, Technology, iPhone
Thanks to the folks at iwphone.contentrobot.com, my blog is now iPhone (or iPod Touch) friendly! I love my current theme (created by PowerServe.net) but on the iPhone it was a bit much to navigate. Now you can enjoy my blog on your iPhone, those of you lucky (or smart) enough to have one. ENJOY!
May 16, 2008 at 8:35 am · Filed under Internet, Life, Technology, Yosemite
Could it be?!?! The man once nicknamed “Pastor Gadget” going OFF LINE for an ENTIRE WEEK!?! YES! The rumors are true! I’ve got my MacBook Air, iPhone, GPS, digital camera, video camera, and a power strip to charge them all at night… so I think I’m good to go, but once I hit Yosemite the laptop will only be used for downloading pictures at the end of the day. NO E-MAIL, NO INTERNET, NO WORK, NO NOTHING! I soon will be basking in God’s Amazing Creation in one of the most spectacular places on the face of the earth far away from all of my normal responsibilities and duties. Yahoo! (And that isn’t a reference to a website!)
As I write this I am sitting on the floor at O’hare International Airport waiting board a flight to Sacramento, California on my way to join eight other guys on an Adventure known as Yosemite Summit.
What began as a challenge during a sermon in the fall of 2006 and grew into a conviction in the winter of 2007 and then calling by summer 2007 is now coming to a climax here in the spring of 2008!
God has brought together NINE MEN for the purpose to detaching from ministry to reconnect with God. Men, especially those of us in ministry, have a tendency to make ministry the substance of our spiritual walk when it is US God wants, not what we can DO for Him. For these few days we will cease from DOING and seek to simply BE in the presence of God so that He might do a work in us that He often can’t do when we are so busy doing.
For those of you who could not come to Yosemite Summit, let me challenge you to intentionally plan some TIME AWAY to connect with God. I’ve been so encouraged to hear from those who Yosemite Summit has inspired to plan retreats away with friends for the same purpose. Let me applaud those and say to the rest of you - what are you waiting for? Life is too short… and you DO have time for something like this, because you MAKE time for something like this. (You’ll never “have time” for it in the normal sense of the phrase.)
WELL, the flight leaves soon! I’m going a day early for food shopping and prep, so I’ve got 24 more hours of electricity and Internet! Before I go completely offline, I’ll have a very special surprise to post tomorrow and something else that goes lives on Kidology.org while I’m gone… curious? You’ll just have to check back and find out what it is!
May 6, 2008 at 7:35 am · Filed under Computers, Mac, Technology
OK, I usually don’t rant on my blog, and don’t approve of blogs that rant all the time - but in this case, I can’t resist.
Lately, I’ve had people send me Word documents that ended in .docx and have had a LOT of trouble opening them and have had to send them back and forth trying to get them to save in different formats and whatnot so that I could view them thinking they were using some archaic version of Word - harking back to the old days when Mac and PC files were not compatible when today they are perfectly compatible. Well, this week I upgraded to Office for Mac 2008 and discover the problem is STUPID MICROSOFT and these friends of mine were not using some old outdated version but the latest stupidity of the so-called cutting edge computer company. I went to save a document and the default is this lame .docx which means that if I need to send the file to anyone who hasn’t upgraded they won’t be able to open it. HOW DUMB IS THAT? So now every time I save a document I have to manually ask to save it as a .doc so the rest of the world can read the file and not the few who have the latest version of Office or someone will think I’m using some old outdated version of Word when I send them this mysterious .docx file.
Fine, upgrade Office, it was long overdue - but WHY change the file extension? That is just plain stupid if not cruel and unusual punishment. Stupidity like that was why I switched to Mac from the PC world. Too bad when it comes to word processing I still have to live in that backwards thinking universe.
OK, rant is over. Ix willx justx havex tox getx usedx tox havingx anx xx addedx tox thex endx ofx everythingx I guessx.
(I think Microsoft was just jealous of the Mac’s OS “X”)
May 5, 2008 at 1:48 pm · Filed under FREE Stuff, Internet, Mac, Technology
Brought to you by evenmoremac.com: (originally posted here, but now updated with search field!)
DOWNLOAD HERE (512kb)
If you have a Mac, you’re in luck! Thanks to Super Mac Expert Chad Gilchrist (and fellow Mac Nerd) you can have your on handy dandy Mac Widget and see my new blog posts via a custom widget! Thanks Chad!
April 3, 2008 at 2:53 pm · Filed under Blog World, Internet, Technology, Uncategorized, just cool
Well, the last time I blogged about Live News Cameras and got the moderator Kat to say hi to me seems that I made my director web operations Steve a little jealous. You see it was Steve who TOLD me about Live News Cameras, and he had been following it since it launched and even blogged about it so when I got his favorite moderator to say hi to ME he let me know that he had been following her longer than me and even knew more about her, where she lived, etc., but that he wasn’t stalking her or anything! (hmmmm)
Then today he tells me she is back from vacation! (not stalking, huh?) Well, to make up for it, I immediately logged on to Live News Cameras and e-mailed Kat again and this time asked how her vacation was and asked her to say hi to Steve for me, and she did! Hopefully this puts me back on good terms with Steve. It’s a good thing that me and Kat are obviously such good friends now and that she has twice responded to my e-mails live on a channel that is watched nation-wide by probably millions of online viewers.
Maybe someday Steve will get the courage to e-mail her himself and say “hi.” 
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