Panning for Internet Gold in the Informational “Wilde West”

by A. Scott Moreau and Mike O’Rear

Over the past several years we have witnessed an acceleration of available information through the Internet. For the past few decades we have been hearing that the amount of knowledge doubles roughly every 10 years (more recently, even less than that).

Over the past several years we have witnessed an acceleration of available information through the Internet. For the past few decades we have been hearing that the amount of knowledge doubles roughly every 10 years (more recently, even less than that).

In comparison, the amount of information available on the Internet has gone from nothing to literally millions of pages describing organizations, offering services, presenting research results, entertaining, and so on. You do not have to search through these pages manually—there are tools somewhat like electronic card catalogues that help you search. They gather Web sites containing the information you want and return to you the results of their search automatically and almost instantaneously.

While the Gutenberg revolution reverberates even today through reliance on print media in many cultures of the world, the “Gatenburg” revolution (for Microsoft mogul Bill Gates) is just getting under way. Print media assumes the ability to read; computer information multimedia assumes access to a relatively up-to-date computer, a telephone or connecting line, and a service-provider that lets you onto the information superhighway. Those with access to these items have keys to unlocking information doors that did not even exist less than a decade ago. Because of the explosion of important missions resources on the Internet, this new column “Missions on the Web” has been created to help you sort through it and get the most out of it. This first installment is an introduction to the Internet and why access to electronic information is important for missionaries.

What is the potential of missions research on the Web? From our offices we can research hidden people groups, find out what languages have “Jesus” film lip-sync editions, research what has been written on mission work in China (or India or Burkina Faso or Venezuela or New Zealand . . . ), gather information about hundreds of mission organizations, follow strategies of mission agencies, take part in discussions among missionaries, scholars, and administrators, learn about cultures and religions, get up-to-date information on international events, tap into the card catalogues of libraries around the world, find out what people of other religions are saying, thinking and doing. . . . In fact, every day the list gets longer!

As an uncontrolled environment, the Internet has its downside. (It might best be thought of as the informational equivalent of the American Wild West.) A haven for free thinking and uninhibited ideas, the Internet is extremely difficult to police. Much of what is accessible is simply trivia. More alarming are the pornographic sites, selected “chat” rooms (where people around the world can “talk” to each other via computer) with the potential for child abuse, and the Web pages of groups antithetical to the gospel who use their technological savvy to lure Web-surfers to their causes.

We, however, will show you how to avoid getting shot while panning for informational gold on the Internet. We intend to give you new ways to locate information relevant to you, your church, or your mission organization. We welcome your input on this column. Just send one of us an e-mail note, and we’ll try to incorporate your ideas and questions into a future article.

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Copyright © 1997 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

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