What would a Google Mega Church be like?

Going off of Jeff Jarvis's book, titled What Would Google Do?, I questioned what a Google mega church would be like. He claims:

-       you need to be a platform and help people build things on top of you

-       you need to make mistakes well

-       you need to make things half-baked and learn how to use them

-       you need to listen really well

-       you need to understand that your worst customer may be your best friend, that could build a new relationship with you customers

So how would these philosophies look in a mega church?

Well first off, I would argue that a mega church could be seen as a platform already that help people to build themselves; Finding their own faith and beliefs. However, to fully be a platform that people can choose what to believe in is the exact opposite of what mega churches are today. Mega churches today are very strict about their beliefs and preaching only those concepts.

Screenshot of Appleton Alliance Church's Beliefs Page.

Like the Appleton Alliance Church, many more mega churches have the same type of Belief Page. And in order to gain membership, for many mega churches you must go through an extensive application process and sometimes even interview with the pastor so they know that you too fully belief in the same things.

However, a Google Mega Church, would welcome all people from all religions and would preach on ideas such as togetherness, and love for one another, and more motivational and positive ideas. A Google Mega Church would never deny someone for thinking or believing in something else, but rather they would want to listen to what these other ideas are that different people believe in. The Google Mega Church would collaborate with one another to find common ground amongst everyone from all different backgrounds. It's most important principle would be one of peace and love for one another. 

I think the Google Mega Church would still be religious but just in a more spiritual way. It would encourage people to find their own individualism and to become comfortable with who they are. The Google Mega Church would encourage people to focus on self improvement, rather than focusing on changing people's beliefs or religions. 

And this should almost go without being said, but a Google Mega Church would obviously be the most high-tech church in the history of mega churches. Utilizing, multiple social media platforms on the web and really going above and beyond with the technology they use during sermons/lectures. And of course they would live stream or podcast all sermons/lectures and events so that people all across the world could get involved too.

My Experience at a Mega Church

This past Sunday I decided to attend a mega church to get some first hand experience. I went to Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, CA. As we drove up, it looked like a huge convention center. The church bought the land that used to be a golf course, so there was a lot of grass and landscaping, but in the middle there was a huge building that housed the sanctuary.

 

 

As we pulled into the parking lot, there was a sign that read:

 

So of course we put our flashers on and were directed by volunteer staff to parking spots that were close-by and reserved for first time visitors only. After we parked we made our way towards the church. The volunteers were all wearing the same bright shirts so you would know you could assist you. So we asked a volunteer where the sanctuary was. The lady was very nice and even walked us to the sanctuary doors. Inside was a grand lobby, complete with an information desk and even a bookstore!

 

One thing I noticed were two ATMs that you passed right when you walked into the sanctuary (just in case you didn't have cash for donations, they made it very convenient for you to get some).

Another thing I noticed within the first ten minutes of being there is all of the branding for the church. Every where you looked you would see some kind of logo for the church. Everything from the cones outside in the parking lot, to the ATMs inside, even on the back of every bathroom stall was an advertisement with the cottonwood logo.

Anyways, as we entered the sanctuary I was blown away by how big it was. It was auditorium-style seating with a big stage in the front and two large screens on each side of the stage. And then in the center of the room was a whole tech set up for the video and audio recordings and the lighting and everything else that was happening on stage.

They had a countdown timer on the lower corner of each screen that announced how much time until the sermon begun. And by the time the sermon started about 3/4 of the auditorium was completely full. The sermon started with some live music. Everybody stood up once the band began to play and some clapped, while others danced and sang along.

 

It was actually an exciting way to start off a church sermon. Everybody immediately got engaged and excited for what was to come next. Then after the pastor introduced himself, they even had "church news" that played on the two large screens. The news consisted of a few stories of what the church was currently working on and what events are to come.

While I didn't stay for the entire sermon, I listened to the first 40 minutes. I was actually surprised that the majority of the sermon was more motivational than religious. I mean of course the pastor referred to different sections of the bible, but if you took out those references, the rest of the sermon could relate to any one and everyone that needs a little more motivation and positivity in their life. 

It was really interesting to see how the effectively used technology throughout the duration of their sermon. By incorporating a live band and "church news" into the sermon, it kept people engaged. They also used the screens to put up closed captioning for the patrons that couldn't hear as well. What was even cooler, was to watch people pull out their ipads and smartphones to follow along in their bible app.

Here's a picture of a couple following along with their bibles, the wife has an actual paperback bible, while the husband had a bible app on his ipad.

For a more in-depth review of how mega churches are effectively using technology to gain more success, be sure to read by essay posted in scribd found here.

What is a Mega Church?

A megachurch is defined a religious church with a large congregation (an average weekly attendance of 2,000 or more) that usually has Protestant affiliation. In the US along there are around 1,600 established mega churches, however, there are many more in other countries all around the world. In fact, mega churches are most popular in Brazil, Korea, and a number of African countries. Click here to see a list of global mega churches.

Distribution of mega churches across the United States.

In the US most mega churches are found with urban or suburban cities, with the size of these churches ranging from 2,000 to 40,000. Lakewood Church in Houstan, TX is an example of a mega church with a congregation size of 40,000. However, there are mega churches in other countries that are even larger than the ones here in the US. For example, in Korea, there is one church that claims to have over 250,000 people attending weekly sermons. 

Starting in the 1970s mega churches began to explode, becoming overnight successes. Once these churches become a certain size, they become self-generating and they continue to grow as more and more people invite their friends and family. 

While size is the most attention-grabbing characteristic of these mega churches, they have a number of other defining characteristics. Almost all mega churches have a conservative theology, although there are some atheist or motivational mega churches that are starting to emerge. Below are tables from the Hartford Institute for Religious Research that give a breakdown of the denominations of these churches:

The groups in the table below account for 80% of all megachurches.

Nondenominational	40%
Southern Baptist	16%
Baptist, unspecified	7%
Assemblies of God	6%
Christian	5%
Calvary Chapel	4%
United Methodist	2%

In terms of theology of the congregation, the label that 336 megachurches, surveyed in 2011 by the Hartford Institute, selected to best fit their membership's orientation were as follows:

Evangelical	71%
Pentecostal	8%
Charismatic	5%
Seeker	5%
Missional	4%
Moderate	4%
Fundamentalist	1%
Other	1%

 The goal of these mega churches is to promote an atmosphere that makes religion fun and engaging. All mega churches share one thing in common, they are entertaining. Many of them have live rock bands to accompany the sermons. And other churches stress the laid-back atmosphere and do not emphasize dressing up to go to church.

Most churches use a number of online platforms and mediums to connect with a larger audience than the people that physically attend the sermons. Many mega churches have live-streaming or podcasts that people can watch from the comforts of their own home. This is how some churches have begun to have international followers.

 
To sum it up, mega churches are gaining success because they have found an effective way to combine past traditions with the innovative technology of today. Some researchers have even gone on to suggest that mega churches are becoming more and more popular because they are catering to the cultural shifts of today's industrialized society.


See the below articles for more information:

The Rise of the "Megachurch"

More Americans Flock to Mega-Churches

For even more articles, go to Christianity Today

The Online World of Mega Churches

http://www.scribd.com/doc/213030620/The-Online-World-of-Mega-Churches

I Didn't Change, I Just Found Myself

As this Apple, Google, Facebook class (RLST 245) is coming to an end, it is interesting to reflect on everything we have learned. I came into this class thinking I was going to learn more about the companies of Apple, Google, and Facebook, and how they work and how they came to be, etc. And I did my all means. But I realize now, after walking out of the last class of the term, that the thing I learned most about was myself.

 

While signing up for this class 10 weeks ago I was so confused as to why it was under the religious studies department. I couldn't see what these technologically advancing companies had to do with religion. Then on the first day of class my professor answered that exact question. He started to talk about the Self and individualism and gave a brief overview of the people and ideas we were going to discuss in this class. My mind was blown. I realized that I had never really given much thought to my religion, other than knowing I don't believe in any specific religion.

First we started off with the Apple section. We read a biography about Steve Jobs called Steve Jobs written by Walter Isaacson. We learned about Jobs' background/ history, his personality, his ambitions and how Apple came to be. We connected Apple to religion by describing Apple's products to be an expansion of the Self. It is through these devices that we are able to maximize the Self.

Next we read Robert Bellah's Habits of the Heart. In this book, Bellah defines individualism in America. He differentiates between expressive and utilitarian individualism and talks a lot about having choices. He coins the term sheilaism, which refers to a religion in which you choose what you want to believe in.

After that we moved into our Google section. We learned about Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the creators of Google. We learned how Google aims to not only organize information for a search engine, but that they are focused on connecting the world. We discussed the many up and coming products Google is working on and the implications of such products. We even read the book titled I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59, written by Douglas Edwards. We connected Google to religion by describing it as a platform for the self. Google enables us to choose what we want.

 Lastly, we moved into our Facebook section of the class. We watched The Social Network and learned all about Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg. We learned how Facebook is also focused on connecting people and even had discussions on how Facebook is changing social interactions and expectations (Sherry Turkle). We connected Facebook to religion by describing is as a container for the Self. It is a place we are able to showcase our autobiographies.

Finally, we ended on the book titled You are Not a Gadget, by Jaron Lanier. This book explained how the Self and Individualism is becoming a critique of technology and the way we use technology. Lanier touches on his fears of the affects of technology on the Self.

As I mentioned before not only did I learn about all of these companies but I learned about myself. This class brought awareness to my use (and dare I say dependence) of technology and forced me to form my own thoughts and opinions of what I think and how I feel about today's technology and the technology that will arise in the future. I have found my own version of Sheilaism (Sheaism) and stepped outside the bubble of "the norm".

The Way the Internet Portrays Me

With the overwhelming growth of technology these days, one has to step back and reflect how it is affecting us and our relationships with others and even our expectations of each other. In the book titled You are Not a Gadget, Jaron Lanier expresses some of his concerns about today's internet usage.

As a computer science pioneer Lanier used to be a huge supporter of the internet, but since the growth and evolution of the Internet has taken place, Lanier has become disenchanted with the online world. While Lanier states some extreme opinions in regards to today's Internet, I have to say that he is not completely off base. His main concern is that as more online platforms for the Self arise, such as Facebook, we are producing a limited conception of who we really are. He claims that Facebook has limited our devotions of individuality because we can only express ourselves in the way the software will allow us to, which means our selfhood is being downplayed. In other words, if these large domains are incapable of capturing us, some of the Self is lost.

While some might argue that it's not the technology's fault, but rather the user's fault, Lanier would counter-argue saying that Facebook limits your expression to a single format. Rather than using a single online platform, Lanier is encouraging his readers to invest more in what they produce and put online. The following are a select few of his suggestions (pg. 21):

• If you put effort into Wikipedia articles, put even more effort into using your personal voice and expression outside of the wiki to help attract people who don't yet realize that they are interested in the topics you contributed to.

• Create a website that expresses something about who you are that won't fit into the template available to you on a social networking site.

• Post a video once in a while that took you one hundred times more time to create than it takes to view.

• Write a blog post that took weeks of reflection before you heard the inner voice that needed to come out.

• If you are twittering, innovate in order to find a way to describe your internal state instead of trivial external events, to avoid the creeping danger of believing that objectively described events define you, as they would define a machine.

 In a previous blog I posted about Sherry Turkle and her views of the "Innovation of Lonliness". Her views support Lanier's feelings/ ideas about today's internet. And I agree with both of them that we are limiting ourselves by conforming to a pre-structured platform and editing out the parts of us that we don't want people to see. I fully support Lanier's call for reflection, so that we can all keep our individuality and not loose site of who we really are.

My Very First Website!

Below is a link of the website I made! It is an html format of my blog post titled "Google is Everywhere".

http://growingperspectivesatlu.neocities.org/index.html

Avoiding "Lock-In"

In Zadie Smith's article titled "Generation Why?" she examines the technological affects on social relationships and, more importantly, the Self. In the first half of her article she sums up the movie The Social Network, in which tells the story of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook.

The Social Network- Trailer

She later goes on to question how Facebook has changed the way we interact with one another and how it has changed our expectation of social interactions. She brings up Jaron Lanier's book You are Not a Gadget. In Lanier's book he talks about how the way we use the internet today reduces ourselves in order to fit an edited profile of our true selves. He claims that the information we put out on the internet underrepresents who we really are.

Jaron Lanier's Interview with Alex Krotoski

Smith agrees with many points Lanier makes about the limitations of today's technology. She explains, 

"When a human being becomes a set of data on a website like Facebook, he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character. Friendships. Language. Sensibility. In a way it’s a transcendent experience: we lose our bodies, our messy feelings, our desires, our fears."

On one hand I do express similar fears about the effects of today's technology on our social relationships. It is obvious to me that our social interactions and expectations have drastically changed because of these technological advances. However, on the other hand I feel that a large part of what defines the Self (especially here in America) is having a choice/ the ability to choose. When it comes to social online platforms, such as Facebook, one can choose how to use this software in order  to (hopefully) enhance their relationships with the people they know. People have the choice of what to do with this software and how often they will make use of it. However, the problem arises when people are ONLY using one such platform, like Facebook. Then they are narrowing themselves to the limitations of the software. But if people are using other platforms and blogs to express themselves, in addition to Facebook, then I feel that the Self, the FULL Self, is still preserved.

Google is Everywhere

On Google's Company Overview page they list "10 Things We Know to be True". While reading through these statements its hard not to relate Google to God. One example of this is point #5, which reads:

"You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.

The world is increasingly mobile: people want access to information wherever they are, whenever they need it. We’re pioneering new technologies and offering new solutions for mobile services that help people all over the globe to do any number of tasks on their phone, from checking email and calendar events to watching videos, not to mention the several different ways to access Google search on a phone. In addition, we’re hoping to fuel greater innovation for mobile users everywhere with Android, a free, open source mobile platform. Android brings the openness that shaped the Internet to the mobile world. Not only does Android benefit consumers, who have more choice and innovative new mobile experiences, but it opens up revenue opportunities for carriers, manufacturers and developers."

 

The idea that Google is everywhere, through mobile phones and other devices, mimics the idea that God is everywhere. So how exactly is Google accomplishing this mighty task of being everywhere? Well, Google is creating many innovate devices that allows Google to go wherever you go. In there company statement they refer to the mobility of the Android, but that is only one of the many devices they have/ are creating. To complement the android phone companies, such as Sony, have created a smartwatch.

 This smartwatch syncs with the android phone and allows you access to the weather app, text messages, even your emails! They advertise this device as "having all the important things in life on your wrist."

Sony Smartwatch 1

Sony Smartwatch 2

Another device that Google has created that goes even a step further than the smartwatch is Google Glass. This gadget is a computer that is built into the frames of a pair of glasses. While wearing google glass wherever you go, you have instant access to the web, a camera, text messages, your calendar, and the list goes on. 

Google Glass

 And Google doesn't stop here. They have even created a new concept called Project Loon that will enable everyone to have internet access anywhere in the world. Which means that these devices will work anywhere in the world, which means that you will have access the all of the information available on the internet ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

Project Loon

So by comparing the idea that God is everywhere to the idea that Google is everywhere, lays the foundation that Google is God.

Good Enough is Good Enough

Moving onto the google portion of this class we have started to read I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59. This book gives a personal behind the scenes tour of Douglas Edwards' experience with Google from its start-up beginnings. Douglas Edwards was the first director of marketing and brand management for Google and wrote this book because we was "the word guy". While most of Google's employees were engineers, he had a background in English. So, from his perspective, he was the only one that really could write this book because everyone else were engineers.

Rather than detailing the history of Google from 1999-2005 (the times Edwards worked at Google), Edwards gives the account of his personal story. He includes his own emotions and explains the personality of the company and the people that built it, including the creators Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Above is a picture of the two creators of Google, Larry Page (left) and Sergey Brin (right).

While reading this book, you can't help but to compare it to the book of Steve Jobs written by Walter Issacson. It is interesting to compare Google and the creators of this company, to Apple and its creator, Steve Jobs.

Steve Jobs was a perfectionist. He prided himself in delivering the highest quality products. He never released anything that was less than 110% ready. However, Edwards describes the philosophy of Google as "Good enough is good enough." He goes on to explain, "In those five words [Urs Holzle] encapsulated a philosophy for solving problems, cutting through complexity, and embracing failure." (pg. 128)

While both Apple and Google only hire people that can contribute to their A-teams, the inner workings of the companies couldn't be more different. In opposition to the hierarchical work atmosphere of Apple, Edwards describes the work atmosphere of Google in the terms of Larry's Rules.

Larry's Rules of Order

• Don’t delegate: Do everything you can yourself to make things go faster.

• Don’t get in the way if you’re not adding value. Let the people actually doing the work talk to each other while you go do something else. Don’t be a bureaucrat.

• Ideas are more important than age. Just because someone is a junior doesn’t mean they don’t deserve respect and cooperation.

• The worst thing you can do is stop someone from doing something by saying “No. Period.” If you say no, you have to help them find a better way to get it done.

(pg. 123)

To simplify these rules, Edwards sums up the goals of Google to be "Efficiency, Frugality, Integrity" (pg. xiv). He describes Google as a "Don't talk. Do." kind of culture (pg. xv) He explains, "we shouldn't do things the way we had in the past. We shouldn’t copy other companies. We shouldn’t expect to be informed about our strategy, if in fact there was one. We were independent actors, building a cohesive team of nonconformists. I thought I understood: I needed to identify problems and solve them. And so I did.”

It's interesting to compare the differences of the inner-workings of both these companies because in the end these two companies share many similarities of success and innovation. Both companies are based on the foundation of idealism, have CEO's that strive to accomplish such ideas, and work with an A-team of intelligent employees.

Imgur: an online community or enclave?

https://voicethread.com/share/5428152/

Above is the link to my slideshow with voice narration. Below is a written version of the voice narration.

Hello, my name is Shea Davis. I would like to introduce you to imgur, a photo sharing site, in a new light by incorporating the concepts developed by Robert Bellah in his book called Habits of the Heart.

In Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah defines the difference between a community and lifestyle enclave. A community is an inclusive group of people that are “socially, economically, or culturally similar.” It is based on the interdependence of the public and the private life of every individual. In contrast to a community, a lifestyle enclave is an exclusive group of people who share similar interests and hobbies. This type of social group separates the working public life and the private home life.

In Bellah’s own words, “We might consider the lifestyle enclave an appropriate form of collective support in an otherwise radically individualizing society. Or, to put it somewhat differently, since the purpose of individuation has always been linked to the ability to find others who reflect and affirm one’s selfhood, perhaps the lifestyle enclave is the necessary social form of private life in a society such as ours.”(pg 76)

However, Bellah goes on to say “…most groups in America today [probably] embody an element of community as well as an element of lifestyle enclave.” (pg. 76) So for the duration of this short video, it is up to you to decide if imgur represents a community, an enclave, or maybe intertwines some elements of both.

To start off, What is imgur? Well according to the imgur frequently asked questions page, imgur is described as a simple way to share images on the internet. “Imgur can be used to share pictures with friends, as well as post images on message boards and blogs… [And] best of all, imgur is completely free.” (imgur.com/faq)

According to urbandictionary.com, “Imgur is a semi-popular internet picture sharing site. The userhood of Imgur is considered much more emotional and understanding than most of the internet, though sometimes people tend to go there and get “karma points” by sharing a pic and claiming they have adopted an abandoned animal or something. Usually Imgur is full of pictures of cute animals, memes, and sometimes you can actually see funny pictures too.” In a second definition of imgur on urbandictionary, it is described as “the greatest image site. Full of all the wonders and magic of the interwebs.” This definition goes on to include a disclosure sentence stating, “Be forewarned, time has been known to quicken in this realm,” which any imgurian would immediately confirm this.

So when you first are directed to the imgur homepage, you see something that looks like this. On the left you have a collection of the highest scoring pictures of the day and on the right you have a list of the highest scoring comments of the day. You can browse through all of these images by clicking on the individual pictures that draw in your interest, or you can navigate through all of the pictures by clicking on the first photo and then using the arrow button to continue onto the following image.

Here is an example of an image that drew in my interest. The title reads, “My local rescue has a program called Book Buddies where kids read to sheltered cats to sooth them.” On the actual webpage the image appears at the top of the page and then you can scroll down to read the comments posted below the picture. I have included a few comments to give you an idea of the imgur atmosphere. Commenters pride themselves to be more witty than any other social website, so that’s how you end up reading comment after comment of witty puns, such as “this idea is purrrfect.”

In addition to comments, users are able to interact by using a voting system. Before I mentioned a scoring system for photos and comments. Users do this by upvoting pictures and comments they like or downvoting pictures and comments they don’t like. Underneath every photo and on the left side of every comment you will see an up arrow and a down arrow. The number of upvotes then translates into points that you will see at the top of every comment or bottom of every picture.

Upvotes are iconicized by a green up arrow (while downvotes are iconicized with a red down arrow). However, imgur users typically only focus on the upvotes.

While it is difficult to articulate the personality of imgur users, this is one example of their humor. These are just a few examples of how imgurians have incorporated the green upvote icon into various pictures and memes. But this icon has become a symbol for imgur, so when you come across that little green arrow, now you will understand where it comes from.

Up until now, it may seem like imgur is an online community where people with different interests and humor can post (FOR FREE) their own images and gifs. However, when you look at the demographics of the imgur community, you realize that the majority of the community are young adult males with some, if not all, of their college education. So this makes me think that if the same type of people are coming together with the common interest/ hobby of picture sharing, than imgur is really more of a lifestyle enclave. But then again maybe it is most accurate to describe imgur in Bellah’s words and say that imgur “embod[ies] an element of community as well as an element of lifestyle enclave.”

Google as a Medium

 "Already Google.com, still in beta, was answering 10,000 search queries each day. The press began to take notice of the upstart website with the relevant search results, and articles extolling Google appeared in USA TODAY and Le Monde. That December, PC Magazine named Google one of its Top 100 Web Sites and Search Engines for 1998. Google was moving up in the world." – Google Milestones.

In today's world, we have access to more information than we know what to do with. With the internet at our disposal, we are able to get any and all information about any topic. Since the invention of google, we are able to find information faster and easier than ever before. While there is some debate on whether or not google is making us 'stupid', I think that google is helping us to become more educated and even more curious. 

When I find myself with a question, the first place I turn to is google. Within minutes I am able to find the answer and become more educated on the topic at hand. Often times when I do find the answer, it leads me to ask another question and my curiosity blossoms. I use google at least once everyday, if not more and on top of using the google search, I also use other google apps such as google maps and gmail. So to say that google hasn't affected my life would be a colossal lie. Without realizing it until now, google has become ingrained into my daily life.

Together in Loneliness

Nowadays technology is everywhere. Slowly we have become more and more dependent on all of our gadgets and gizmos. However, have you ever taken a moment to stop and think how technology is effecting our social interactions and relationships? Well the video below presents a number of thought-provoking points about how conversations are merely becoming connections and how we are all becoming lonely together.

This short video is based off a TED Talk given by Sherry Turkle. Her talk below goes into more depth on the specific mechanisms that are creating loneliness amongst so many Americans. She touches upon not only how we have gotten to this point, but she even goes on to explain the steps we need to take to reverse this social impediment.

I wanted to blog about this because I feel that the real first step we all need to take is to open up our eyes to the situation. While I had briefly thought about this situation in the past, it wasn't until I watched these videos that I fully understood the magnitude of this social problem. And whether people admit it or not, I believe we have all experienced the feeling of being lonely together.

I joke with my roommates that they are always scrolling (which we have termed for when you are looking through your facebook news feed, or twitter statuses, etc. and only giving half your attention to the other people in the room). But the truth is, it's not just them who are always on their phones or computers. When I go to dinner in the campus center, sometimes I see whole tables that are all sitting with each other but none of them are talking to each other. Instead, they are all on their phones.

I think that innovation in technology is wonderful. I'm grateful that I have gotten to grow up in a time of computers. However, I feel that we need to better know how to integrate technology into our lives in a way that can fully maximize its potential to help us reach our goals.

Community on the Web- IMGUR

Nowadays there are a number of online platforms which form different communities that are used daily on a daily basis to share thoughts, pictures, ideas. To name a few are twitter, facebook, reddit, instagram, pinterest etc.

 

Twitter

 Facebook

 Reddit

 Instagram

Pinterest

Personally I have always thought there is too much overlap with many of these platforms. For example, on facebook you can post statuses, so I've never really understood the need for twitter (although my roommates would argue against me). Again, you can post pictures on facebook too, so why have instagram? Especially since instagram photos are now directly loaded to facebook. Anyways, up till this past year the only online community I ever really participated with was facebook (not counting the pre-facebook days of myspace). However, last year my roommate out in Hawaii was an avid fan of an image sharing site called Imgur (pronounced image-ur, although the pronunciation im-gur is starting to gain more popularity).

Imgur

At first I just thought this is was another normal image sharing site that people could post to. However, this online community is anything but normal! Like other sites Imgur is all about sharing pictures, memes, gifs, however, unlike many other picture sharing sites, the Imgur community comments and votes on pictures/ picture-stories with creative and pun-filled comments. There's a real positive attitude of imgur users that really shows through in many posts and comments. Once you read a few touching posts and look through the comments, you can really tell the users of Imgur share a true sense of community and really do support each other to strive to be better and happier.

 

Imgur quickly climbed to be one of the most popular online communities and is continuing to grow every day. To get a better idea of who is involved with the Imgur community check out these interesting statistics!

Signing off,

A recently converted Imgurian