Cyber Community

It is common knowledge among those under 30 that there can be a profound sense of community in online chatrooms and forums. I have sensed some of that on ESPN's San Francisco Giants' Message Board. My friend, Bob Ramsey, has discovered this with the online message board for the Los Angeles Galaxy, and the Riot Squad.

I was stunned today to hear that one of the Giants' Message Board posters, DFaninWisc, has passed away. Even though he was a die-hard Dodger fan, he was welcomed on the Giants' board for his wit, wisdom, insight, sense of humor, impeccable comedic timing, and just being an all-around good guy. Here is the trail of tributes to him, if you don't believe me. (I am Stokes1931.) His signature tagline was, "Back off or I'll snap". Whatever that means. DFan was much beloved by Giants fans and Dodger fans, no small task. Someone on the Dodger board found a link to DFan's passing, here.

The following was on the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater home page.

In Memory of Al Davis

It is with deep regret that we share some sad news. WRCT regular Dennis "Al" Davis passed away Friday, June 23, after suffering a heart attack.

Al became a beloved part of WRCT when he made his stage debut in Damn Yankees. He performed in The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, and was last seen in Gypsy. He also helped backstage for The Rainmaker.

Al worked as a Senior Copywriter in the Marketing department at Renaissance Learning, Inc., where he was a friend and valued employee. Al is survived by his wife Sue and their three children Kyle, Christina, and Luke. Al was tremendously devoted to his family and his faith. He enjoyed biking and participating in WRCT productions, and he was a great fan of major league baseball—especially his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers. His talent and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed.

You know, I have been sharing this with church people at every chance I get, but they do not believe me. One of Thom Hopler's insights is that there are essentially two ways to view the world: rural and urban. If I remember correctly, Hopler says that the rural world view is oriented to geography, to proximity. So someone with a rural view will know their neighbors, shop at the nearest stores, go to church at the nearest church, etc. The neighborhood is primary.

The urban worldview is based on networking, relationships, what people have in common. So engineers will know other engineers better than their neighbors. Why? Because they spend more time with them.

Neither is better or worse than the other. They describe how some people see reality. And in an urban environment, where people are known in and through networks, it is the church's job to penetrate those networks, and follow where the gospel leads relationally.

Take this post from Ram9198, a Giants' poster from Western Pennsylvania, who works in the educational computer field. I asked him how he found out that DFan had passed away, here was his response.

his brother emailed me.
We both played in a simulated baseball league and started corresponding frequently about the league.
We also shared a passion for fitness (ironically) and worked in related fields.

Look at the networks. Ram knew DFan's brother from a simulated baseball league, they had a shared passion for fitness, and worked in related fields.

Some will respond that true "community" takes "presence", and that is true. But the doorway, the entry for many people into a real, live community is through cyberspace. It is an observable fact that some of the guys on the Giants' board go on vacation together, go to games together, go drinking together, know one another's families, etc. For the church to not be aware of this, or to not be a presence in cyberspace, is an opportunity wasted.

Anyway, RIP, DFan. May you already be in heaven by the time the Devil knows you are dead.