It's A Rant...But Read Anyway

I'm getting somewhat tired of people asking me what I'm going to do with my life. I guess there is nothing I can do about that, but it has become the default question whenever I am talking to someone. After they find out that I am a senior in college, the very next thing out of people's mouths is, "What are you going to do after graduation?" I usually answer with, "I don't know" and then follow that with what direction I am going in. I have a preset answer in my mind. But it just gets repetitive after the 500th time.

Again, it is not anyone's fault. I guess it is the natural question to ask a senior in college, and I understand that. I am just ranting for the sake of ranting. I do that every-once and a while.

So no offense to you if you have asked me this question in the past, again this is just a rant.
Plus, I have been accused of neglecting my blog for the past week, so I thought I'd better write something to satisfy the masses.

Also, if you'd like to see the direction I'm headed in life check out this post as well as some of my other previous posts. Just a hint, it relates to media in church.

Don't worry, there will be more posts to come in the next week before the new year.

P.S. I'm home until January 8th, so if anyone wants to grab coffee and catch up just give me a call, shoot me an email (jkburns@gmail.com) or facebook me (http://facebook.com/jburns).

Doubts Are Good?

Do you ever have doubts?
Doubts about what you are doing?
Doubts about what you are planning on doing in the future?
Doubts that what you are doing is actually making a difference?
Doubts that what you are doing is actually having an impact on someone's life?

More after the jump...

Sometimes I have these doubts.
Some of you may know that I have decided to pursue a different career field than what I had originally planned on when I started college. I have been evaluating that decision to make sure that my motives are pure, and that it is what God wants me to do. I have been asking myself these questions, and it has been really beneficial.
Sometimes one just assumes that doubting has a negative connotation, but sometimes it is the exact opposite. Doubting in this situation has actually caused me to somewhat solidify my decision, and for right now I do believe that what I have chosen to do has the capability of making a difference. Now I must examine it even further to ensure that it is making a difference, and if it isn't then how can I cause it to make a difference? These are the next questions that I will be thinking about.

So a word of encouragement, if you are having doubts about something, don't let them affect you in a negative way. Instead seek to answer the questions that you are asking, and chances are your doubts will be erased, hopefully for the positive.

Microsoft Might be Growing Up

In the past I have been less than impressed with Microsoft's advertisements and marketing strategies. In fact I was so disgusted with one video they put out that I wrote a post about it. While at the same time Apple has been putting out awesome and hilarious ads. I guess I am biased because I am a Machead, but nonetheless it is difficult for anyone to deny that Microsoft's marketing has sucked in the past.

Well tonight I saw an ad that might indicate a change in Microsoft's strategies. No longer are they trying to counterattack Apple with their I'm a PC ads, but now with the release of Windows 7 they have started these 7 second demo ads. Each ad takes 7 seconds to demo a feature in Windows 7. But it is not this concept that is revolutionary for Microsoft, but the features that they demo are actually somewhat cool. Instead of trying to again counterattack Apple by trying to demo how easy it is to create a picture slideshow, they are now demoing features like "one-click side-by-side snap windows," "one window shake function," and "one-click universal search." Some of these may sound confusing, so I'll just let you watch one of their ads to better understand the features.

More after the jump...



So all in all, what I am saying is that I think Microsoft is finally making some headway with Windows 7. I actually didn't know why it was better than Vista until I saw those 7 second demo ads. And I think Microsoft is finally figuring out that all they need to do to make a good ad is showcase some practical features within Windows 7 instead of always trying to compete with and counterattack Apple.

OS X is still the superior operating system and...
If you ask me though, I'll still tell you to buy a Mac.
:)

Money is Not Equal to Value

There is a difference between "valuing church media" and "spending lots of money on church media." Just because a church spends loads of money on a bunch of media equipment, does not mean that church values media. A church can spend as much money as they want on equipment, but if they don't know how to use it effectively to communicate the gospel, then they are back at square one.

Hiring a full-time Media Arts Director is crucial for a church nowadays. It doesn't even have to be a media arts director, just someone who is paid to commit time to communicating the gospel effectively through media.

Yes, a church can say that their volunteers are great, and that they can run the show, but having a staff of volunteers doesn't always translate into effective communication.

All I'm saying is, if a church is willing to spend money on media, that is not equal to a church valuing media. Instead of a church wasting $60,000.00 on 2 video routers, and an AMX remote panel, why don't they use that money to hire someone to actually create good content. After all, isn't the content that we produce and communicate more important than the medium that we use to communicate it?