Blinded by Tech Novelty (Part 1 of 2)
What is tech novelty? It is a self-coined phrase I use to describe:
Tech Novelty is:
Being blinded by the novelty of an exciting new technology and consequently misusing the technology for novelty’s sake. Misuse of technology may be caused by lack of training and/or from the inability to focus on anything except the novelty.
Tech novelty is something that we all must guard against. Just because a cool technology exists does not mean we should use it for cool’s sake. And just because everybody uses technology a certain way, does not mean you should copy them. Here is why…
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP - A NON-CHURCH EXAMPLE
A great example of tech novelty is the history of Adobe Photoshop. In the 1990s, Photoshop was unquestionably new, unusual, and innovative. It was novel. And it did not take long for tech novelty to take effect.
Professionals and amateurs alike both used Photoshop tools and plug-ins to bevel, drop shadow, and create thousands of other novel designs. Everybody loved them then. But today, many designers find them repulsive, tacky, and ineffective.
Why the change?
As the novelty wore off, it became easier to recognize how to use principles of design and marketing to master Photoshop. Instead of aggressively using Photoshop’s powerful features to create brash, cluttered designs, artists used subtle finesse to create more appealing and effective designs.
At first with tech novelty, people actually enjoy seeing the technology being misused and abused because they want to see everything that it is capable of doing. But once the novelty wears off, most people just want to see the technology used properly.
POWERPOINT - ANOTHER EXAMPLE
PowerPoint slide transitions are another example of tech novelty. When first available, most people were eager to see all the ways a PowerPoint slide could fade in, spin out, and flip around. But once the novelty wore off, many people found them tacky and annoying. Now people prefer subtle transitions that enhance the presentation rather than distract from it.
A CHURCH EXAMPLE…
I will post a church example very soon.
For Discussion:
- What is an example of tech novelty that you have noticed or experienced?
Mike Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 4:25 pm
Ten years ago, scrolling marquees, animated GIF’s, and the use of frames were prevalent on the web, usually installed by one-click setups from Frontpage or Netscape Communicator…
Adam Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
several years ago, ipod was amazing cuz it could hold thousands of songs. now ipod is amazing because it has the coolest/slickest interface.
the old internet allowed you to make your own webpage, but the new internet allows you to gather and socialize on a webpage.
it used to be tv’s were all about “bigger is better” now “high def” is the big deal.
C. Holland Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 4:57 pm
Websites for churches, because I’ve been to too many sites that had old/wrong/no information, broken links, pages that stated “Info Coming Soon!” or Latest News was from at least 2005. Obviously it was an attempt that people couldn’t follow through on or who didn’t see the possible benefit from.
Ideally, I think churches need detailed websites, but I realize some don’t grasp the work involved with it. My feeling is either you have no site at all, or if you really need a web presence but won’t dedicate time to maintaining it, then just put a basic text front page HTML with all the info your church would have in its Yellow Pages ad.
pat Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 6:06 pm
As humans, we seem to have the strong tendency to focus on tools rather than what the tools are meant to help us do. Throughout the bible, God gave the Jewish people religion in order to connect with him. In the early church, God gave us the bible. Today, we have computers, the Internet, and websites. In each case, we have stuggled to look past the tool. However, I have faith that just like designers, the church will realize that just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
paul Said,
November 10, 2008 @ 9:47 pm
Right now, it seems to be the “in” thing to have moving video behind your worship words. I’m not sure this isn’t tech novelty. Really, it’s a matter of taste, but I suspect that it might get old.
dan Said,
November 11, 2008 @ 9:40 am
Great post, Kent!
My answer is twofold:
1 // My iPhone. Right now my iPhone is very much a Tech Novelty because I am downloading at least one (free) app per week - sometimes more. Since this platform is so new, developers are really starting to figure out what’s possible, and those developers that offer their apps for free are getting a lot of play between me and my iPhone-owning pals. Right now it’s overload. I have productivity tools, GPS tools, fun tools, and games, but I can see eventually getting this down to the most efficient set of tools for the iPhone. For now, though, it’s as fun as PS was in ‘98.
2 // What I call “Big Church” - or the brand of churching where production value is, in fact, valued as evidenced by staging, architecture, programs, programming, and web-based tools/assets. I was part of the Willow Creek happenings of the 90s, including AXIS, and saw firsthand how “Big Church” emerged. Today, I think we’re almost at critical mass, as some churches are outright parodies of the original intent. I’m hearing (and seeing) more and more people around my age, 32, whom are wore out by Big Church, and opting for smaller settings like house churches or just the small group(s) of their centralized organization.
Having been part of Big Church for about a dozen years or so, I was part of the Tech Novelty cycle as it relates to ministry. Moving video was big for a while (at least in the Chicago area) and then it faded. It’s back, last I knew. Then it was the highly polished video intros before the speaker, but then short documentary style, first-hand, hand-held narrative for message intros became the norm. Same with the music: At one point Willow had a mini-orchestra at times playing with the band, and then AXIS went with the traditional rock band. Now I’m hearing that some churches are stopping the different-musicians-every-week thing, opting for a set Band.
To sum up my thoughts - Big Church is Big because of Tech Novelty. It’s a lot of attraction by promotion - an event…every week. I believe some folks have the right heart in it, but I do worry. It will be interesting to hear Part 2 of your blog!
Kent Shaffer Said,
November 11, 2008 @ 9:48 am
Good thoughts, everybody!
Keep them coming.
Stuart Dyckhoff Said,
November 11, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
There’s a one word answer in my view - anything Apple (ok so that was two)!
Though don’t get me wrong, I do like and buy their stuff but only when it falls in price. And as a point of principle I don’t buy into iTunes and would rather buy any other mp3 than an ipod.
Josh Barnett Said,
November 11, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
One of the first things that came to mind was “fancy” flash intros on websites. They used to be huge; people loved having those neat little animations spring up when you landed on a website. Now most people find them annoying and can’t wait to bypass them for the main website with the valuable information.
Paul Wilkinson Said,
November 18, 2008 @ 7:29 pm
PowerPoint transitions may be more subtle, but there can also be a psychology behind them. For example there is usually a momentary flash of light when sports programs transition between live action and recorded replays. I saw this technique used at a large worship event recently to mark the division between sections of a larger sequence of musical pieces, which, appropriately enough, they referred to in the program as “scene changes.”
I’ve also seen transitions used to draw peoples’ attention back to the sermon notes when there’s a shift in the general outline of the message.
It’s not enough to know how to use the technology; there has to be a reason or a philosophy for using it in a particular way for a particular purpose.