Should I use a Catholic web site in my technical presentation?

Edmundus1581 · #1 May 31, '12, 3:49 pm

I am a web developer and will be giving a technical presentation on how to adapt standard web site to mobile devices.

The most entertaining and effective way to do this is to take a major site which currently looks horrible on a mobile and then, with a few simple changes, make it look good.

I've found the ideal site!

www.adl.catholic.au

My presentation will be particularly effective when I go to the "Mass Times" search, which is ideal for my most important points.

However, I am wondering about the prudence of using a Catholic site for this purpose.

Questions:

1. Will I "lose" some people immediately when I start the demo with this site. This is a professional issue.
2. Could I be seen (rightly or wrongly) as missusing my platform for evangelisation? This is more an ethical issue.
3. If there is an problem, does anyone know of a similar non-religious site which provides "search" access to a reasonably large table, such as the Mass times, and which currently looks bad in a mobile.

Thanks

AthenaC · #2 May 31, '12, 4:57 pm

I think if you are in a group of adults (ha!) you should be fine. Take the temperature of the classroom, though. Ask your class what things are done well and what things they would fix. Keep your focus strictly on the technical aspects of the site.

If you get any pushback or any giggles, look at them, raise your eyebrows, and shrug in such a way as to prompt them to say something. If they say something disparaging about the Church, just redirect to the technical aspects - "So, since you effectively perceived the content, I take it there is nothing you would fix about this website?"

Basically, communicate to your class that juvenile behavior will not be tolerated. I find that putting people on the spot is pretty effective.

Hope that helps.

Edmundus1581 · #3 May 31, '12, 5:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AthenaC

I think if you are in a group of adults (ha!) you should be fine. Take the temperature of the classroom, though. Ask your class what things are done well and what things they would fix. Keep your focus strictly on the technical aspects of the site.

If you get any pushback or any giggles, look at them, raise your eyebrows, and shrug in such a way as to prompt them to say something. If they say something disparaging about the Church, just redirect to the technical aspects - "So, since you effectively perceived the content, I take it there is nothing you would fix about this website?"

Basically, communicate to your class that juvenile behavior will not be tolerated. I find that putting people on the spot is pretty effective.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for encouragement, Athena

Yes, this is definitely a group of intelligent adults, and we are a peer group, so I don't have any authority as teacher, other than the basic respect which is given to the person out front

. Being computer people they are unlikely to voice any opinions on the content. I am mostly concerned with continuing on the technical content, while a few (obviously not most), are thinking "Why are we looking a Catholic site?

"

I like your suggestion of moving quickly to the technical issues. Maybe avoid slowing down to explain what the Mass Times search is about. Take is as given. They'll catch on quickly.

Bartolome Casas · #4 May 31, '12, 5:32 pm

I think you should find a non-religious site. Many people are prejudiced against religion.

Perhaps a school site with schedules, or a theater site with schedules.

Edmundus1581 · #5 May 31, '12, 5:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartolome Casas

I think you should find a non-religious site. Many people are prejudiced against religion.

Perhaps a school site with schedules, or a theater site with schedules.

Thank for the contrary point of view. As I mentioned in my previous reply, this is a peer group, so if I can expect such a reaction (even as a possibility) then it might be best to play safe.

The local amateur theatre site looks like a good option

St Francis · #6 May 31, '12, 6:07 pm

I think it depends on how much it would detract attention away from what you are saying--you seem to know the people and thus be able to evaluate their response.

But, professionally, wouldn't some people work on websites they don't have any interest in? Would a Catholic refuse to work on a Methodist website, or a secularist refuse to work on a Catholic site?

(Asking honestly--I have no idea!)

Edmundus1581 · #7 May 31, '12, 6:22 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by St Francis

I think it depends on how much it would detract attention away from what you are saying--you seem to know the people and thus be able to evaluate their response.

I know them professionally, at the level of people who meet monthly and are interested in technology. Most will be fine with this. I'm just wondering whether one or two might react adversely - and I have to consider them too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by St Francis

But, professionally, wouldn't some people work on websites they don't have any interest in? Would a Catholic refuse to work on a Methodist website, or a secularist refuse to work on a Catholic site?

(Asking honestly--I have no idea!)

That is a very good point. Certainly most, if not all, of these people would happily work on a Catholic site. If THEY were convinced of the relevance of the Adelaide Diocese site then I'd be fine, but the problem is that it's mostly ME that's convinced, because, without spending a lot time looking much further, it is ideal from several perspectives: a major, real world site; large table of data; will be significantly improved by the Mobile techniques I present.

**Joe 5859** · #8 Jun 1, '12, 8:32 am

I think you know your audience better than we do, so it's hard for me to say. If it were me, I would think it would be more likely to be taken as a shot against the Church rather than as some sort of stealth evangelization. "Look at how technologically deficient those Catholics are!

"

It's hard for me to imagine how a non-religious or anti-religious person would react, though. I would think that such a website would be less incendiary than if you picked the website for the Westboro Baptist church or some website that takes an obvious political stance on a hot-button issue. But just a diocesan website with Mass times seems like it would be mundane enough not to be offensive to anyone, especially seeing as how it's a technical presentation where the specific content itself is not central to what you are illustrating

But, again, you know your audience and would be better able to gauge that.

Erich · #9 Jun 1, '12, 10:05 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edmundus1581

The local amateur theatre site looks like a good option

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe 5859

"Look at how technologically deficient those Catholics are!"

Maybe between now and the date of the presentation you can get the Adelaide Diocese to make the necessary changes to their site ahead of time (assuming their webmaster can be reached via a "contact us" link), so you can then compare-and-contrast the theatre site (which won't have those changes) and the Adelaide Diocese site as part of your presentation?

Edmundus1581 · #10 Jun 1, '12, 3:28 pm

Thankyou everyone for the suggestions. I appreciate your time!

As expected, I didn't get a clear yes or no answer, but some pointers to clear up my own thoughts, and some fresh perspectives on the issues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe 5859

I think you know your audience better than we do, so it's hard for me to say. If it were me, I would think it would be more likely to be taken as a shot against the Church rather than as some sort of stealth evangelization. "Look at how technologically deficient those Catholics are!

"

It's hard for me to imagine how a non-religious or anti-religious person would react, though. I would think that such a website would be less incendiary than if you picked the website for the Westboro Baptist church or some website that takes an obvious political stance on a hot-button issue. But just a diocesan website with Mass times seems like it would be mundane enough not to be offensive to anyone, especially seeing as how it's a technical presentation where the specific content itself is not central to what you are illustrating

But, again, you know your audience and would be better able to gauge that.

Yes, there is that aspect too, of opening the Church to some minor laughs

...

I've thought that perhaps it might be better to use my own parish web site. Then it is more immediately obvious to a non-Catholic why I am using it. I suspect that most non-Catholics have no idea what a diocese is, or why one would want to use the site.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erich

Maybe between now and the date of the presentation you can get the Adelaide Diocese to make the necessary changes to their site ahead of time (assuming their webmaster can be reached via a "contact us" link), so you can then compare-and-contrast the theatre site (which won't have those changes) and the Adelaide Diocese site as part of your presentation?

Thanks for the suggestion, but I wouldn't ask this of the diocese, because, from a technical standpoint, there is a huge difference between making a few small changes to make a point in a presentation, and actually publishing those changes on your site. Like a difference of 10 to 1 in effort. People don't publish a such a change without a huge amount of work to check that everything is still working.

I will, however, show the audience a major site which has already been adapted for mobiles. facebook is an obvious choice, if I can't find one which is more like an "information" site.