By finding platforms like Substack, that are not algorithm driven, or are less driven, I believe we can get our messages out to a larger group of people than by using Facebook or like places. We can reach as many or more readers in a simpler way. The key to sharing our messages though is the same everywhere, we have to be dedicated to sharing.
I think there is a more difficult problem here that needs to be addressed. While we don't have local newspapers much anymore, sure social media like Facebook, etc. is free and available. And on it we can let everyone know (whatever we choose to share) about our local lodge membership and our current and future activities.
However, social media seems lousy at explaining what Freemasonry actually is, and isn't. Even disregarding the internet trolls who like to trash anything Masonic, who actually speaks for the symbolism, beauty, and meaning of the Craft. Particularly in a concise and careful way that the non-Mason can understand. (Gotta go - emergency, perhaps more thought later!)
Technology fails as impressive as it looks these days looming, glittering with AI and towering over a digital mental landscape, but the first nation to deploy a truly military approach with an EMP is going to theoretically render all of that completely meaningless, all that billions of tech undone with one zap. But people have mouths and people have ears and if all that global connection was undone, still people would talk about things. If you’re feeling a bit like a Luddite, and you’re tired of the electronic mirror in front of you endlessly sending out streams of information like ironically I am doing now, you can always engage a conversation with someone and suddenly get that delicious biological rush where the human is talking to the human and meaning begins to matter.
It’s great that everybody can express themselves electronically and I can talk to someone anywhere in the world (depending on their government,) but we are heard (har har)animals and that’s what we like, where our empirical biological senses are bouncing sound waves back at us from vocal cords and skin is vibrating from the clasp of a handshake and nerve endings are sending complex streams of information from simple contact, allowing those delicious neurotransmitters to dump their dopamine into our systems from the greatest computer of all, the human brain. Technology has its place but human beings like any building always go back to the temple or building foundation, the basics, the baseline.
It’s good that we can reach out electronically, but I think it’s even more important in order to revitalise the human that is inside the theoretical human mobile mast, the inner man needs to become the outer man, especially the kids these days they need to reconnect and learn how to have actual conversations without typing and lowering their head without making organic eye contact. No wonder so many kids are nervous and scared because they don’t understand social interactions these days and we need to make an effort to show value in organic connection.
Those conversations which also might go a long way to having these youngsters realise the value of feeling confidence and carrying on an esoteric tradition like our noble craft, which ultimately seeks to make good men better. Reigniting the flame of human creativity can be something you do electronically, but organically you connect with people on a deeper level and you spread the fire of your message to the kindling of eager ears. Technology is great and has its place but it must not become wrecknology.
I don't know if I would pronounce this age of media "golden" unless the word "shower" followed.
The Golden Age of media I would assume would be the 70s, after reporters and news anchors lost faith in the government telling them the truth. "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America" is a famous, yet likely mythical, quote attributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson. At that point, more investigative reporting against the government started to appear, most famously by Woodward and Bernstein exposure of the Watergate Scandal. This lasted until the 24 hour news cycle started, and the slow slide to reporting decay began.
Now, no one investigates anything, the news media are nothing but puppets of whatever side they are on, left or right. There is no true unbiased reporting anymore. Just talking heads spouting their master's talking points.
I think we each need to find the niche our Lodge falls into and leverage social media and content hosting platforms to promote our interests and goals. Most people refer to YouTube, Instagram, and Meta/FaceBook when seeking out their interests based on the reported statistics. If we can collectively help increase visibility we will start to see improved reach. The hardest part is getting over the hurdle of visibility.
It mostly has to do with our willingness to take a few moments to read, respond, and engage with each other in places like this.
When I returned home from active duty, I made some important decision in my life, I returned to work at Boeing, joined the reserve, enrolled in college, and began my subscription to The Seattle Times. I literally learned to read as a child from the pages of the Times and continued to subscribe. Over the last few years, I read less and less of the newspaper. Finally, I found myself only reading a handful of writers who actually practiced journalism, then one of my favorites retired, so I read even less. Most of what I saw in print was nothing more than biased opinion lacking context for the subject or sensationalized subject matter lacking facts or proof of accuracy. After more than 50 years I did not leave the Times, the Times left me.
By finding platforms like Substack, that are not algorithm driven, or are less driven, I believe we can get our messages out to a larger group of people than by using Facebook or like places. We can reach as many or more readers in a simpler way. The key to sharing our messages though is the same everywhere, we have to be dedicated to sharing.
I think there is a more difficult problem here that needs to be addressed. While we don't have local newspapers much anymore, sure social media like Facebook, etc. is free and available. And on it we can let everyone know (whatever we choose to share) about our local lodge membership and our current and future activities.
However, social media seems lousy at explaining what Freemasonry actually is, and isn't. Even disregarding the internet trolls who like to trash anything Masonic, who actually speaks for the symbolism, beauty, and meaning of the Craft. Particularly in a concise and careful way that the non-Mason can understand. (Gotta go - emergency, perhaps more thought later!)
Technology fails as impressive as it looks these days looming, glittering with AI and towering over a digital mental landscape, but the first nation to deploy a truly military approach with an EMP is going to theoretically render all of that completely meaningless, all that billions of tech undone with one zap. But people have mouths and people have ears and if all that global connection was undone, still people would talk about things. If you’re feeling a bit like a Luddite, and you’re tired of the electronic mirror in front of you endlessly sending out streams of information like ironically I am doing now, you can always engage a conversation with someone and suddenly get that delicious biological rush where the human is talking to the human and meaning begins to matter.
It’s great that everybody can express themselves electronically and I can talk to someone anywhere in the world (depending on their government,) but we are heard (har har)animals and that’s what we like, where our empirical biological senses are bouncing sound waves back at us from vocal cords and skin is vibrating from the clasp of a handshake and nerve endings are sending complex streams of information from simple contact, allowing those delicious neurotransmitters to dump their dopamine into our systems from the greatest computer of all, the human brain. Technology has its place but human beings like any building always go back to the temple or building foundation, the basics, the baseline.
It’s good that we can reach out electronically, but I think it’s even more important in order to revitalise the human that is inside the theoretical human mobile mast, the inner man needs to become the outer man, especially the kids these days they need to reconnect and learn how to have actual conversations without typing and lowering their head without making organic eye contact. No wonder so many kids are nervous and scared because they don’t understand social interactions these days and we need to make an effort to show value in organic connection.
Those conversations which also might go a long way to having these youngsters realise the value of feeling confidence and carrying on an esoteric tradition like our noble craft, which ultimately seeks to make good men better. Reigniting the flame of human creativity can be something you do electronically, but organically you connect with people on a deeper level and you spread the fire of your message to the kindling of eager ears. Technology is great and has its place but it must not become wrecknology.
I don't know if I would pronounce this age of media "golden" unless the word "shower" followed.
The Golden Age of media I would assume would be the 70s, after reporters and news anchors lost faith in the government telling them the truth. "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America" is a famous, yet likely mythical, quote attributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson. At that point, more investigative reporting against the government started to appear, most famously by Woodward and Bernstein exposure of the Watergate Scandal. This lasted until the 24 hour news cycle started, and the slow slide to reporting decay began.
Now, no one investigates anything, the news media are nothing but puppets of whatever side they are on, left or right. There is no true unbiased reporting anymore. Just talking heads spouting their master's talking points.
I think we each need to find the niche our Lodge falls into and leverage social media and content hosting platforms to promote our interests and goals. Most people refer to YouTube, Instagram, and Meta/FaceBook when seeking out their interests based on the reported statistics. If we can collectively help increase visibility we will start to see improved reach. The hardest part is getting over the hurdle of visibility.
It mostly has to do with our willingness to take a few moments to read, respond, and engage with each other in places like this.
When I returned home from active duty, I made some important decision in my life, I returned to work at Boeing, joined the reserve, enrolled in college, and began my subscription to The Seattle Times. I literally learned to read as a child from the pages of the Times and continued to subscribe. Over the last few years, I read less and less of the newspaper. Finally, I found myself only reading a handful of writers who actually practiced journalism, then one of my favorites retired, so I read even less. Most of what I saw in print was nothing more than biased opinion lacking context for the subject or sensationalized subject matter lacking facts or proof of accuracy. After more than 50 years I did not leave the Times, the Times left me.