UPDATE: 29/3/06 This post has been changed. The original post said that Xianz was a tool for Christians only – but someone commented below that non-Christians are also allowed membership. I checked into it futher and the terms and conditions say “The goal of Xianz.com is to provide an interesting, stimulating, and fun place for Christians and other Internet users”. So as far as I know – non-Christians are allowed to join (provided they get an invitation). My apologies to Xianz. And my apologies to bloggers for editing it without strikethroughs, and then losing the original text.
Xianz is a Christian version of Myspace, a new blogging system and social networking system for Christians.
It doesn’t appeal to me. One of the GLORIOUS things about blogging is that is gives people the opportunity to open up their lives for others to see . . . like Daniel who prayed with the windows open. Its a little more risky, as Daniel found out, but the impact is much greater. If you have a life worth sharing, then publish it for the world to hear and join the conversation with everyone . . and i mean co-Xianz, non-Xianz, pre-Xianz, post-Xianz, quasi-Xianz, anti-Xianz, and all who see Jesus in your life.
This is where I put on my big frizzy AFRO and dance around the room singing a black gospel song “. .. . this little light of mine . . i’m gonna let it shine . . hide it under a blog bushell? . . . NO. . i’m gonna let it shine . .”
I need to be fair. I don’t like MySpace either. Neither do i like Orkut or other social networking systems that try to achieve artificially what is already happening in an organic, emergent way. However, I don’t want to be a wet blanket. If you think I am wrong, and Xianz.com has some redeemable qualities, then please leave your comment below. I am willing to be educated here.
Andrew,
I think it may be worse than that. Naive christian parents may see it as one more reason they can abdicate their responsibilities as parents to keep up with their kids lives.
Not all parents but too many may just see it and say “ooo…it’s for christians only it must be safe”
tk
I think it’s a great thing. It fills a niche in Christian kids’ lives. They’ve already got K-Love for music, homeschool or private school, church on Sunday morning & night and Wednesday night, shopping at the Christian bookstore, Christian satellite TV, hyper-fundy Christian colleges, Christian amusement parks, and now this. The loop is closing, and soon parents will be able to shield their children from anything without a sugary Christian veneer on it.
Now, back to working on my site plan for the Christians-only gated community I’m building.
I think its so gross. But I have one.
Even though I think its gross, I do think that we have to take into consideration MySpace, since its growth rate has just been incredible and every kid I know from our youth ministry has one.
In fact, I just started a MySpace experiment with some of our kids – trying to use it as a medium to teach about some cross cultural ideas.
We’ll see how it goes…
For Christians Only
Thanks to TallSkinnyKiwi for this one. It is a Christian version of My Space. Gag. It’s called Xianz.com. Wowy wow. Technorati Tags: christianity…
Interesting, this thread listed two other companies trying to do the same thing.
My first impression just looking at the masthead was how many white faces there were as opposed to anything else. I think that says a lot about the culture of the people creating the site.
I have a myspace why? Because that is what my youth have and use. Paul was willing to become a gentile to witness to gentiles, I guess I can use myspace. Myspace as a blogging site sucks … but myspace as a tool for band promotion is better then many platforms out there today (At least IMHO).
The biggest problem I have with using myspace like crazy for my youth group is the lack of ability to control the ads, myspace serves up nearly pornographic ads sometimes and there is no way to opt-out of those ads.
I cannot see any of my kids wanting to use Xianz … their reaction would be much the same as yours … ew gross.
i think its great that you are diving into the myspace world. may God give you the stomach for it and the grace to endure.
i am sure there are many old vintage bloggers out there like myself who are far too snobby and elitist to start one . .. but perhaps we should be ashamed of ourselves and follow you into the land of mainstream blogging – which is where most people will probably end up anyway.
No, Andrew, stay true to yourself and the rest of us who feel the same way about myspace. Adele
Your description of Xianz.com sounds a lot like many churches – “Not only does Xianz separate the sheep from the goats, but they also separate the older from the younger so that you can have virtual chat-friends from your age group only.” So, rightfully, your critique of this website could be directed to many “real” Christian communities.
I agree with Nate about myspace. For the under 25 age group, myspace has practically replaced messenger, email, and blogs in the US and the UK. To keep up with friend, you have to use it.
Skyblog is another frustrating host. It’s not webstandards and it allows no options and has massive adds. But the french looove it. :s
yeah … people use the most awful tools. Xanga? Myspace? eww …
As one who sometime does makes fun of things, I thought this was a joke.
No, really.
Then I started reading and they are serious. Got to be the funniest tag line ever,
“It’s not MySpace but His Space.”
Oh, by the way, My Space is not owned by Microsoft it is now owned by Fox News Corp ($580m 6/05).
http://www.myspace.com
You might have it confused with MSN Spaces,
http://spaces.msn.com/
I’m sure AT&T-Cingular will sue them for stealing their logo and the legal fees will shut them down. Don’t worry. It’ll be ok.
thanks tim.
actually – to copy something is to compliment it. it may give people a taste of the orginal and send them off to myspace for the geniune article.
why have a christianized “almost as good as” version when the real thing is one click away.
not saying that myspace is the real thing . . . of course
TallSkinnyKiwi: New Blogging Tool For Christians Only
Andrew Jones has some great thoughts about Xians — a MySpace ripoff for Christians only. Makes me wonder what the difference is between that and this social bookmarking site. I suppose that difference is that Xianz is trying to be exclusive, while thi…
I have no idea where you guys got the idea that xianz seperates the old from the young … but that is entirely not true…I personally have friends of all ages on xianz..and as for it being a christian only site that is false…. Xianz never claims to be christian only, only that it is a christian environment…I personlly enjoy xianz and think its founder works amazingly hard to continually improve it. Xianz is growing quickly and there is absolutly no question as to why. I could go on an on but I just wanted to voice a positive oppinion about it and set a couple of false statements right.
thanks tina
i just read the the promo that was sent to me:
” But most importantly, Xianz offers a safe environment for teens and people of all ages to interact with others of the same or similar interests. Among other safeguards, settings can be specified that allow only people of the same age range to communicate.”
looking at it again – i guess you dont have to be seperated – its just an option. i will make an edit. thanks.
invite me!
ariahfine@gmail.com someone invite me please, I’ve got to get in on this!
How Your Church Can Use MySpace
Part 3 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church Let’s just open that can of worms called MySpace. If you haven’t heard about MySpace, you’ve surely heard about the MySpace backlash. MySpace is one of many of social networking sites …
I understand the frustration with Christian knock offs. However, what do people think about a normal site like myspace, but governed with Christian values such as, umm… no porno, pervision and heavier monitoring against gangs, guns, drugs, swearing etc. Is that such a bad thing? I came across http://www.dittytalk.com Normal site, but with Christian values.
I am sure there are more, but I personally think we need some values before we become like every other great civilizations that destroyed itself from the inside out by debauchery and wickedness!
Xianz.com i love myspace and use it almost too much and i heard about this place. i am a pastor who very much would like to give kids a safer place than myspace but a few of my kids were judged horribly when they signed up by their appearance and by the music that they chose to listen to. they were badgered and one of them was stalked and contacted at his place of employment and harrassed by a man hundreds of miles away. i do not approve. even after i contacted “robbie d” the creator of the site he said he would take care of it and the harrassment continued after.
Xianz.com i love myspace and use it almost too much and i heard about this place. i am a pastor who very much would like to give kids a safer place than myspace but a few of my kids were judged horribly when they signed up by their appearance and by the music that they chose to listen to. they were badgered and one of them was stalked and contacted at his place of employment and harrassed by a man hundreds of miles away. i do not approve. even after i contacted “robbie d” the creator of the site he said he would take care of it and the harrassment continued after.
I am a former ‘XMod’ I got caught up in the Christian Myspace craze too. But after listening to Xianz podcasts and observing Xianz practices concerning those of other religions, I found that there is nothing Christian about the site. I was asked to be a moderator there since I had been a member for awhile, an ‘Xmod’ as they call them. After I created a group to explain why Mormonism isn’t Christianity I was promptly demoted with-out warning.When I confronted ‘Mr. Ego'(Robbie D.)about it he systematically banned me from the site.
Here is my response to Robbie D:
Robbie D said: I felt that you were a bad representation for Xianz.com.
You are free to be here but you will not be an Xmod any longer.
I seen many things around in my investigation and I am just leaving it at that. You should know why I would not want you in this position anymore. You have said many negative things about Xianz and if a mod says only one negative thing in public it is enough to lose their mod status.
I hope you understand. Blessings, Robbie D
And my reponse before I was banned:
In response I say I have represented G-d before I represented xianz! Some of the things that are going on here the LORD doesn’t like! Allowing people of all beliefs to take over is contrary to the Word of G-d! The Bible say to come out from amongst her! Robbie D., Myx, Tumnus, you have a reponsibility as the voices of Xianz to tell people about Salvation AND Damnation! Not wish-washy ecumenical hog wash! The condemnation is worse for those preachers that don’t tell people that Jesus is the ONLY Way, Truth and Life, that He is THE ONLY Way to Heaven. This place has been appropriately named ‘xianz’ because CHRIST isn’t in it! So go ahead censor me, defame my character, say what ever you want against me BUT you can’t censor the TRUTH!
‘Thus says the LORD concerning you prophets who lead My people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, “Shalom!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against Him. “Therefore night is over you, with no vision, And it is dark to you, that you may not divine; And the sun will go down on those prophets, And the day will be black over them. The seers shall be disappointed, And the diviners confounded. Yes, they shall all cover their lips; For there is no answer from G-d.”
“For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the Cross of Messiah Y’shua.”
So with that I shake the dust from my sandles and leave Xianz!