The application would essentially be a single page, similar to Google’s landing page. The page would be connected to Open Bible’s dataset as that’s the only thing you’d be searching against.
You would then type in a phrase or term, and that would display not as a list, but as an zoomed-out (exploded) view of the entire data set. If you will, similar to the image attached to this post.
You would then get a command to press and hold the camera button (or volume button if you are on an iPhone, ha) in order to view into the data. Think like taking a Wii controller and moving around in a small space. That’s what you’d be doing here to navigate around the dataset.
Depending on the data’s output, it could be a circle (like pictured) or something more 3D (like GloBible) or even something 4D (going up/down/left/right/in/out to go through series within the data).
Yes, I’m aware that doing this would seem like it would be physically taxing, but the point here is an application that takes the aspect of searching and seeing associations between concepts and adds your motion as part of your means of tracking with the item. Given that many larger-screened mobile devices have some sense of direction (either through a compass and/or acceleromoeter), this could be something that really works to the advantage of internalizing concepts and placements of context in a similar manner that people describe knowing where something is in the Bible because they remember where it is on the page, not necessarily remembering the address or specifics of the context.
I’m pretty sure that something like what I describe can be done with PhoneGap. And, it could even be done almost completely in a browser, making it basically such that the coding to make this happen would be as open as the data hosted at Open Bible.
So what do you think? And think beyond your use of an app to search and see associations (many of you might be frequent users of Logos and not see the logic in doing a spatial interface like this). Picture how this could translate into taking these smartphones and allowing people who might be more sensitive to motion-interfaces to pick up and understand the Bible because its no longer presented or taught in a stricly linear manner.
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What Mobile Takes Away
Monday, April 11th, 2011For example, where it used to be that the pastor read from the Bible, and then the congregation repeated the text as they heard, we then moved to Bibles in our pews. From those in the pews, we moved to Bibles on our dashboards. And then from there, we have Bibles in our pockets – first in a font size that we could barely manage reading with good eyes, and later through our mobiles – bigger font size, but definitely less on the screen.
Now, with that move to mobile, we don’t just have the Bible, but we have these connections to the text that were once the domain of our pastors. We can open up Logos on our mobile and be connected to the same depth of commentaries, maps, and multimedia that our pastors used when setting up the lessons. We can communicate notes in real-time with others who have read the passage before-hand, and gain insights that our pastors will have gotten to, and some that they would not.
We have “information-now” as the default, instead of as the privileged opportunity. And that is a bit concerning to some. Having that at our fingertips, whether we know how to use it or not, takes away some of the experience that we’ve been cultured to believe is a part of the worship experience. Depending on how we hold onto that culture, we might deem that this ability of mobile/web is too far, and therefore takes away from our culture something that we subconsciously cherish.
It reminds me of the story in Mark 4 when Jesus addressed the man who had a legion of demons inhabiting him. The people were used to their culture where he was pushed to the side and could not interact with their affairs. But, insert Jesus and not only does he become delivered from these, but their source of income – their very economic sustenance – in the pigs is challenged. Now, they not only have to deal with someone in their community that is an extra mouth to feed, but they also need to figure out as a community to live without the layer of wealth they they had before. It was a major shift, on where just this addition of Jesus, while wanted, produced results that meant they needed to grow more than they wanted.
I wonder if we think of our culture in the same way. That we want mobile, web, etc. to apply to now we address our communities, but really aren’t prepared for their impacts. And then when it does impact, are we bold enough to admit our cultural mentality and behaviors which might not have been the best, especially to those whom our former practices left behind?
Tags: acceptance, behavior, community, culture, interaction, mobility
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