Surely the answer to this question boils down to common sense, its just one of many avenues for communication. To me its like saying how does one use a telephone intelligently? Probably by the use of intelligent words that you speak to the person at the other end of the line and ditto for the communications across the internet.

manasi_seva:

Surely the answer to this question boils down to common sense, its just one of many avenues for communication. To me its like saying how does one use a telephone intelligently? Probably by the use of intelligent words that you speak to the person at the other end of the line and ditto for the communications across the internet.

Online, there are several aspects of real life communication missing. For example, bowing to each other or showing other non-verbal forms of respect. IRL, these things can structure the communication between people easily and significantly, but online, they are absent.[br]
So there is the question how can we make up for that online, and whether we should try to do so at all.

> For example, bowing to each other or showing other non-verbal forms of respect. IRL, these things can structure the communication between people
> easily and significantly, but online, they are absent.

I find this in my own experience also. For e.g. I recently noticed that I had stopped paying pranams when I open up the Mayapur online darshan. Instead of respectfully taking darshan as I would in the temple, I've relegated Krishna to being just another face or URL in my 'browsing experience.' Instead of being conscious that I am a resident in Krishna's world, I've been treating Krishna as if is He is just a resident in MY online world.

It seems the the general attraction and mood of being on the Internet is that we can go wherever we want, see whatever we want whenever we want, say what we want and leave whenever we want. Through constant and extended exposure to the internet we may subtly unconsciously imbibe this mood and unintentionally reinforce this idea that we are all-powerful, all-controlling, the supreme enjoyer of our online destiny....I can even control Krishna with a click of my mouse...My conclusion is that the constant and extended exposure to this type of mood creates a consciousness that is not particularily conducive to respectful dealings. One needs to be very conscious to avoid it.

>Online, there are several aspects of real life communication missing. For example, bowing to each other or showing other non-verbal forms
>of respect. IRL, these things can structure the communication between people easily and significantly, but online, they are absent.

These are also absent if you talk to someone on the telephone...so the point about physical presence becomes somewhat irrelevant (although physical devotee association should never be completely replaced with internet or phones).

It appears the real issue is how we deal with devotees face to face or in any form of communication - as we have seen, offenses can be committed either in person, on the phone or on the internet....likewise respect can also be offered in all these forms of communication, even though it may be delivered in different ways (physical, verbal or written).

In the end we fly our own plane....the material energy is surrounding us at every second, it's our choice whether we engage with that on a mundane platform or whether we use it to serve the Lord with intelligence and a sense of balance.

I think SRS's original point about Facebook is valid to a certain degree....if devotees are posting nonsense mundane articles, music, videos etc. and reading these also. However, it doesn't mean devotees should avoid it altogether, it means there needs to be spiritual intelligence behind it (as is the case for emails, websites, blogs or any other internet based form of communication).

deena:

I find this in my own experience also. For e.g. I recently noticed that I had stopped paying pranams when I open up the Mayapur online darshan. Instead of respectfully taking darshan as I would in the temple, I've relegated Krishna to being just another face or URL in my 'browsing experience.' Instead of being conscious that I am a resident in Krishna's world, I've been treating Krishna as if is He is just a resident in MY online world.

Yes ...[br]
[br]I have been thinking how to introduce a more respectful attiude for my online dealings, and came up with these ideas:[br]
- before each online session, write a motivational, inspirational or otherwise suggesting an appropriate attitude post-it note and paste it to the frame of the screen, so that it is visible (in fact, this is what I have done today);[br]
- chant the Maha mantra for some time or some preset number of times for each post or email that I reply to or appreciate, also for every article or scripture verse that I read online; similar for pictures and other media files;[br]
- get some pictures of devotees and place them in a visible spot close to the computer and consciously look at them before reading, writing, or downloading.[br][br]


I would appreciate to hear your suggestions.

Veda -

I appreciate your posting style at the forums. Would you like to share with us whether you have some particular protocol before or after you read and post at the forums?

Baker, I don't have such protocol. I follow the motto 'Ich dien' (I serve) which I adopted from my namesake King John http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Bohemia

I've just found this story:

Anakadundubhi das, Italy: I met a man who was looking for a faith was very
attracted to BTG. This man bought books from me. One day another sankirtan
devotee came to his house--of course, he had never seen that devotee
before. He had only just met me. When the devotee came to this man, he
received the devotee as a Vaisnava. He was very respectful.

Then he explained his story. He was agnostic before, an atheist, but in
some way he was forced by friend of his to visit the place of a Christian
saint. At that time, the saint was still alive. So they went down in a
small town down south. He didn’t have any faith but seeing all the people
praying in the church he wondered why he didn’t have this faith.

Suddenly the saint came in front of them. He was very strong with a very
heavy build, although he didn’t eat barely anything. And the saint went
directly to this man without saying anything and embraced him very
strongly. The man was bewildered and a little scared, too. But this saint
told him in a very deep voice, "So, did you find your faith or not?"
Practically he was reading his heart. Then this man experienced symptoms of
ecstasy. He was crying and laughing simultaneously, the hair of his whole
body stood on end, and he was sweating and feeling very hot inside He was
very bewildered; he didn’t know what was going on.

After this incident, the man discovered that he had Srimad-Bhagavatam in his
house. He read BTG also and was especially touched by articles published
by Matsyavatara Prabhu, who would later become his spiritual master.

rasa108:

This is where good association is required and we need to search it out....a devotee who we can take advice/spiritual guidance from...as impersonal as it may be, this can be found via the internet esp. email. Of course in person is best but if it's not possible, then we need to use other means.

Sure. There is an element of humility necessary in this.