Friday, August 10, 2007

TX megachurch refuses funeral for gay man

A Navy veteran who served in Desert Storm helping rescuers find downed pilots died from an infection, a side effect of surgery for a heart condition. His brother was an employee and member of a Dallas megachurch where the funeral was planned:

An Arlington church volunteered to host a funeral Thursday, then reneged on the invitation when it became clear the dead man’s homosexuality would be identified in the service.

The event placed High Point Church in the cross hairs of an issue many conservative Christian organizations are discussing: how to take a hard-line theological position on homosexuality while showing compassion toward gay people and their families.

Via John Aravosis, “Someone is going to hell, and it isn’t the guy who died.”

Universal “tests” DRM free music sales

From August 21 to January 31 of next year, but not at Apple’s iTunes Store:

January 31 is likely more of a fire escape than an end date. If UMG doesn’t like what they’re seeing, they’ll pull the plug. UMG says that it wants to watch how DRM-free music affects piracy rates. In all reality, this test is Universal’s attempt to ease into the DRM-free waters with an built-in excuse for fleeing the deep end. All of Universal’s major hit music is already available online and without DRM, thanks to the fact that anyone can rip a CD. Selling DRM-free music online won’t change that.

“Universal Music Group is committed to exploring new ways to expand the availability of our artists’ music online, while offering consumers the most choice in how and where they purchase and enjoy our music,” Morris said in a statement. Leaving Apple out of the mix leaves us scratching our heads about “choice,” but our guess is that there’s a reason for this that we’re not being told.

History of social network sites (a work-in-progress)

Listening to danah boyd interviewed on On The Media we are reminded that the class division she sees on Social Network sites reflects their origins: MySpace rising out of the indie rock community in LA; Facebook from Harvard.

danah has posted a work-in-progress history of social network sites - “This is not the finalized version and it is not the complete article” - authored with Nicole Ellison and posted to solicit feedback on accuracy and completeness:

The first recognizable social network site launched in 1997.  SixDegrees.com allowed users to come to the site, create profiles and list their Friends.  The site promoted the ways that users could connect with and send messages to Friends based on degree (SixDegrees.com, 1999). While SixDegrees attracted millions, it was before its time (Weinreich, 2007).  While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Some participants also complained that the site provided very little incentive to return following the articulation of one’s network; meeting strangers was not in vogue.  SixDegrees closed its doors in 2000.

The full article will be linked there when published.

Round up: DADT and marriage

Logo has helpfully posted video clips. Here all of the candidates on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Here all of them on gay marriage.