Recently, I’ve noticed something: it seems like many times, we look for complex answers to simple questions.

A couple of weeks ago, I downloaded an article on how to save money on fuel. The suggestions ranged from the pedestrian (turn off your air conditioner if you don’t need it) to the illegal (turn off your car while you’re coasting down the highway). But none of the suggestions related to the easiest way to save money on fuel: drive less.

It’s as if we’ve decided that the most obvious (and most likely to be correct) answer is not worth considering. “I’ll take what’s behind door number two, thank you.”

I’ve noticed the same thing about financial matters. I want to have money. I want to be a good steward of what I’ve been given. I want to grow wealth. As I’ve been reading about growing wealth, I’ve read any number of what seem like ludicrous ideas (get a credit card and use it to invest in a savings account). But many of the ideas I read don’t address the three fundamental rules of growing wealth:

1. Spend less than you earn.
2. Make the money you have work for you.
3. Be prepared for the unexpected.

To be sure, some of the ideas I read address parts of the basic rules, but few blogs or articles ever address the fundamental rules. They just dive into application (or mis-application) of the rules.

I wonder how often we do that with spiritual things. Jump right into brainstorming ideas to solve the problems we face without ever spending the time to understand the fundamental issues at stake. Or worse, ignore Jesus, the Ultimate Answer because it just seems too simple.

Here’s my question to myself: “Do I prefer to go searching for answers instead of searching for Jesus?”

• Purpose 1
• Where’s all the Money?
• God’s M.O.
• Weight of the Word
• Quiet Time Grazers Unite!

God is always faithful and always worthy of all of our worship and praise.

• For Musicians and Artists
• Gotta Stop!
• Purpose 3
• All We Need is…
• Mulish People

The person standing next to me certainly has my ear but so does the person on the other end of the television. As does the blogger I’m reading or the author of the book on my nightstand. Those far and near have the ability to influence our thinking, behaviors, and lives.

Here’s my question to you:

Who has your ear?

I don’t intend for this question to be manipulative. I’m not trying to get you to evaluate the inputs you’re receiving. I actually want to know.

To whom do you listen?

Leave comments. I would like to know.

• It Takes a Village
• The Greatest in the Kingdom
• Hear the Word
• We’re Not Alone
• What’s Free?

One of the fallacies of modern middle-class USAmerican life is that we have to be able to do it all on our own. That, especially in areas of faith, is simply not the case. We were never intended to live out our faith by ourselves. Rather, God intends for us to live in community - in proximity to and in relationship with other people. People who agree with us and people who don’t. It is in that place that we experience the blessing of God as we walk in unity (not unanimity) with our neighbors. It’s there that the Lord commands a blessing.

In community and relationship, we learn to extend and receive grace. To forgive and be forgiven. And, while our primary relationship will always be in Christ, that relationship should be expressed in the way we live with others on the earth that we have been given.

From one villager to another, be encouraged: read widely, converse openly, and serve freely.

• Who Has Your Ear?
• The Greatest in the Kingdom
• Hard Times
• Gotta Stop!
• Get it all Done

THE WORD ON PROVISION

“Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life…what you shall eat or what you shall drink…and about your body…what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither SOW or REAP nor gather into barns, and YET your heavenly Father KEEPS FEEDING THEM. Are you not worth more than they? And which of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure [cubit] to his stature or to the span of his life? And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither TOIL or SPIN; yet…I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity and grace ) was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed int o the furnace…will He not MUCH MORE surely clothe you, O YOU MEN OF LITTLE FAITH? Therefore…DO NOT WORRY (sow/reap, toil/spin), saying, what are we going to have to eat…or what are we going to have to drink…or what are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles [heathens] wish for and crave and diligently seek (sow/reap, toil/spin) after all these things…and your heavenly Father WELL KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM ALL. But SEEK for (aim at and strive after) first of all HIS KINGDOM…and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS [his way of doing things and being right]…and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. SO…do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow…for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34 The Amplified Bible)

PERSISTENT PRAYER

Keep on asking and it will be given you…keep on seeking and your will find…keep on knocking (reverently) and the door will be opened. For every one who keeps on asking receives…and he who keeps on seeking finds…and to him who keeps on knocking it will be opened. Or what man is there of you…if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish…will hand him a serpent…or if he asks for a fish…will hand him a serpent? If you then…evil as you are…know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much MORE iwll your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantages things to those who KEEP ON ASKING HIM.” (Matthew 7:7-11 The Amplified Bible)

A=Ask
S=Seek
K=Knock

P=PRAY
U=UNTIL
S=SOMETHING
H=HAPPENS

RECOMMENDED READING: (1)Prayer Is Invading The Impossible by Jack Hayford. (2) E. M. Bounds on Prayer by E. M. Bounds (3) Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting by Derek Prince (4) Living Prayer by Robert Benson (5) The Power of Prayer and the Prayer of Power by R.A. Torrey
(6) Praying In The Spirit by Robert W. Graves (7) With Christ In The School Of Prayer by Andrew Murray (8) Intercessory Prayer (How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth) (9) The Book of Common Prayer (10) My Prayer For You by Pat Robertson

Mooin’ and Chewin’ The Word Of God
www.ruminatorramblings-rodney.blogspot.com

• Purpose 1
• Understand Yourself
• Which are you?
• Give ‘em Something to Think About
• I’m Walkin’

I find myself commonly going strong from about 5:30AM to about 11:00PM - and there’s still more to do almost every day. Every day I have a mental list of people I haven’t seen, tasks I haven’t completed, ideas I haven’t written down, things I want to do, phone calls I haven’t returned, and more. What’s more, I’m not alone. I suspect that you can find yourself running beside me with the same list of wants, wishes, and requirements.

The thing is, I know this is not the way that God has intended for us to live. For starters, he commanded that we take a day of rest. And every time we don’t, we are being disobedient.

Since it’s clear that we are not able, nor are we intended, to do everything, there must be some things will be left undone. We can either choose what is done and what is left undone or we can leave it up to outside factors.

Let’s be blunt: if we want to follow God, we must choose to follow. We must choose to do what he wants. And to do so means that we must choose not to do the things he does not choose for us. We have to learn to let some things go.

In this, I believe there are two categories:

• Decisions we can make in advance
• Decisions we must make in the moment

Some decisions can be based on knowledge that we already have. These may be long-running decisions that are walked out over time or decisions based on a predetermined matrix. As a practical example, if you get a job, you are choosing in advance to continue showing up to work whether you want to or not.

Other decisions are based on current circumstances and are made in the moment. Things like whether to give $5.00 to somebody in need might be an example of that. It is important to know, though, that our short-term decisions should line up with our long-term decisions.

There seems to be a good deal of misunderstanding in our culture about these two decision types. We seem, very often, to make decisions in the moment that alter our long-term decisions. While this can have validity - rules are made to serve us, not we to serve them - it is a dangerous thing to rethink our long-term goals every time we must make a short-term decision. Rather, it is wise to make our short-term decisions in light of our long-term goals.

Jesus made his decision-making process plain for us:

John 5:19
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

So…here are my questions:

• What do I see in the Father doing that I don’t see in me?
• What do I see in me that I don’t see in the Father?

How about you?

• Bookmarks for July 12th through July 14th
• The Starting Place
• Purpose 3
• Starving with a Full Stomach
• Unfulfilled Expecatations

• THE DAVE RAMSEY SHOW HIGHLIGHT:Scripture of the Day 08.14.08 - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 - Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.
• My African DREAM! - With the belief in "Knowledge Is Power," I am led to spread the word of my mission and invite others to come alongside me to work together for a greater good - THE CHILDREN. I know that together WE can make a difference in the literacy of children from developing countries.

• The Lillies
• Bookmarks for July 12th through July 14th
• The Starting Place
• What Can I Do?
• God’s M.O.

• Selfishness
• Misunderstanding

While I agree with Donald, I would like to add that the overarching problem with relationships - in fact in everything - is simply sin.

Selfishness has its root in sin. In the Garden, Adam and Eve sinned by deciding to take what God had consecrated as holy because it looked good, was desirable for obtaining wisdom, and was edible. And ever since then, we have been bent in that same manner - choosing to Impress, Indulge, and Increase our posessions as we try to portray our own “godhood” (little “g”), make ourselves happy, and create our own little piece of heaven.

And the result of sin was God’s curse on the earth. Consequently, everything that once was exactly the way God wanted it became broken. Nothing works as it was intended. And God did this for the good of greater things to come (Romans 8:20).

A broken world-system coupled with our selfishness provides fertile ground for misunderstanding. God help us to lay ourselves and our agendas aside as we partner with him to bring peace on earth and good will towards all mankind.

• Unspotted by the World
• It Takes a Village
• Hard Times
• Form that Serves Function
• Get it all Done

A couple of weeks ago, our group discussed how, though it is impossible for any one person to do everything, it is possible for everybody to do something. Check out what Laura Hecht is allowing God to do through her. Here’s a brief excerpt of My African Dream.

Have you ever had a topic to write about that seems too big to tackle that you can’t even begin to write about it? Well, welcome to my world. I need to send educational supplies to Africa. I know! You have so many questions racing through your head right about now. Let’s just say – all of your questions will be answered in due time. For now, listen to my heart and my passion.

• Simple Truths
• Statuslessness
• Cow Pies and Chicken Wings
• What if God Was One of Us
• The Big “D”

We live in an age where everybody is scratching and clawing through life to keep up with their perceptions of how things could be. We tend to try to create our own little “heavens” through our own effort. And at the same time, we live around people who are trying to do the same - many times only feeling like we matter if we are able to decrease how much others matter.

This is the work of the “enemy of our [souls]” (Revelation 12:9,10). We must be careful that we are both refraining from entering into the work of discouragement as well as actively encouraging those around us in Christ.

Check out this exceprt from You Matter on Why I Failed.

Be encouraged. Be encouraged to learn and protect your calling - whether called to have a job, be a singer, start a company, invent the next life changing widget, whatever. Next, work your guts out to succeed (as in the opposite of fail). Your success matters. Not only in the sense that we need what you’re going to do, but we need to be inspired.

Spend some time on Why I Failed and then subscribe.

• What is Eternal Life?
• Take it out!
• Purpose 3
• Hungry!
• Form that Serves Function

• Good Health… and No Cooking… From a Raw Food Diet - If your goals are to lose weight, gain energy and clean out your digestive system, Rose has basic dietary advice that's easy to implement immediately. She characterizes her approach as a transition plan, a convenient way to segue from a mainstream diet to a cleansing one.
• Secrets of Writing Difficult Letters - When you write a letter, you create good feelings and feel good about yourself. The fact of your writing is more important than what you write. The recipient will be glad to receive anything personal among the daily avalanche of bills and junk mail. If most people realized how glad, they would write more.
• Funambol Downloads - Funambol v7 also taps into the trend of mobile cloud sync, which is quickly becoming required for mobile device manufacturers. Funambol v7 provides a robust platform for push email and syncing diverse mobile content from a broad variety of devices between the Internet cloud and other devices, software and systems.

• Read the Label
• The Root of it All
• A Little Blogging Fun
• Unspotted by the World
• Give ‘em Something to Think About

God has made each of us different and John has an interesting take on quiet time that may give a number of believers freedom in the midst of struggle.  Check out this excerpt and then John’s full post a read.

What really struck me is that maybe there are some “quiet time’ grazers also. Most suggestions that I have seen about quiet times seem to run in ” one meal per day” genre. Does that make Bible ‘grazers’ wrong. I don’t think so.

One other thing I noticed about my ‘grazer’ grandson - he is not burdened with

[ Read More... ]

If you like what you read, you should subscribe to ServantTalks.

• Simple Truths
• A Little Blogging Fun
• What’s Free?
• Feeding Your Soul
• A New Law

Today I’d like to run through how I apply Jean’s format of Read, Report, Reflect, and Respond. What is below is simply my time in the word for today. While I was hoping that I’d have some amazing insight to Scripture as I worked through this, that is not the point. Rather, I’d like for you to see this simple format in action.

Before I began, I prayed and tried to quiet myself so that I could focus on God and what he had to say to me. This time wasn’t long and protracted. I simply tried to move my mind away from “the daily grind” so that I could focus on what is eternal - to create a “mini-sabbath” in the middle of my day.

And, as I go through my day, I look for opportunities to live what God has shown me in the word. I look for him to give me answers to my questions - answers from the Word, through the community of saints, and through creation.

May God bless you with understand, wisdom, and the grace of obedience. And may he do the same with me!

• Feeding Your Soul
• Amazing Grace
• Small: Not Big?
• The Starting Place
• Read the Label

Are you hungry for more?

Several years ago, as I was teaching a Sunday School class for Young Adults, we went through Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook by Jean Fleming. As you study church history, you will find many different “disciplines” of private devotions. From Christian mediatation to Lectio Divina there are common themes:

• Quieting yourself
• Listening to God
• Talking to God
• Living the word

In her book, Jean laid out a very simple process for personal devotional time, including both prayer and time in the Bible. And when I’ve followed her format, God has spoken to me and drawn me towards himself.

Recently, I have found myself stretched and my personal time with God has decreased. I remember the way things used to be. I am repenting by both confessing that I am not where God would have me be and also by attempting to change my direction. And I am returning to the things I used to do.

Jean’s “framework” for private devotions in Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook included four simple steps. I’d like to lay them out for you here.

• Read - Choose a section of scripture, note it in a journal, and read it. I usually choose a very small section (one to ten verses). And I usually use this process to work through an entire book.
• Report - In your journal (or notebook), summarize what you’ve read. This can be bullet points or simply rewording what you’ve read. The point is to work through the text in such a way that you can understand it and explain what you’ve read.
• Reflect - Meditate on what you’ve read. Record anything that God reveals to you in your journal. Or write down any questions that arise as you contemplate the text.
• Respond - Write out a prayer response to God. Ask him the questions you don’t know how to answer. Thank him for what he’s revealed to you. Ask him to show you opportunities to act on what he’s shown you.

If you’re looking for a way to go deeper in your private time with God, I can wholeheartedly recommend Feeding Your Soul: A Quiet Time Handbook. I’m starting to do it again because I need to go deeper with my relationship with God.

How do you spend time with God daily? (no…really…I want to know) How do you spend time with God daily?

• What’s Free?
• Quiet Time Grazers Unite!
• Read the Label
• Nuke-ro-wave Power
• Small: Not Big?

Sometimes I discover that I’ve lost ground in different areas of my life. That things have shifted and I don’t like the physical, spiritual, or emotional place I am occupying. This can be as simple as ending up in the wrong lane while driving in traffic or it can involve the erosion of relationships.

For example, earlier this year I was very focused on watching the health of my diet and exercising. And I was making great progress in controlling my weight and improving my health. In fact, I believe that God had granted me some favor in this area. But I got busy at work, started staying up later in the evening, and became lazy. And while I haven’t necessarily gained a lot of weight, I am not where I would like to be.

A couple of years ago I made great strides in paying off my bills. I had paid off all of my credit card debt and was making good progress on paying down other bills. Then I lost focus and I am no longer in the sweet place I used to to hang out.

Several years ago, I lost focus in my spiritual life. For any number of “valid” reasons, I stopped going to church, spending time with other like-minded believers in Christ, and spending time with God in the Bible, prayer, and meditation. The result - I quickly learned the value of my ability to lead my life apart from God. I became a prodigal.

Perhaps you have found yourself in that same place - it can be in any area of your life. Maybe you’ve found yourself in financial bondage. You may be discontented with your health. Or maybe you are not where God has called you to live spiritually.

You may not be as far down the path as I have gone. But God is calling you back nonetheless. Do you find your love for God waning? Do you lack vision or purpose? Are you searching for meaning? Have you worked hard in the Kingdom but find yourself disconnected from God?

Revelation 2:2-4
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

If so…what should you do?

I’m glad you asked. God has given us the answer. Remember, Repent, Return.

Revelation 2:5a
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

• Remember the way things used to be. Remember the sweetness of your relationship with God when you had no shame. Remember the joy that once empowered you.
• Repent. Change your direction. It’s OK to ask for forgiveness - even desirable. But take a step further. Change your thinking and your direction. Renew your mind.
• Return to the things you did at first. As you’re remembering how things used to be, ask yourself what was different at that time. And then, in the grace and timing of God, return. Return to God in relationship. Return to active discipleship. Return to Bible study and prayer. Return to community.

Lord, God, bless us with the grace of undivided hearts. In your mercy, remind us of how it once was between you and us - from the before sin until now. And remind us of where we’re headed.

Move in mercy throughout the earth. Move to empower us to fulfill your calling on our lives as your chosen children and as ambassadors of the Kingdom.

• Take it out!
• Feeding Your Soul
• Purpose 3
• Small: Not Big?
• Read the Label

• The Simple Dollar » Review: Good Debt, Bad Debt - Is all debt bad? Jon Hanson takes the opposite perspective. Good Debt, Bad Debt centers around the idea that there are in fact some forms of debt that are actually good, because they move you (at a low cost) towards a big goal, like home ownership.
• WebWorkerDaily » Archive Prepare to be Prepared - Using Your Down Time Effectively « - Here are some tips on what you can do in your down time to prepare for the up-time that is sure to come.

• Read the Label
• Get it all Done
• That’s Tough
• From Within Zimbabwe
• Take it out!

In a word, I’ve been meditating on infrastructure. What is it and how do I harness the power of personal (or personalized infrastructure). But before we go any further, what is infrastructure?

infrastructure

noun
the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.

“infrastructure.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 24 Jul. 2008.
<Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/infrastructure>.

It’s so simple. Infrastructure is what supports or makes up a system or organization. A trellis is the infrastructure that helps a vine to grow up the side of a house. The earth is the infrastructure that supports human and animal life. The Sabbath is the infrastructure that allows us to enter into the rhythm of creation - to both work and rest. To do and to acknowledge that we are dependent on God.

Infrastructure can facilitate as well as restrict - facilitating desired end results while also restricting undesirable end results. And, well-designed infrastructure can serve to inspire us to great things at the same time.

Think again about the Sabbath. Setting aside a day with God will reconnect us with God and his purposes (inspire), create space for rest and refocus (facilitate), and keep us from trying to work our way to “godhood” ourselves (restrict). Doesn’t God create the most beautiful, elegant infrastructure?

The purpose of infrastructure is to accomplish (through inspiration, practical facilitation, and restriction) the goals of the one who created it. The purpose of the Sabbath is to facilitate what God wants. The purpose of a corporate budget is to facilitate the goals of the stakeholders. The purpose your personal infrastructure is to facilitate the life you want to have.

In the world, our infrastructure may consist of bank accounts, cell phones, cars, computers, and widgets. But what does infrastructure look life in our spiritual lives? I see three key components to a spiritual infrastructure.

• Habits (things that happen automatically)
• Relationships (people who help you stay on track)
• Responsibilities (activites that require focus)

Keep in mind, though, that infrastructure is here to serve the goals of the one who created it. If infrastructure begins to inhibit the goals for which it was created, perhaps it is time to change the structure.

Further, some infrastructures are more important than others. If my employer decides they will no longer direct deposit into the particular bank I use, my infrastructure must change at some level. If I decide to spend two hours a day in prayer but God decides I would be better utilized serving the poor, his agenda trumps mine.

Finally, remember that infrastructure must be maintained. It must be reviewed regularly to ensure that it is fitting the goals for which it was created. It must be updated to remain relevant.

What does my spiritual infrastructure look like?

• Devotional time (habits)
• Small group (relationships and accountability)
• Church duties (responsibilities)

What does your personal spiritual infrastructure look like?

• Gotta Stop!
• Take it out!
• Purpose 2
• That’s Tough
• Small: Not Big?

Luke 15:11-32.
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living….

[click here to read whole passage]

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Here’s the question that my friend was working through: “Which of the characters in this story am I?”

• The son who left? - He asked for his inheritance before its time and then spent it foolishly, leaving himself with nothing. Broken.
• One of the friends who abandoned the destitute son? - They enjoyed the company of their “friend” until his money ran out and then abandoned him.
• The pig farmer? - He valued his pigs more than his hired hand, the son.
• The son who stayed? - He took up his father’s offense and was bitter the whole time. He didn’t understand that his father was the real inheritance. Proud.
• The father? - Patiently, faithfully waiting for his son to return. Eager to forgive and restore. Humble.
• One of the servants? - Responsible for carrying out the wishes of the father but without any input.
• A bystander? - An outsider. Probably confused about the whole thing.

And that’s the question to me and to you as well. Which one are you?

• Get it all Done
• What if God Was One of Us
• We’re Not Alone
• The Way Back Machine
• What’s Free?

• THE DAVE RAMSEY SHOW HIGHLIGHT:Scripture of the Day 07.17.08 - I think it applies across the board. God will complete his grace in us.
• TimeBridge - These high-tech pastors are really onto something. Scheduling has become a nightmare for virtually everyone, not just regular office folk; and we?re excited that people are really embracing what TimeBridge is all about. Hallelujah!

• What if God Was One of Us
• Read the Label
• Amazing Grace
• The Greatest in the Kingdom
• From Within Zimbabwe

1. I understand that the local body is not the only place people can serve
2. I understand that it is possible to serve in the local body and still not be advancing the kingdom

Occasionally (or often), I read non-religious books and blog postings. As I was reading Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, I was reminded, again, of the 80/20 principle. I have been aware of the 80/20 principle for some time, which generally applies to a “society” or “community” of interrelated variables (people, products, etc). In the context of people, it would state that:

• 20% of the people have 80% of the wealth.
• 20% of the people do 80% of the work.
• 80% of the people do the remaining 20% of the work.
• 20% of the people create 80% of the problems.

That got me thinking. First, I wonder if we sometimes expect that each person in our “community” will give the same amount - the kind of “work leveling” that we would see in a job. Second, I see that, across the board, no matter how we break it down, 100% of the people do 100% of the work.

As I continued to meditate on these principles, I was reminded that Jesus said that whoever wants to be first must be last and the servant of all (Mark 9:35). In other words, if I want to follow Christ more closely, I must serve more people (do more of the work, etc) - which means I must, by definition, be more involved in my community.

As I was reading Five Rules of Thumb for Web Workers, I discovered something that breaks this down even further. Enter the 90/9/1 principle. This particular principle, like the 80/20 principle, generally applies within an interrelated context. This principle, based on web research and popularized by Jakob Nielson, states that:

1. 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute.
2. 9% of users contribute a little.
3. 1% of users account for almost all the action

As I look at the attendance at the church I attend, with about 500 people weekly, that would mean that about 5 people do almost all of the work, about 45 people do some of the work, and about 450 people simply attend the church. But that is not what I see! Instead, I see a much higher percentage of people actively involved in our church community. And even more involved in the community large. What a blessing!

Are we hitting it on every cylinder? No. Every week, people in our congregation miss opportunities to be part of God’s work on earth. Some weeks it’s me missing out. Some weeks it’s not.

But we need to do better. And Mr. Nielson has some ideas.

• Make it easier to contribute.
• Make participation a side effect.
• Edit, don’t create.
• Reward — but don’t over-reward — participants.
• Promote quality contributors.

Read Participation Inequality: Encouraging More Users to Contribute for more of Jakob Nielson’s research.

• It Takes a Village
• Gotta Stop!
• Small Groups
• We’re Not Alone
• It’s Time to Survey