I was checking out the new hitmap I installed on this blog a few weeks ago and sat back in awe. It confirmed what I already knew, that the internet is global. But to see that it really is…now that’s different. In just a couple weeks, this blog has been viewed by someone on every continent (sans Antarctica…how many people do they have there anyway? And would they have broadband?)

Then President Bush and his PR people have been reminded of the importance of communicating in a global arena. You may have heard that Thursday at his inauguration, President Bush held up the “Hook ‘Em Horns” sign with his hand. To every Texan and most football fans in the US, we know that sign is a “shout out” for the Prez to his Texas roots. What he and his peeps didn’t realize is that signal means many different things.

A closed fist with index and pinkie fingers raised can have various meanings:

• Texas: Horns of a longhorn
• Mediterranean countries: Implies that a man’s wife has been unfaithful
• Many countries: Sign for Satan
• Sign language: Vulgar word for nonsense
• Heavy metal fans: Compliment

I’m sure some of my Texas A&M friends are having quite a chuckle out of this.

But back to the point: remember that your website is global. You may be a church reaching your local geographic community. You may be trying to reach around the world with your ministry website. Or you may be reaching for one group of people but another group ends up on your site. It’s a tricky thing to work with, but just keep in mind that your site has a global impact. Be careful not to confuse your message. The second post on this blog touched on the global factor of online community. Though that wasn’t too long ago, things haven’t changed…and I don’t expect them to change much.

President Bush probably (and correctly) thought that most people there at the event knew what that sign meant. But what he may not have realized was that sign would be seen by a global audience, not just the one he intended it for.