In the context of this column, which is part of a journal for consecrated woman, wanting to talk about the profound reasons underlying the appeal of Internet we have to take into account the "social constructivism". But what lies behind these words that, for many people, may sound completely new? There is a philosophical view according to which it can not be represented in an objective reality, because all we know about it is the result of our  "manufacturer" activity. In fact, only through the personal commitment of processing information and knowledge we can truly say that we have seized something. It is claimed by several parties, that this philosophical view – the Constructivism in fact- is at the root of the correct procedures for the use of the Internet, in the sense that the development of knowledge takes place within the socio-cultural context in which people move and act . In other words, we seized the knowledge that you share it and discuss it, and for us consecrated, to say "together" means saying "community."

To Build with others
The elaboration of the information that we seek and find on the Internet should be followed by a comparison with the values in which we believe in and that we embraced with our consecration. The best operation to activate this comparison is an activity of "construction of meaning" not to passively accept what we read, listen and watch on the Internet. It is suggested - always on the constructivist view - that this operation should be done together, through a negotiation with others, going through the cooperation and exchange with the intention of arriving to the truth. We are invited to make our positive vision of social constructivism, already by various  years practiced in the context of the school and vocational training. This invitation asks us to bring about "building with others" in that context of exquisite sharing called "community."

In this context, the Internet is the opportunity to enrich knowledge and to share them because the network used in the communities of consecrated persons must be open to dialogue, exchange, participation and not to the isolation and to the closure, which happens, unfortunately, in some communities. Within this dimension of "community" of Internet use, the climate is determined by the significant presence of each individual member. But beware! Internet is not just a roomy tank materials which draw upon. It is primarily an opportunity for enhanced communication.
Here then is that the consumption of "quality" of the Internet community must consider the presence of meta-reflection activities to be decided and practiced and as individuals, and in community. Activities to guide everyone to retrace own relationship with the Network, with sincerity and objectivity, realizing if it is used for the educational mission and evangelization. In other words, if we use it for the Kingdom. As we live Internet Community, we refine our critical view of this "psychotechnologies" absorbing and the whole community lives, thanks to the use of the Internet, an intensification of the dialogic exchanges and enjoys a "desire to do together" that is constructive.

Involved our mind and heart
       This is because the Internet allows us to undertake a research, to build a study in depth, to share data, to connect the information across bridges and links. These opportunities typically of the Network involve in an incredible way the mind processes that are “captured” by the mode of operation of the network, nodes and links, as it is explained in previous contributions. The psychologist Lucy Mason, in her book of 2006  (see p. 84) states that in our mind, complex system of information processing, "any new information is incorporated and integrated into existing structures that are thus enriched, modified, refurbished radically too." Well.

 
      The Internet works for its hypertext structure along the lines of our mind and that is why it involves. From the emotional point of view, however, the Internet, "enchanted" by the presence of content packaged with the multimedia codes, or in addition to text, images, video clips and audio and wikis. The more a site is provided by its, the more you revisit it. The alternatives to text-only communication provide rich materials from the point of view of content and presentation. We must be able to search and share. Both the cognitive processes that emotional processes are triggered because the network invites us to an interactivity that runs along six dimensions: breadth of choices, minimal effort, the immediate response from the content, the possibility of monitoring themselves, request to add information and facilitation of interpersonal communication.

How to navigate and what to look for
       It is essential to know how to make good use of search engines, these large data files with detailed information about a huge number of web pages (more than a thousand of billion!). We already are attending them: it's called Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Lycos, Arianna, Virgilio, and others known less. Typing the words summarizing the topic that interests, you get in a few seconds, a list of web pages that contain the required information or nearby information. Small tips make it easy to search. The first is to put the phrases to search between the apexes (or quotes, commas). In this way the engine will search for the sites where the accurate phrase is present. The second is the most important terms should be typed at the beginning because all the motors considered, including the search criteria, the order in which the words were inserted. Third, knowing the "Boolean operators" can do careful research. What are they? There are simple conjunctions, but specific, named by their inventor, George Boole, British mathematician and logic, considered the founder of mathematical logic. They are always written in English because the computer speaks English, but if we translate them in Italian, in order to grasp clearly the meaning, we see at once that "AND" means "E", that "OR" means "OPPURE" that "AND NOT "means "E NON" and, finally, that " NEAR" means "VICINO". Now let's see how they work.

 
       In practice, the Boolean operator AND or + (plus) are used when you want several words not next to each other. For example, if you want to look at the same site, is the word "Church" that the term "Internet"  it will write : Church AND Internet, or Church + Internet. The results will be very precise because we will find anything that refers both to the Church to the Internet. If you want that the sites contain any of the words you have to use the OR operator and then emerge the pages that contain one or the other word among those included. To remain in the same example above, if type: Church OR internet, we will find a very large number of pages because there are all those proposals where it is contained the word "Church" and all those where it is contained the word "Internet" and we shall lose because the word "Internet" is used in all languages. If the search does not contain certain words, but must contain other, then you use the AND NOT  or the sign-  (minus)  followed by the word that must not be present. Changing example, we may want to do a search on all the dishes except the parable of the Prodigal Son. We must then type: parables of Jesus AND NOT Prodigal Son. Simple!

       NEAR instead allows you to "bind" two key words placed at a distance determined directly from the search engine. This is an additional filter when searching for two words that should be in the same sentence, but not so far apart from changing the meaning of what we seek. So we can write, if we want to do research on religious and Internet: Internet Consecrated NEAR.
Please note that not all search engines use the same symbols. Google, for example, use the - (minus) and not use the operator AND NOT. One final note: When you want to search everything that could be related to a word, for example, in a about communication research, instead of writing: communicating, communication, communicator, and so on, just write common*. The addition of the asterisk means that our research shows all words that begin with "common".

What have we to do?
      A tip-advice-recommendation? Do not browse the Internet without a clear objective, accurate and oriented to the cultural growth and the pastoral mission. Why? Because the Internet is indeed the web in the two different means of  network, web and of... catching spider’s  web. And time? Surfing without the purpose has the prerogative to make time flying.

       Let us never forget that it is through the dialogue, happy place of communication, we realize ourselves. The great philosopher Martin Buber, speaking of "pedagogy of dialogue" and "dialogical anthropology" emphasizes the primacy of the relationship where the person becomes "I" in you. Yes, the dialogue is the key aspect of community life and in the community that it should be rediscovered. Everyone in the community can learn and teach something. Even on the Internet, in a rhythmic alternation of listening and speaking. Even in the move closer distance of the use of the Internet, you can bend over the other and learn and read his signs and to understand their needs. The community that use the Internet wisely is a place of exchange of resonances of the mind and of the heart and then a place of cultural development, continuing education and especially of life rooted in Christ.

Caterina Cangià FMA
Pontificia Università "Auxilium"
Via Mauro Morrone, 25 - 00139 Roma