YouVersion: The Bible meets Web 2.0
Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1450. Four years later, he printed the first copy of the Bible using this new moveable type system. This accomplishment began what is known as “The Age of the Printed Book.” Over the following centuries, this technological advancement revolutionized the surrounding culture by making it possible for the Bible to be accessible to nearly everyone.
Currently, we are in the beginning of another revolution that is defined by the ability for almost anyone to publish content and quickly distribute it worldwide using the Internet. This revolution is at the center of what is called “Web 2.0.”
At LifeChurch.tv, we are working on several initiatives to leverage this revolution in our effort to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. Today, we are revealing one of the most significant and far reaching of those projects:
We’d like to introduce you to YouVersion.
YouVersion is a free online Bible that allows users to associate video, audio, images, text, tags, and links to other websites with any verse or series of verses in the Bible. Each piece of contributed content can be labeled as public or private, so the application can be used both as a personal study tool and a public expression of user-generated commentary. In addition to contributing content, Scripture can be organized by assigning user-defined “tags” to any verse of the Bible.
For users who are skeptical about whether the Bible has application for their lives, YouVersion provides a platform to learn from the experiences and perspectives of others from around the world in a non-threatening and easily navigated environment.
This post does not come close to capturing the features and future plans of YouVersion, so we have built a website to explain more at http://www.youversion.com. We are currently in a development stage and plan on having an “alpha” version available to test in the coming weeks.
I am announcing YouVersion now before it is completed because we’d love your input and we will definitely need your help in sharing this exciting tool with the rest of the world.
I would love to dialogue with you about YouVersion! If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below. I look forward to answering your questions and hearing your thoughts.
Visit 
[...] Check out Bobby’s full post about YouVersion @ Swerve. [...]
Hi Bobby
This looks like it will be a great seeker friendly environment for people to explore what the Bible has to say about life and gather others opinions on it; and at the same time has the potential to be a huge resource for ministry staff for research and message building etc… Way to go! I can’t wait to see the “alpha”.
Bobby,
First of all, this sounds great and I am all over it when it is available. Sadly, I am terrible at imagining things and will be of no real use until I see the alpha version to develop an opinion. YouVersion sounds to me like a changing online study Bible. Is it something I will download or log into a website? Will it have it’s own media player for the audio/video, or will it simply store links to media on the net? What about a function to sync up Bibles with a specific group of friends rather than a public blog, which would enable long distance Bible studies? If I am way off the mark please correct me.
Brandon
Brandon,
Great questions.
It will be a web application and not something you download, although we might be able to make parts of it available offline in a future release.
The current plans are for it to have it’s own player for some content AND also link to other outside media (YouTube, Flicker, etc) on the net. Among other reasons, we hope to use the player to bring some innovations that will help make long-format videos (like sermons) easier to index against the Bible.
The group function is definitely something we plan on doing and will be one of the most exciting. We are not sure yet when that will happen on the development timeline, but it will happen. It will allow people to create and join groups (both small and large) where everyone can follow each others contributions and commentary as they read through a text independently. I think that oversimplifies the feature though.
[...] LifeChurch.tv is at it again.  They are proactive in engaging culture and using technology to do great things.  They did it with Second Life; they did it with their online church campus; and now they are now using Web 2.0 to launch a new free, interactive Bible called YouVersion.  Here’s what its all about according to their blog post: YouVersion is a free online Bible that allows users to associate video, audio, images, text, tags, and links to other websites with any verse or series of verses in the Bible. Each piece of contributed content can be labeled as public or private, so the application can be used both as a personal study tool and a public expression of user-generated commentary. In addition to contributing content, Scripture can be organized by assigning user-defined “tagsâ€? to any verse of the Bible. [...]
will this have a personalized view, where you can only see your work, a certain persons work, every addition, or a specific group?
Congratulations on another innovation - a more interactive Bible - and we know the Bible ‘wants to be free.’ Looking forward to Alpha testing.
Bob,
Yes.
Yes.
Eventually Yes when the group feature is released.
In addition to being able to see those things in the application…you will be able to subscribe to an rss feed of just about anything including your contributions, another individual, etc.
Thanks Cynthia.
I always appreciate your perspective and I know the team would welcome your input on this project as it develops.
Bobby,
Which translation will be used? Will there be other translations as well to compare? Will commentary from classic authors or noted speeches be available to be linked to a specific verse and, if so, what restrictions will there be for amount of links (you may have answered that already)?
Is this meant to be the next step of sites like biblegateway or something completely different?
Thanks!
[...] You can read more about YouVersion on Bobby’s post today on the Swerve blog. [...]
We are currently talking with all of the major publishers and Bible societies to work out the rights for as many translations as possible including eventually non-english language translations.
We are working to negotiate with licensed commentaries, etc to include them in the system. But as it planned right now…there will be no distinction between “professional” contributions and contributions that us average folk
contribute. The users will vote on contributed content, and a relatively complex algorithm will determine the ranking and sequence of display. So to summarize…as long as it fits the terms of service…any content can be associated with a verse and the users will ultimately determine what is the most valuable.
There will not be a restriction to the amount of content that can be associated with a verse or verses. It just won’t all be displayed at once.
This will have some similar attributes to a biblegateway (in particular a way to read the Bible), but for the most part it will be a different application with the purpose of connecting people and their experiences to the Bible.
Thanks, Bobby!
Talk about vibrant potential. I’m excited to see where this can go.
[...] This morning Swerve (Lifechurch.tv) announced a new online application called YouVersion designed to harness some of that hyperlinking capability and allow Bible users to Web 2.0 (users add to & socialize) it. There's no official timeline but they're working on it. Gives a whole new meaning to scripture applications, huh? [...]
Bobby, I just have to say WOW! I can’t even imagine the types of things that could come from this.
A couple of quick thoughts on features for the app.
1. Ability to “score” contributed content which would then be used to rank contributors.
2. Ability to geocode contributed content
3. Ability to create a “view” which could contain your content along with other content assigned to your “view”. A user could make their view private, shared or public.
4. Public “views” could then be scored and inherited into other views.
Just some really quick thoughts.
Awesome concept and can’t wait to see what this will look like in 5 years.
This already exists,
http://www.ebible.com/
Ryan,
All really good thoughts…a couple of them are already on the list, but we’ll definitely consider the others.
Tim,
I’m aware of ebible.com…those guys have done a great job incorporating some cool web 2.0 aspects to the Bible…like tagging bookmarked verses and adding comments. I also like the API they put together.
However, what I am describing with YouVersion will be quite a bit different in both form and function and I “think” purpose (though I do not specifically know their purpose). Unfortunately a blog post doesn’t do a great job of presenting it, but I’ll do my best to clarify where needed.
Bobby,
This seems like another great innovation by LifeChurch.tv… I would like to know if I could be involved in the Alpha/Beta testing… Let me know…
Thanks!
Anthony Burns
anthonyburns@gacc-impact.com
http://blog.804mediaworks.com
Sounds like a real cool tool. I don’t quite understand it all but that is because I have to see things before I can grasp the entire concept. I can’t wait to see the finished product!
This is extremley exciting! With technology exploding we have a huge responsibility to literally “go into all the world” with a click of the mouse. What I anticipate happening is that this tool will assist people in becoming even more hungry to learn, talk about, write about, watch, listen to, read, and share truth.
When the Bible becomes as relevant and forward thinking as anything we know…..who knows what can happen.
The truth already exists. Now I see an excellent tool to highlight it!
horray for awakening the sleeping giant!
It sounds like Wikipedia meets expository Bible commentary meets MySpace. Would it have different “skill” levels? Thinking back to Derrick Henslee’s post on “Christianese”. Will the group function have different language versions, or only English? US vs global reach.
Playing off of Ryan’s comment about personalized views - LAUNCHcast by Yahoo! Music allows you to continually rank suggested content or to listen to other user’s personlized stations.
Is there anyway to keep from false teaching. Can anyone contribute, if so, how can you keep people from teaching and posting falsely about the bible.
Bobby:
Somebody is going to need a server farm…just don’t try to put them together yourself!
MM
[...] LifeChurch.tv just announced their new Web 2.0 version of the Bible: YouVersion. YouVersion is a free online Bible that allows users to associate video, audio, images, text, tags, and links to other websites with any verse or series of verses in the Bible. Each piece of contributed content can be labeled as public or private, so the application can be used both as a personal study tool and a public expression of user-generated commentary. In addition to contributing content, Scripture can be organized by assigning user-defined “tags� to any verse of the Bible. [...]
Can’t wait to see what happens in the “non-English” versions. How awesome to have a site to compile all thought and resources available in your native language. Plus the ability to seek out and study along with others I can understand. I think this can become a revolutionary ministry tool for international missionaries.
Chad,
Don’t know on your group function question.
Brandon,
You’ll be able to mark any content as inappropriate and it will go into a cue for review. You will also be able to rate content. It doesn’t mean that everyone is going to agree on everything…but that won’t be something that doesn’t already exist.
Tom,
We are already adding to the server farm at one of our datacenters.
Kendra,
I agree…just need to get the thing built first
…then we can expand to the other languages.
This looks fantastic! I eagerly await the site launch!
You guys are doing a great job, Bobby!
I’m really excited for the release.
The search history function I think will be fantastic.
What I really like, however, is the tagging function. You might look at a verse and immediately see a certain application, but someone else might see something different. Going in and seeing how someone else has tagged a verse I think will shed brilliant insight into other ways a certain scripture might be applied in our lives.
It reminds me of the story in Daniel 7:15-16, where even though Daniel was gifted in interpreting dreams (Daniel 5:12, 2:24), when he had a dream he went and sought the interpretation of another.
YouVersion will open up a world of seeking the interpretation of others - even in areas where we may be gifted ourselves.
Patrick,
Glad you are excited about it. I hope the function you mention live up to their description.
I believe I know what you mean, but your comment has prompted me clarify something though for everyone else. The word “interpretation” doesn’t capture our purpose in the tool. We are going more for “relevance” or “application”. I hope that it will be a great platform for people express how the Bible is relevant to what we experience each day, and for others to explore and discover.
Bobby:
The only thing I don’t like about this wonderful project is the name of it. YouVersion seems like a rip off of YouTube. I think you can do better!
Here’s an idea for you. Why not have a contest? Ask your onine and offline community to suggest names for the project. You could offer some kind of prize to the winner. That might be fun and it would be a way of bringing your online and offline communities together.
Just a thought…
Agape,
steve
Steve,
I understand your perspective and appreciate the idea, but I can assure the name has undergone significant processing. There were MANY suggestions. After looking at the names from trademark infringement issues, domain name availability, “brand” confusion with other online Bibles, future development possibilities that extend beyond the Bible, and the intended purpose of the site…this name was chosen. On top of that…we’re not building another flash video site like YouTube…I think there is already “GodTube” or something like that
I’m pretty confident you won’t see something with this tool that looks like the YouTube site.
Ah…GodTube…yes.
Steve, I also thought the same thing intially and had the same hesitation, but after really seeing what YouVersion is all about, all it encompasses (and will) encompass I think the name fits perfectly.
To what’s to come…
Anne
Bobby,
I was pretty sure that you were aware of it; but then it begs the question — is this really that different. The major as I see it is the ability to attach user-generated content to the Bible.
But people are already doing that with WordPress plugins and all kinds of self-publishing platforms. (I ran e-Church.com as a blogging platform for Christians for years.)
What the church needs is an a tool that will aggregate user-generated content (like Technorati or memeorandum), rather than build another platform for creating it.
In fact, the problem is the lack of great user-generated content — not that there are not enough platforms to publish it. What is lacking is good storytellers…IMHO.
When I look over Christian web (and Web 2.0 development), I see lots of church investment in Bible search, social networks, digg-like listings and video.
I just do not see much of an opening here with eBible and some other Bible apps on the way…
Don’t get me wrong, I think LifeChurch is doing the right thing — I just think you might have the wrong (or at least a me too) product.
In fact, the most innovative Bible application would one that translated the Bible. We have enough English Bibles and English Bible content — build a Bible application that allows for user generated translations.
Now that’d be cool…Blessings, Tim
[...] YouVersion :: LifeChurch.tv’s Free Online Bible LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) just announced that they are creating a free online Web 2.0 Bible called YouVersion. [...]
Tim,
I always hesitate to announce things before I have something more tangible to show since a written description tends to be so incomplete.
I actually agree with most everything you are saying. The last thing I want to build is a Christian YouTube, or a Jesus MySpace. I’ve led our team for the last several years to engage people where they are at.
This tool is actually a bit more like what you are describing than I think you realize…It is not focused on content creation, but rather content aggregation and content correlation, with the Bible being central to that discussion. It became necessary to build a Bible reader as part of the tool to bring it all together. Though I am sure people will use it to some extent as a Study Bible like many other online Bibles…the focus is more on demonstrating and highlighting the relevancy of Scripture to today’s culture.
As an example, we (and several other churches) are interested in integrating the application into sermon illustrations and also for new believers to both express what God is doing in their lives and see how He is at work in the lives of others. Much of the content that demonstrates that is already on the Internet…it just isn’t well connected to the Bible (even though it is very much a product of the message contained within)
Do we know for sure that it will work the way we intend?…no. But we are going to try.
I’d be happy to talk more offline…feel free to shoot me an email.
Hope that helps clarify.
btw, I agree with the translation idea.
[...] Você pode conhecer o projeto e se cadastrar para receber uma newsletter, além de acompanhar pelo blog. Pode também perguntar e ainda dar sugestões. Estou ansioso para testar e divulgarei assim que estiver disponÃvel. [...]
YouVersion :: LifeChurch.tv’s Free Online Bible
LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) just announced that they are creating a free online Web 2.0 Bible called YouVersion.
What is YouVersion?
YouVersion allows users to share what Scripture means to them by associating a Bible verse or series of verses with:
…
Bobby,
Just like Second Life, initially I’m a bit perplexed about this idea. Admittedly, most of my hesitation comes from being a novice in the techno biz. After pondering this application all day, however, I’m starting to get pretty pumped. What I think this will do, more than anything, is allow people to engage in the context-to-relevance process easier and better. What I mean is this: it’s one thing to read about Moses leading the Israelites across the Red Sea, and yet another thing to “experience” what that must have been like via a video/audio clip explanation. So, I think this application will help the Scriptures “spring to life” for some people much in the same way The Passion of the Christ helped us all identify even more with Christ’s sufferings through Gibson’s visual interpretation of what that must have been like. Am I on track with your vision for this?
Kyle,
You are on track with part of it. I imagine there will defintely be “creative types” that are able to do what you describe, but the tool is not specifically limited to that group.
I imagine most of the time it won’t be a “retelling” of the verse in another format, but rather an example or expression of how that verse is related to real life experience or circumstances. 1 Corinthians 13:4 might be linked to a video of someone who expressed “love that is patient”. It could even be media that was originally “secular”…similar to how our MixTape series worked. (Though you won’t be able to upload licensed music
)
Here are some other examples..
We will take all of Craig’s messages and associate them with the verses that he references. Other pastors will be welcome to do the same.
Average people (like me) might find a news story, a blog post, a photo on flicker, a YouTube video, or simply want to write a short story that is relevant to a verse and can then “contribute” or associate those with that verse.
Exciting news, I’m glad we’re getting close on this project…
I think the most exciting aspect of this project for me will be the real life application stories that can be told and tagged to the passages. I mean how awesome will it be to read a passage of scripture, and then read personal stories that support that passage. It really takes the idea of “testimonies” to a whole new level. Instantly, your story of God’s faithfulness, or mercy, or redemption etc, can be shared with the whole world in a context that enhances another person’s understanding of scripture.
Awesome work guys.
[...] Read more here. [...]
[...] Check out the YouVersion website and blog for more great info and growing list of comments. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
Bible 2.0
Bobby from LifeChurch.tv have announced a Web 2.0 based bible application called YouVersion. From what I have seen, it is a bible study tool with the element of “community” where ideas and items can be shared with others. I’ll be int…
Nick,
Well said. You should have been our spokesperson.
For those of you who don’t know Nick…he is one of our very talented video producers who will likely have lots of really cool content to contribute to this project.
This is really cool, I think it’s something new and something that will be really useful - the way i see it, it kinda tags stories, messages, videos, elements by bible verses - really cool
Keep going hard
[...] Lifechurch.tv announced an ambitious project yesterday. YouVersion at first glance might seem like just another online bible. However what I gather from the team of people that are building it the intention is to create a vehicle that allows people to record and share how God’s word impacts their lives and relates to the world around us. Check it out, it will be a fun project to watch develop and eventually participate in. Bookmark to: [...]
Hi Bobby,
I have found two interesting video resource sites for pastors and teachers. Maybe it will be of some use for you or others.
http://www.sermonspice.com/
http://www.wingclips.com/
My click comment was “touched my heart” because God has given me the opp. to be on the teaching rotation at my church, but I am not a theologian, wasn’t raised in Christian schools, not a bible-major…in other words, I have to work extra hard to deliever a teaching 4 Him - but w/ a cool tool like this, I’ll have access to a diverse platform for His good word, so I am grateful.
I am very excited about the project. Is there any way someone could be involved in developing it.
[...] Posted June 27th @ 4:26 pm by Zach Gilliam A project that the digerati team has been fervently working on for the past few weeks was officially announced the other day over at Swerve. [...]
This is an awesome idea. As some of the concerns all ready have kind of stated, it would be a good idea to have some strict monitoring to prevent people that “enjoy” posting negative comments about the Bible, etc. But overall, I think this is a very innovative especially with maybe some online Bible studies. I look forward to what’s going to come of this.
Burt
(LifeChurch Hendersonville campus)
Bobby,
I shared your vision for you version and it was an overwhelming YES with a capital Y from our staff at Northway Church….let us know how we can help launch… and promote this.
Buddy
Thanks Buddy!
We will definitely need help from great churches like Northway in launching this.
Right now the team is focused on getting the application complete, but I will be sure to post how churches can get involved as we get a bit closer to releasing something.
Is there any possibility of integrating complete commentaries to YouVersion?
Bob,
Anything is possible…but, we are not currently planning to license any commentaries, so they would need to be public domain or contributed by their owners. A thing to note though…YouVersion isn’t designed to be a traditional study Bible with an interface to all of the normal commentaries and study tools. We may have several of those resources, but they will appear in the same fashion as other user contributed or linked content and be ranked in relevance together.
[...] Community Online Bible Coming. LifeChurch.tv is getting ready to launch an online Bible called YouVersion which has community features built in. You’ll be able to tag and star Bible content, share your insights about passages, and attach videos and other material associated with Bible passages. (Via Swerve.) [...]
Bobby, I admire what you are doing and I think it is a smart move however I have a number of concerns about the direction this project has started in.
The Name - it doesn’t speak anything and totally not obvious, if you want people other than us geeks and bloggers to know of the tool it needs a clearer name.
The combining of Godly Wisdom and man’s Wisdom - it needs some clear divide. I noticed that there was some suggestions on this, however it is so important people don’t get confused, it could do more damage than good.
All those features - you seem to be starting in the deep end of the pool, start it simple and people will respect the end product (ebible started doing everything at once and it didn’t work). You can then build upon good foundations after seeing what people’s real needs are.
Looking at the feedback, I also feel that perhaps you need to post an entry like this before starting a project. Also getting the involvement of those who work with distributing the bible world wide, they may not have a great deal of knowledge of how the web works but they will certainly know where the Bible is needed and how to best engage with it. I have a good contact if you are interested.
I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with.
[...] While I was taking a break from blogging YouVersion popped up on the scene. It’s a LifeChurch.tv project that puts the Bible online but connects it’s content with your content and communities. So for example you could contribute audio, video, text and images to related areas of the Bible. Pretty standard Web 2.0 stuff. I admire what they are doing and I think it is a smart move however I have a number of concerns about the direction this project has began in. [...]
Dan,
Thanks for the feedback. We actually have been talking with several people heavily involved in the “Scripture Engagement” universe of thought before the project was announced here on swerve. They are people engaged in not just distributing the Bible world-wide, but also working on ways to engage people with it. I’ve additionally been speaking with heads of several of the publishers and Bible societies and have gathered feedback/concerns along the way.
The man’s wisdom comment is well noted. There will always be a risk with any tool that involves people. We’ll do our best to manage that risk.
The name will hopefully make a bit more sense when the tool launches, but intentionally does not include “Bible” in the name. It still might not be a name that people like.
Our web team probably values your concern about the “deep end” since I have been the one setting insane deadlines for development. Just to manage expectations…the features talked about will not all be released at once and the tool will start as a private proof-of-concept release. We’re crazy and the team is talented, but not that crazy and not quite that good.
I don’t want to paint a picture that we have anticipated and figured out all of the problems…we are not even close. But, we did spend many months talking through the challenges and discussing the idea with several people.
Abraham Lincoln said “you can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can’t please all the people all the time”
Bobby Gruenewald says “you can’t please all the people any of the time” and I am sure that will be the case with YouVersion.
Great to know you have those bases covered Bobby. LifeChurch has certainly been doing some great stuff, it would be good to see other churches welcoming the web in the way you have been doing. Have you ever thought of putting on a conference for other churches on the subject of the Church using the web?
Dan,
I too would love to see more churches using the web…not just as a brochure, but as a tool to share the Gospel, connect people and build community.
At this point, we’ve decided not to host conferences at LifeChurch.tv. We don’t feel called to do that, but do want to share anything we can with others. This blog and our websites are some of the ways that we try to help others. Another downside to the conference format for us is speed. Much of the “how” we do things becomes obsolete fairly fast.
If you or others have some ideas about how we can share outside of the conference format…I’m always up for new ideas.
Thanks.
[...] Terry Storch and I are on a short trip in NYC meeting with several LifeChurch.tv attenders and developing some YouVersion related relationships. [...]
[...] Discuss YouVersion here. [...]
Bobby, I put up this post (http://brentonbalvin.blogspot.com/2007/07/hybels-at-national-church-conference.html) tonight and as I did I thought how cool it would be to connect the story of my faith journey, with the Biblical text I’m linking to, with a picture of a foot entering into a river or stream. I am thinking this is one of the 100 ways a person could use YouVersion. Correct?
Brenton,
You’ve got it.
[...] Wrapping up Matthew 5 today - it’s taken longer than I thought, but I’m getting back on track here with doing these on the blog. I wanted to also share with you 2 sites that I am excited about. The first is eBible, I stumbled upon this and I really like the web 2.0ness of it as an online Bible study tool, way better than Biblegateway or some of the others. Also, coming soon from Lifechurch.tv is YouVersion 2.o, what should prove to be a very web 2.0 community based online Bible study site. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? [...]
Looks great! My favorite part is linking our own commentary to scripture and being able to be part of the discussion of what this Bible-stuff is all about. I look forward to a place where I can read the thoughts of others and they can read my thoughts and we can both learn. I don’t care a fig about censoring content that people enter, however. As Herr Gruenewald implied above, it’s not like the church exists in a completely UNfractured state as it is. We have our disagreements. I say, let’s see ‘em! Let’s talk about it. Maybe we’ll never agree with each other; but maybe we can listen to each other, and value one another’s perspectives, and live out with integrity the second part of that commandment that Jesus calls “the greatest.” Rock on, Greenie!
[...] Six weeks ago, we announced our plans to build YouVersion, an online tool that allows people to connect media and web content with specific verses of the Bible. We have been amazed at the initial interest and response that we have received so far. We also thank all of you who have expressed an interest in participating or helping. [...]
[...] Aug 7th, 2007 by snshields Bobby Gruenewald: “Six weeks ago, we announced our plans to build YouVersion , an online tool that allows people to connect media and web content with specific verses of the Bible. We have been amazed at the initial interest and response that we have received so far. We also thank all of you who have expressed an interest in participating or helping.Since the announcement, our Digerati Team has been working diligently to develop YouVersion. Today, we are excited to announce that we have just released the Alpha test of YouVersion to a limited group of participants.” [...]
I have a question… will You Version be a stand alone product that you could install on your own server for your own community of believers?
Brian,
Good question. We don’t have any plans to make it something you can install on your own server since the bible licensing and backend server requirements are fairly steep. What we have talked about expanding the “group” functionality at some point to include organizations that could have a “branded” version for their church, etc. So it would be sorta what you are looking to achieve, but it would hosted on our servers. Also, just to be clear…that has been discussed, but is not currently on the development timeline.
Hello,
I wonder if you’re planning to launch this in other languages also. If not, I’d love to mirror a Romanian version for the Romanian community, if, of course, you encourage such spread.
Please advise and be blessed!
Florin,
We do intend to make YouVersion available in other languages, but I am not certain which lanuages at this point.
We are talking with Bible organizations that have translations in several languages. Right now we are focused on building all of the features and making sure it works well for a large group of users. We will then look at the other languages.
Looking forward to this. Maybe if you haven’t already thought about it, it would be cool if you could make it available offline, using something like Google Gears.
Also what Bible translation is being used?
Victor,
Great thoughts on the Google Gears…outside of some licensing issues, we just need to think through what data needed to be offline since there is and will be TONS of data.
We are planning on having several translations…it just takes time to work out agreements with the publishers. We have a few that have already committed, but I won’t announce them until we have all of details resolved. For the test, it is simply public domain (old) translations like KJV.
Bobby,
This will change everything…for good.
I have to admit that the journaling while reading, sharing to a group of people, and access via a mobile device all sound pretty cool.
I’m not completely sure about accessing others’ notes on this, but I guess I have to see it in action. I can see benefits and drawbacks to that. I guess if we can block certain people’s comments from what we see, it may be useful. I am more concerned about teaching/comments that are just wrong and want to filter that out of the “noise”.
Looking forward to the release, or even being able to try it.
-Pete
Incredible idea guys… and I’m glad you have the resources/skills to make it happen. Good one.
When’s the proposed launch date? I’m very keen to get my hands on this thing and to show my church what it can do for them.
Thanks for being such an inspiration. You guys do some great work.
Darren Chapman
Pastor - Christian City Church New Life, Newcastle, Australia
Darren,
We will continue to add testers to the private alpha release in the coming weeks. We anticipate a public beta release in mid Sept and a full launch later in the year.
Quick question on the login process - how will it work for mobile devices/browsers? One of the huge positives I see with this is the ability to use a Windows Mobile device to access the site from anywhere. However, when I tried to click the login button for the alpha, I had a popup for a login (and I realize I don’t have a login). I’d really like the convenience of using this on my phone, but have concerns about that - mostly because of PocketIE.
Thanks.
-Pete
Pete,
I know we plan to make the site mobile friendly, OR have a mobile version.
Right now…what you are experiencing on the alpha login is different from what the login will be like at public beta.
Also…FYI, all of the public content on YouVersion will be accessible without a login when we launch. You will only need to log in to contribute or see your private/personalized content (starred items, etc)
Thank you for the feedback!
[...] Join in the conversation here if you have questions for the YouVersion folks. [...]
[...] Join in the YouVersion conversation here. [...]
You Version - Alpha Tester
I come from a software engineering background and have recently attempted the move to using primarily web 2.0 tools wherever possible. I have found this to be a very worthwhile and liberating venture, as I am now virtually
platform and machine independent.
As an adult studying the bible for the first time (still on Genesis), I have been desperately searching for a web-based tool that would provide the functionality that YouVersion looks like delivering.
Of particular interest to me would be the ability to tag at will and to link the text of the Bible to my own notes and reflections.
I would also very much look forward to the potential for social learning and sharing.
Looking forward to the Beta.
pod
[...] Three months have quickly passed since we revealed the concept of YouVersion.com – a free online Bible that connects the interactivity of Web 2.0 with the timeless truths of scripture. After several stages of Alpha testing and one Private Beta release, we are excited to announce the Public Beta version is now LIVE and ready for you to explore! [...]
[...] Three months have quickly passed since we revealed the concept of YouVersion.com – a free online Bible that connects the interactivity of Web 2.0 with the timeless truths of scripture. After several stages of Alpha testing and one Private Beta release, we are excited to announce the Public Beta version is now LIVE and ready for you to explore! [...]
[...] Three months have quickly passed since we revealed the concept of YouVersion.com – a free online Bible that connects the interactivity of Web 2.0 with the timeless truths of scripture. After several stages of Alpha testing and one Private Beta release, we are excited to announce the Public Beta version is now LIVE and ready for you to explore! [...]
[...] YouVersion: The Bible meets Web 2.0 [...]
Hi, i had just downloaded the online bible into my blackberry but it seems like i am not able to change the translation, each time i do that in the settings and save it, the moment i start reading the online bible, it will be ASV version. Why is that so?
[...] With YouVersion, you will find communities of people exploring and interacting with God’s Word. Bobby at Lifechurch.tv made the announcement today. I would not be surprised if Terry Storch and team are [...]