How to introduce Logos?

Schumitinu
Schumitinu Member Posts: 570 ✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

If I wanted to introduce Logos to somebody that doesn't know Logos yet, how would I do it? What can you recommend me? Are there videos that would do a good job in showing the power of Logos? Is there a webpage that gives a good summary? Sometimes it is hard to see the trees in midst the forest... So I thought I'll ask the community.

Comments

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,179

    Are there videos that would do a good job in showing the power of Logos?

    The "Welcome to Logos 6 video" at https://www.logos.com/training/desktop gives a good introduction

  • JT (alabama24)
    JT (alabama24) MVP Posts: 36,523

    If I wanted to introduce Logos to somebody that doesn't know Logos yet, how would I do it?

    Whisper, and wear a trench coat! 

    Are there videos that would do a good job in showing the power of Logos? Is there a webpage that gives a good summary?

    FL has videos on You Tube for different features

    What can you recommend me?

    Can you tell us about this person (needs, usage, etc)?

    The SINGLE reason I use Logos is for an "integrated search library." Everything else is icing.  

    macOS, iOS & iPadOS |Logs| Install
    Choose Truth Over Tribe | Become a Joyful Outsider!

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    Sometimes it is hard to see the trees in midst the forest...

    I think the reverse-interlinear features are the most helpful, particularly for pastors who aren't fluent in the original language.

    But I'd start with the passage/exegetical guides, then go to the RIs (and BWS), then do a few bells and whistles (maps, visual copy, etc.). In other words, I'd walk through a typical study. Usually I let the person I'm talking to chose the passage, and encourage them to ask questions about the text which I then try and use Logos to answer. Sometimes I'll ask them questions about the text, too.

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Schumitinu
    Schumitinu Member Posts: 570 ✭✭

    Thank you all. This gives me some starting points.

    alabama24 said:

    Can you tell us about this person (needs, usage, etc)?

    Lay preachers, used to more simpler Bible software, wanting a software that runs on desktop and mobile devices, interested in technology

  • Lee
    Lee Member Posts: 2,714 ✭✭✭

    If you can meet your friend face to face, zip around your Logos in front of him, or let him play with it.

  • DMB
    DMB Member Posts: 14,243 ✭✭✭✭

    'Using' is the key. Doesn't matter if actually used after purchase. Buying cars, TV's, houses.

    I'd suspect the pieces Logos spent much time on, are the most impressive .... the entry that populates a whole sceen, type in a passage or subject, the interlinear as Mark noted, and the right-click connectivity.  All pure candy to the young at heart.

    "If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.

  • JT (alabama24)
    JT (alabama24) MVP Posts: 36,523

    wanting a software that runs on desktop and mobile devices

    Usage on mobile isn't intended to replace desktop, and many features require internet and are otherwise limited. If mobile is their interest, start there. You wouldn't want to sell your friend(s) on all the great features while demonstrating the desktop, for them to find it doesn't work on mobile. 

    Some are really down on the mobile apps... but they do exactly what I need (reading, highlighting), with the exception of personal books. (I have a number of suggestions for improvement, but most of those require changes to desktop as well). 

    macOS, iOS & iPadOS |Logs| Install
    Choose Truth Over Tribe | Become a Joyful Outsider!

  • Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)
    Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :) MVP Posts: 23,148

    In other words, I'd walk through a typical study.

    30 Day Training shows many Logos capabilities while doing a study => https://www.logos.com/30-day-training

    Keep Smiling [:)]

  • Al Het
    Al Het Member Posts: 206 ✭✭

    My short answer would be to show the person what you do with Logos right on your computer, and why it is worth the money for you.  The resources online sales videos and resources are fine I'm sure, but if you want people to gain the advantages you've gotten from Logos, show them that.

    The longer answer for me is that I'm much less of an "evangelist" for Logos now than I used to be.

    Back when I was in Seminary, Bible software was more primitive, and Logos was new.  I had done a lot of research, and decided that Logos' philosophy that "We sell books, the software is the tool to use the books," made the most sense to me.  Other companies would sell you a program, and when you bought a machine with a new operating system, you would have to buy another new software package, which included whatever books you wanted to use. 

    This was a no-brainer to me, I wanted to use Greek and Hebrew tools to exegete Biblical passages, and didn't want to have to keep re-purchasing these resources.

    When other pastors at my church found out I was using Bible software, they began to ask me about it, and what I used.  This single truth about keeping your library sold every one of them that Logos would be the way to go, if they were going to buy software.  As far as "should I or should I not," I would just show them how I used Logos in preparing Sermons.  I seemed to develop somewhat of a reputation as the "Bible software guy," and had pastors from other churches calling me and asking about it.  I'd either have them come by and look at mine, and what I used it for, or try to talk them through what I did with the software on the phone.

    As time went on, and Logos expanded to other resources, like multi-volume commentaries and dictionaries, etc, I would show people how I used Logos, and then let them know about other resources available.

    Since then, Logos has really expanded beyond accessing resource material when working within a text, and many people say that other software is more useful for significant exegetical work.  I've purchased the significant resource material that I want to use regularly, so it makes jumping ship to anther program harder for me personally, but I've quit "selling" Logos like I used to.  It was much easier for me to recommend that a pastor or missionary, who is already tight with resources, spend fifty dollars, to a few hundred dollars to make their study much faster and efficient.  It is harder to recommend that they spend thousands for that purpose.  However others, as represented on this forum, find all the new and more expensive resources that Logos has a big help, and don't mind buying new versions of the software to get further capacity and resources.  These people (perhaps you as well) are probably better at selling what Logos has become than I am.

    All that said, I still introduce people in ministry to Logos from time to time.  Just a few weeks ago, I showed a Pastor friend how I use Logos.  I think it is massively more useful to actually show someone how you actually use a tool in the real world, than just telling them the attributes of the tool.  They may want to use it differently, but they can see how it practically benefits you, the one recommending it (sort of like Evangelism).

    For what it's worth...

  • Justin Gatlin
    Justin Gatlin Member, MVP Posts: 2,210

    At least for me, the Passage Guide and Search are the program. The other stuff is much less important (although Bible Word Study is the next coolest thing). 

    So I would pitch it with a problem. "You know how in E-Sword/your paper books, it is sometimes hard to figure out where the comments on a particular passage or topic is? Logos is like the world's fastest research assistant or most reliable intern. I open up my custom passage guide, which I  actually have sorted in the order of my study process

    Or let's say you were doing a Bible study on Jesus' healing. In a traditional setting, this is a huge pain. In Logos, I can go to the Clause Search and do subject:Jesus verb-sense:to heal."

    Etc. I find the problem based method helps people see the value much more clearly.