Comments on: Many excluded from opportunity to get tickets for Michael Jackson memorial services

By: jack_b

jack_b — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:57:42 +0000

@Peter
The Pew Internet and American Life Project has some data about those two groups: Lenhart, Amanda (2000): Who’s not online. Washinton D.C.: Pew Internet Project.
Lenhart, Amanda; Horrigan, John; Allen, Katherine; Boyce, Angie; Madden, Mary; O’Grady, Erin (2003): The ever-shifting Internet population. A new look at Internet access and the digital divide. Washington, D.C.: Pew Institute (www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=88). You can also find information in the UCLA Internet Reports and in some of the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) reports. There may be newer information

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:42:59 +0000

Some people have no Internet access because they can’t afford it and some peple have no Internet access because they’re not interested in it. Are there any ideas as to the respective size of each group?

By: David Brake

David Brake — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:38:57 +0000

A good “teaching moment” – it is a pity you were unable to get this picked up in the press outlet of your choice but I hope you have not given up on trying to get the mass media interested in this issue.

By: alvaro

alvaro — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:07:16 +0000

I agree with you, this is a good example for digital inequalities and especially that public access is not equal to home access. I think digital divide is still an important problem not just in the USA but in Europe as well. Or diffusion is just not enough…
On the other hand I always think about this issue as part of a general excluded position in society and not a root cause, so i think affordable medical treatment, secure and healthy neighbourhood, pension opportunities, school etc. are more important. of course everything connected to each other.

alvaro

By: jack_b

jack_b — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:33:25 +0000

Hi,
I didn’t know about that lottery. That’s a very interesting example!
I also think that the digital divide question must be asked in regard to everyday life (and not only in regard to participation in the democratic process). The same people that couldn’t enter the lottery are people that can’t look through amazon’s catalogue, recommendations and reviews. Nor can they look on facebook for former mates and send E-Mails to friends and organizations. Or subscribe to RSS feeds from online job exchanges. I think the Internet has evolved so fast from an information medium to an – let’s say – “tool”, that suddenly there are a lot more advantages for the users. I think such examples show very clearly that being excluded can really mean a disadvantage.