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http://www.iaginteractive.com/emfa - Details Below
Universal Internet - Comments and Responses #3
----------------------------------------------
The comments and responses blur across the themes so here are a
mix of interesting comments and submissions.
[Please send your Networking Communities comments and responses
in today. I will be editing tomorrow's comment digests tonight.
Responses received on Tuesday will go out on Wednesday.]
The following messages are included in this digest:
(Titles written by event host.)
1. Fernando H. F. Botelho - UA and Social Change
2. Jon Bernstein - Save the E-Rate
3. Tom Christoffel - Information Riches
4. Margit Watts - Asking the "Why" Question
5. Elizabeth Lively - E-Mail Reflections
6. Alan Mackenzie - Schools and Libraries Response
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[1]
Date sent: Sun, 10 May 1998 20:33:12 -0700
From: "Fernando H. F. Botelho" <fbotelho@interport.net>
Subject: Universal access and social change
Greetings,
I have been following with great interest the conversation on
universal access to e-mail and its social, political, and
economic implications.
Different analyses have been made of the true social impact of
e-mail and how access to it should or should not be a priority in
developing regions of the world. On this matter let me start by
pointing out that every region of our world is a developing one,
the difference is in the specific needs of each area. Regardless
of whether the local need relates to public health, English
literacy, political freedom, or psychological support, access to
information is what offers the potential for progress.
If our focus is on access to information rather than on one or
another technological solution to this problem, we can focus on
what makes e-mail an efficient solution to this need. The
two-way nature of e-mail, its level of immediacy, and the
efficiency with which it can deliver large amounts of data makes
e-mail qualitatively different from TV, postal service, radio, or
the telephone.
This is not to say that e-mail will solve all or any of our
problems but it is important to acknowledge that it does open up
a number of new opportunities for the delivery of timely and
relevant information to individuals. Most of the work will still
remain to be done, for information alone causes little to change,
but access to this information makes action, the true agent of
change, much more likely.
What role, if any, government should play in the encouragement of
the dissemination of e-mail must depend on the intended objective
for this powerful tool and the intended target group. One
all-encompassing role that I am sure the government should take
is that of standard-setting so as to enable wide-spread
technological compatibility. This does not involve the setting
of specific technological solutions but the requirement of the
development of these in accordance to principles such as
universal accessibility.
In other words, it would not serve the interest of the public to
have government deciding to force everyone to use RTF or PDF file
formats. It would however, make a huge difference for society as
a whole if all technological innovations are developed in a way
that ensures universal access. It cannot be stressed enough how
much an individuals quality of life can change through
information access regardless of whether this individual is a
physician accessing information through a low speed data line in
Angola or is a blind researcher in New York City.
Thank you for your interest,
Fernando H. F. Botelho
Project Manager
The Associated Blind, Inc.
New York, N.Y.
Only the individual sender is responsible for the content of this
message, and the message does not necessarily reflect the
position or policy of The Associated Blind, Inc. or its
affiliates.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[2]
Date sent: Sat, 9 May 1998 08:56:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tom Christoffel <tjcdsgns@shentel.net>
Subject: E-Mail (Information Riches) For All
My thanks to Markle for this list and the high level of thoughts
expressed. As a regional planner and advocate of communications
technology for Virginia's Northern Shenandoah Valley - A 21st
Century Tele-region I offer these thoughts for this adhocracy
forum. Adhocracy is how Alvin Toffler suggested people would deal
with issues in his book "Future Shock" published in 1970.
1. English as the language of the net. American based English,
which is itself a melting pot dynamic language is likely to
become Global English - fed and owned by the planet. Esparanto
might have suceeded if there was the Internet in the 1800's. And,
Beta might have beaten VHS.
2. Bi/multi-lingual people who can regularly use more than one
language I would expect are more adaptable to the diversity of
the real world. It is said a fish did not discover water. If you
only have one totally encompassing environment, you don't know
that there are choices. There are many places in the U.S. where
it helps to be bi-lingual. English is not perfect, but perhaps
its good enough to be a global language - since it moves. Other
languages, spoken - written - symbolic - are important in order
that each soul capture as much as possible fo the miracle of
life.
3. All rural peoples are isolated, regardless of the country or
continent. They may be land and resource rich and money poor.
Even when they move to cities - they have only their labor to
trade and may remain poor. Communications supports learning and
education. To make rural areas as information rich as the other
levels of society - to make knowledge available will give people
the ability to make choices and make secrets impossible to keep.
4. We all can publish our thoughts to the world. We might find an
audience beyond our family, friends and work. All community is
virtual - since we can inhabit only one body at a time. It is the
spirit of communication, the need to connect with others and
share life that requires information riches for all.
Peace Dynamic
--
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP * e-mail: tjcdsgns@shentel.net
Planner & Futurist - My mission: "Regions_Work!" Why? "All
markets are regional and the economy is global. Two or more
crossing boundaries to solve a problem is regional cooperation."
*TJCdesigns * Box 1444 * Front Royal, Virginia (VA) 22630-1444 *
"True peace is dynamic. For sustainability, design with re-use
in mind."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[3]
Date sent: Sat, 9 May 1998 12:45:26 -1000
From: Margit Watts <watts@hawaii.edu>
Subject: Re: EMFA: T2E8 - NTIA and Expanding Universal
Service Concept - Irving
Aloha....I have to offer a point of view from one standing not at
the head of the FCC, in the white house, funding agencies, or
other administrative position with a wide angle lens on
connectivity.
I am an educational renegade (professor, administrator, author,
teacher, learner, businesswoman)...and was one of the writers of
a Challenge Grant..which we received and is now moving into its
third year. To me, the challenge comes from the inside
out....all of the top down grants, proclamations, concepts,
wiring et al do not address the problem of 'getting everyone on
board' that I see.
I teach many courses online, run a virtual community and am
committed to integrating the new technologies into my personal
and professional life. BUT, I have already decided that I know
the answer to the question of "why". Why technology? Just for
access to information? That is still meaningless in a world (or
country) where we can't answer the question regarding education.
Everyone can get on the roller coaster of technology and trumpet
its beauty and excitement, but can we tell someone in rural
Montana why it might be useful? And even more importantly, can
we predict how it might change their lives? And do they want it
changed?
I am in total support of the government initiatives that put
connectivity into the communities around our country. However, I
would love to see some conversation around the more philosophical
questions. After all, how many schools have rooms full of soft
and hardware and have NO clue on how to integrate these with
their best practices of teaching. What are we losing as we storm
our country with wires? If we consciously choose to add
technology with such vigor, shouldn't we be in the midst of a
huge dialogue trying to answer that "why" question?
I, for one, am doing my best to stir up these conversations.
Hopefully, many others will do the same.
margit misangyi watts
university of hawai'i
2500 campus road room 21
honolulu, hawai'i 96822
(808) 956-4040
(808) 956-3731 (fax)
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
[4]
Date sent: Fri, 08 May 1998 19:03:55 -0400
From: Jillaine Smith <jillaine@benton.org>
Subject: Re: EMFA: T2C2 - Univ Internet Comments 2
>From: Alfonso Gumucio Dagron <agumucio@guate.net>
>Subject: RE: EMFA: T2E2 & T2E3
>
>Somebody is not being very serious...
>"We see no significant differences in basic access (to Internet)
>among racial groups in the United States." - David S. Birdsell
>
>"The recently released Vanderbilt study on Internet and Race
>suggests that, relative to the Internet, the glass is half empty
>for Blacks. The authors see the "digital divide" widening and
>that race is pivotal in explaining this phenomenon." - Anthony
>Wilhelm So, how "universal" is e-mail within de United States?
It is unfortunate that there has been so much confusion about the
recent studies about race and access. First, the Vanderbilt
study that has received so much press and to which Alfonso
Gumucio Dagron refers in "RE: EMFA: T2E2 & T2E3" used data that
was 15-18 months old, but the report has just come out. So while
the report might accurately reflect the state of things 15-18
months ago, the study published a few days later by Roper,
conducted by Birdsell and his colleagues at Baruch Center, uses
much more current data.
Second, both studies refer only to race, not to economic status.
I think both sets of researchers would agree that when you look
at economic status, huge disparities in Internet and computer
technology access still exist. The Baruch stats reveal that when
looking *only* at white vs. African American Internet access, no
significant disparities exist. The study does not deal with
economics.
Third, both studies relied on telephone interviews to collect
their data, therefore neither reached people without telephone
access. In my opinion, this is one of the major weaknesses in
both studies, especially since Jorge Reina Schement's work has
found that telephone penetration in African American households
is significantly lower than the national average.
I have heard that NTIA is considering doing a more comprehensive
study later this year (1998) that will not rely just on telephone
interviews, but include in-person site visits.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Jillaine Smith, Senior Associate (jillaine@benton.org)
Benton Foundation (www.benton.org)
1634 Eye Street NW, Washington DC 20006
v: 202/638-5770, f: 202/638-5771
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[5]
From: "elively" <elively@cvn.net>
To: "Margaret" <sambink@erols.com>,
<emfa@publicus.net> Subject: Beliefs Date sent:
Sun, 10 May 1998 13:18:27 -0700
I believe that universal e-mail will assist in causing one of
the most important social changes of the century. I think it has
the potential to be an electronic answer to the extended family
of the past, without which we have had so much breakdown in our
modern relationships. My opinion is based on its capability to
draw people together, families and friends. For example the
personal notes of past time could return superseding "sympathy"
and "get well " cards with their impersonal messages and at worst
substitute at least an individually designed one, hopefully a
written one from the heart rather than the Hallmark company. It
permits our mobile population to retain contact with former
neighbors and co-workers and not just nationally but also
internationally. It will foster closer family contact.
Within my own family, my Granddaughter is corresponding over the
e-mail with her Great Uncle about genealogy which has become a
mutual interest; this in turn leads them to other fields within
which they learn to know each other in a personal way not likely
before. As she learns to know him, his knowledge, experience
and values will have an impact on her outlook and principles.
She will be free however to use or discard them as succeeding
generations have always done in the past. E-mail can be an
instrument of continuity from our current generation to prior
generations.
I look forward to a time when this form of communication is open,
perhaps in a phone booth type application, to those not owning a
computer (or to a time when all of us own a computer) and to a
period when e-mail includes television and "chat rooms" and even
more advanced technology. We live in one world increasingly even
though it has been slow in coming. Universal e-mail will help it
arrive. At some point in time we may become one universe which
will make the technology of e-mail "one giant step for mankind"
and truly Universal E-mail.
Elizabeth Lively
Southern Pennsylvania
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[5]
Date sent: Fri, 08 May 1998 14:44:27 -0700
From: Alan Mackenzie <talanm@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: EMFA: T2E6 - Connecting Schools and
Libraries - Revenaugh
Regarding Mickey Revenaugh's posting and the work of the Schools
and Libraries Corporation:
America must move forward, aggressively, in improving the
technical education of all our citizens. We simply do not have
the skills to compete with highly skilled, low wage earners in
Eastern Europe, Russia, and South America. For example,
technical writing is not a part of any major high school
curriculum, but it is among our competitors. The nation's
commitment to provide schools and libraries with low cost means
to the Internet is a positive first step. However, it is only a
first step. Beyond public schools, a key to our nation's
strength rests in the work of thousands of after school programs
and community based organizations. 4-H programs, Boys and Girls
Clubs, and local non profit computer centers all play a major
role in preparing people for the future. And traditionally these
type of organizations have been the primary after school program
providers. These types of vital organizations must be placed on
equal footing with schools and libraries to have low cost
Internet access. Volunteer organizations that rely of bake sales
and used donations must have advocates to bring them into the
digital age.
Alan Mackenzie
Computer Learning Center Initiative
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
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