dcstone writes: A reporter for the San Jose Mercury News examines the results of some recent surveys and reports that many of those not yet connected to the Internet are choosing to stay off the electronic information superhighway.
“[M]any households still show little enthusiasm for the technology,” says one researcher for Park Associates. The most interesting conclusion? “The so-called ‘digital divide’ is much more of a social issue than a financial problem….the private and public sector must work on creating applications that give the holdouts a compelling reason to turn to the Internet.”
I still dont get it
Not that 25% of Americans don’t see much need to be on the internet. I get that. Or that another chunk don’t see any need to do so at home. I certainly get that.
I don’t get why this is a problem–except for companies with business models predicated on having us all onlne all the time forever.
Millions of people (apparently tens of millions) lead full and rewarding lives without logging on. Why is that a problem? Why is it something to be dealt with?
Re:I still dont get it
They’re probably upset that there is someone out there they can’t spam…
No doubt there are companies that find it burdensome to maintain two customer service portals: one for online users and another for walk-up or phone users. They want all their customers to be on the same page.
At some point, in-person customer service will be nostalgic, and a few businesses will market it as such. Like 50’s style restaurants, etc. I wish it would become nostalgic now. I spent 30 mintues in line at my bank last week until I finally gave up. My place of work doesn’t do direct deposit.
Re:I still dont get it
I remember hearing someone else talking about this on the radio and they said the same thing, but added something about the Car Divide being even more important. His point was it would help people more if they had a car than a computer, and we never hear anyone talking about that.
Personally I have no idea how someone could lead a full and rewarding life without logging on, but I’m funny like that. Though I suppose somedays my life is neither because I logged on!
Re:I still dont get it
Well, like electricity and cars, you become used to it/dependent on it. It is all what you are used to. If we had never invented cars, we just wouldn’t live 30 mintues from our jobs.
My mother used to give me crap when our electricity went off when I was a kid and I’d fuss about it. “How would you have liked to have lived 150 years ago,” she’d say. If I were living 150 years ago, I’d have a fireplace instead of baseboards, a cookstove instead of an electric one, and a hand well pump instead of an electric one. Problem solved.
It is all going to come down to how badly these people want to force a way of life on others… And how those people are going to feel about having it forced on them.
Remember how patrons felt when we got rid of the card catalogs? I just got rid of mine 6 months ago. At one place where I worked, we couldn’t automate until a certain board member died. She was blocking the progress. Now we are throwing out the old magazines and subscribing to EBSCOhost.
Re:I still dont get it
That’s a good question, Walt. It’s clear that the other occurence of the word “problem” in the article, in a quote from the Parks Associates spokesman, can be written off as commercial interest, as Darla points out. However, the quoted text is directly from the article’s author.
I went so far as to e-mail the author, Mike Langberg, and ask his motivation. I’m still awaiting his response.
As for me, I don’t think it’s a problem. I think the article is useful because it challenges a basic assumption many of us have: patrons without Internet access don’t have it because they can’t afford it. This is the vaunted “digital divide”. The real issue is different. This report tells us that it’s vital not to shift everything completely into the digital realm. Just as we tell people over and over that books will never go away, we need to be telling ourselves that “unwired” patrons will never go away either. There will always be people who want that direct, personal connection you can’t get from a PC screen. It’s up to us to make sure we serve them equally as well as the bleeding-edge technophile bristling with gadgets.
Re:I still dont get it
My response to your final paragraph: Hear, hear. Or here, here, as the case may be. Using my local library, here in the heart of Silicon Valley, as an example: Yes, they have self-check machines. Yes, most people use them. Yes, they also have a staffed circulation desk, so that those who prefer a personal touch can get it. Libraries aren’t banks or airlines; we can do better.
Re:I still dont get it
Unfortunately, it’s not just the marketing weasels who want everyone online. Two examples:
a. The IRS seems to really want people to print out their own tax forms or file online. My local post office doesn’t even have forms this year.
b. Many big employers take job applications only online. Many of the people applying for these jobs are not Internet users, don’t have email addresses, etc.
Article author’s response.
I e-mailed Mike Langberg, the writer of the original article, and this is what he says:
Karl:
Thanks for pointing me to the discussion.
While I don’t think anyone should be forced to use the Internet, I think it’s a valuable resource that shouldn’t be off limits to people just because they lack money or education. In other words, we should give help to those who want it.
— Mike Langberg, Technology Columnist
San Jose Mercury News