[WEB4LIB] Re:Digital Divide (was Re: RE: Questia: who is behind

[Lin Light]

Ok.  I'm too work in the Public sector, but I've wonder for a long time and
I must ask; "Am I alone in thinking that those who guide our thinking on
technological issuse really isn't in our profession, but really the
marketing Wizards of the technology industry?"
Lin


Tom Edelblute wrote:

> All right you accademinc, its time for someone from the public library
> sector to put their two cents in.
>
> Here in Anaheim, 82% of the children that go to school within the
> Anaheim School District live below the poverty line.  They come to the
> public library to complete their school assignments because they do not
> have a computer at home.
>
> So don't tell me that the digital divide is a First World vs. Third
> World issue, we have it right here in Southern California.
> --
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Tom Edelblute
> Reference and Technology Librarian
> Anaheim Public Library   phone: (714) 765-1759
> 500 West Broadway        fax:   (714) 765-1730
> Anaheim CA 92805         e-mail: thomas at anaheim.lib.ca.us
>
> Tony Barry wrote:
> >
> > At 5:56 PM -0800 1/2/2001, Robert Tiess wrote:
> > >Dan Lester wrote:
> > >
> > >>  DB> Also, do
> > >>  DB> not add to the Digital Divide.
> > >>
> > >>  Yawn.  The digital divide is an invention of a bunch of liberal
> > >>  whiners who don't have enough trees to hug.
> > >
> > >Dan, now I realize you might have been on a sort of roll
> > >here debunking post after post, but surely you don't think
> > >every single family or child out there has the money or
> > >sufficient local informational infrastructures in place
> > >(e.g. wired libraries and schools) to put them all online
> > >and in reach of the same research resources you have
> > >access to in your institution.
> >
> > The digital divide is between the first world and the third world. In
> > rich countries like the US and Australia (my country) the poor have a
> > chance to get access via public libraries and other institutions. But
> > the bulk of the world's population hasn't even got a phone let alone
> > internet access.
> >
> > Let's remember folks we are talking about the world, not just the
> > relatively poor in the rich countries. From where the bulk of the
> > world's population sits the poor in the first world are pretty
> > comfortable. For instance they don't face the risk of starvation or
> > an AIDS epidemic which in Africa and Asia will have an effect as
> > ghastly as the Black Death.
> >
> > Tony
> > --
> > phone  +61 2 6241 7659
> > mailto:me at Tony-Barry.emu.id.au
> > http://purl.oclc.org/NET/Tony.Barry

--
Lin Light
Head of
Technical Services/Automation
Herrick District Library
300 S. River Ave.
Holland, MI 49423
llight at lakeland.lib.mi.us
Voice-616.355.3727
Fax-616.355.1426