"Information is portable, relatively inexpensive and yet one of the most powerful tools to create social change."
equalaccess.org
I'd like to have a discussion on a topic that's of special interest to me.
One of the first things I do when researching a subject is to google it, and you never know what you will find, such as the website from which I borrowed the above quote. This is all second nature to those of us in this online community, but there are still many in this country who are denied this simple expedient.
Here's a statistic from the last census: In 2007 68% of white households had Internet access, but only 51% of black households. It seems obvious to me that to have any hope of an equal and just society, this is a deficiency that urgently needs to be addressed. Yet I've found very little discussion of the problem.
The main thing that used to be an obstacle to getting online was the cost of a computer. We used to talk about the $1000 barrier, and 6 years ago when I bought my last laptop I paid $1800. I was surprised to find out when I was looking for a replacement that I can now get a new netbook for $300, out the door, that has everything I need for basic computing tasks, including wireless Internet access. With a memory upgrade it cost me $350 and is probably about twice as powerful as my old laptop, though without a DVD drive. For some, even that is more than they can afford, but at least we're at the point where price is not an insurmountable problem.
Then, there's the problem of network access. The monthly costs of DSL or cable access will quickly exceed the initial cost of a computer. Wireless hotspots are a potential solution, but how available are these in the inner city environs? I don't know, but I plan to find out. There are plenty of places in neighboring Philadelphia where I can put this to the test. If the results are what I expect, then the next question is how to improve the availability of public wireless access, and that also involves the availability of broadband access. This is at least one item that's on Obama's agenda, though there seems to be some question as to the fairness of it's planned implementation with respect to urban areas. Which is a big deal if true.
The final, and biggest problem maybe, is education. But once the technical details are understood and the realization comes that yes, this is something that is available to many more people than was once thought, a whole new world of possibilities will open up to those that formerly were cut off and we, as well as they will be the beneficiaries.
I know that there is a wealth of experience and perspectives out there, and I'd appreciate some help on this. Any and all thoughts are welcome.
Posted By: Steve Williams
Thursday, July 30th 2009 at 7:35PM
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