Comments (90)
| I worry that not everyone has access. Perhaps mobile technology is one answer. So is radio. Social networks may be another way to communicate important newsworthy events. | ||||
| Our county library is blessed with about as many computer terminals as parking spaces for its citizens. That's a great start. My impression is that our public schools give students sufficient orientation to online information. Sadly, many local agencies do not appear to place a high premium on constituent services. Does improvement lie in increased resources or staff development? I lean toward the latter. | ||||
| The short answer is NO. The solution is the local public library. Each library should have a "training room" equipped with quality hardware and software and with good trainers (who may or may not be members of the library staff). Classes should be free as far as the basics are concerned; more advanced training could/should have a registration fee (free lunches all of the time are not the way to go). And, the library should have mobility in order to take the classes "on the road [again]" for those unable/unwilling to get to the library. This could, with good marketing and extended hours, reach as many as 40 - 50 percent of the population age 50 and above. For the others the classes need to focus on information literacy, how to know what you are reading and how good/not so good/bad the stuff is. | ||||
| No. People do not have the same access. The public library has access available, although here they are talking about "filtering" (read: censoring) websites in the public libraries. The library's great, but not enough. It's not available without transportation and it's not open 24/7. | ||||
| Many do not and have never had adequate access and probably won't in the future--illiteracy or elementary literacy is still a big factor here. The web has opened up more access than has ever been available before and to more people. Our library has free-use computers; but maybe more relatively cheap ($100) computers like those donated by aid programs to Africa, etc., available in the US? | ||||
| Word of mouth is still the fastest way to get timely information in a rural setting. Many people only use their computer for email but often don't really care about issues that do not affect their day-to-day lives. Computer courses in schools or community centers can help and having Internet access and computers in local libraries that can be accessed during the daytime hours is wonderful. | ||||
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No. Most people have neither the skills nor the time to search for online information without assistance. That's why the news media remain essential to alerting people to what's going on in the community. Two options for improving skills come to mind: - school classes that involve current events, civics, etc. should include training in researching and commenting on current public policy issues online. - public libraries, community centers, and social service organizations should offer classes in using the web to engage with local and national public agencies, legislators and executives. | ||||
| It's happening to some degree already---the public libraries now have row on row of computers. They needed funding to go the next step and provide a bit of training for users, and maybe some cell training as well. | ||||
| How many U.S. homes have TV? Most do. Local libraries are still free to enter and will give you internet access, too. So, yes, there is access but the quality of the information is what concerns me. | ||||
| Austin is very good at providing many types of access to information. These days if someone has a phone or radio or tv or computer, they have plenty of access. If they have none of the above then they can always go to the Public Library. | ||||
| The information is readily available through various media outlets and through the library. The sad truth of the matter, however, is that what is missing is the basic education that prepares citizens to recognize that 1) they need a particular kind of information; and 2) where they may be able to find that information. Unfortunately, I've encountered more young people than I care to remember who 1) didn't know that they didn't know things such as how government works; the countries of the world; the reason we are in Iraq, etc.; and many other subject areas. So, finding the information through the library, the internet, the newspaper, magazines, etc. is not the problem. It's that we are turning into H.G. Wells' fantasy world he depicted in "The Time Machine," where the public is so lacking in education they have been reduced to veritable automatons who are concerned only with their day-to-day needs and meeting their desire for entertainment. We're becoming a country of zombies. | ||||
| Definitely not. There is more and more information, and much of it helpful and relevant, but many don't have the hardware/software/network connectivity, the tech. skills or strategies to more efficiently access all this information ("what's an RSS reader?"), or even the time to effectively parse all this information. Some of the most informed people that I know and the biggest "civics geeks" are those with the privilege to have jobs that give them access to a computer, the web, and down time that they can use to look at information while on the clock. Furthermore, I think people have difficulty getting information generated by social networks outside of their own, or reflecting experiences that are not their own. | ||||
| Its hard to know who to trust without some media literacy awareness or training. How does a low income individual know to trust a government agency over a commercial bank when seeking financial help? What distinguishing characteristics are seen between organizations with commercial or marketing interests and genuine public service orgs that want to steer people to free or useful services. These days, it's really really hard to tell, and thus to know who and what to trust. | ||||
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Not everyone in my community has access - neither in person or online. I think an online decision tree - would be highly useful, paired with greater visibility of existing services. Given digital divide issues, this will not be sufficient. | ||||
| Support your local library, public and schools. | ||||
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The answer is NO. Students’ different socioeconomic backgrounds and income levels affecting access to broadband and computers places them at a real disadvantage; assignments are now computer friendly. Libraries try to meet this need, but cannot do enough. Sadly, one’s education about information needs, and where to go, isn’t retroactive. But libraries are available to offer anyone professional assistance. As more information becomes available, with less reliable authentication, obtaining useful, accurate information gets tough. Public libraries know how to do it. Why reinvent the wheel? Since blogs now imply whining, more funding for libraries at state and federal levels will do wonders and will equalize quality service to all. Also, to link people with libraries, some money should be spent on advertising. In a country where advertising has parents feeding their kids candy for breakfast, isn’t it time to set aside some funding to advertise resources with real public value? | ||||
| Local public libraries have terminals; there are often long waiting lines. It's also tempting to wonder about the many purposes for which these terminals are used. Sadly, I doubt all those people are looking skeptically for quality local, national or world news. | ||||
| I'm sure that a lot of the poor and elderly do not have the access they need. The public libraries help, but there should be outreach in terms of perhaps door-to-door volunteers or newsletters sent only to people without internet. | ||||
| I do believe that there is a digital divide - and I'm not sure how to fix it. | ||||
| Tennessee is in dire need of widespread broadband deployment to enable access to education, news, and other subjects of interest, especially for those is rural communities. This is something our state government is actively working on. Widespread broadband deployment is the Rural Electrification of this century. | ||||
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