Briefly describe the ways in which the emergence of the W.W.W. has affected access to information, either from a sociological or technical perspective. Identify and discuss one key issue in depth.
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Abstract
The fact that people are able to access an abundance of information on the WWW easily and for free is highlighted. Access to online information promotes rearch, education and citizenship. Cultural diversity and understanding are also encouraged. The conduct of business and commerce in an electronic context has the potential of bringing wealth for individuals and countries. The discussion of whether free access to the WWW constitutes an electronic democracy is being undertaken. The fact that developing countries and deprived individuals within developed countries are being restrained from accessing online information or using it in a productive way is described. The reasons for this phenomenon, know as digital divide, are analyzed along with possible ways to address the problem in each ca. International and national initiatives to tackle the issue are mentioned. The importance of literacy and the significance of skills relating to information and computer literacy are discusd.
Introduction
It is a broad connsus that we live in an Information Society. Our needs upon current and accurate information, rapid and effective communication have been met by the refinement of a range of technologies that support the provision of highly sophisticated information and communication rvices, namely Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The World Wide Web (WWW) is one of them. The WWW constitutes an electronic information苏州特色菜
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medium, the successor of printing in the electronic era, that has allowed more people to access an ever-increasing amount of information. Thus, one might erroneously claim that it has achieved universal equality in terms of information dismination. Unfortunately, such an argument would be fal. A large number of people are still confronted with an array of difficulties in accessing or exploiting the new medium, while others are able to take advantage of available opportunities. This contradictory phenomenon is referred to as the Digital Divide. The prent essay will first define the extent to which the evolution of the WWW has enhanced the way people access information and then concentrate on the problem of information wealth and information poverty that compris one of the most prominent issues that ari within the Information Society.
Access to online information: an overview
The Information Society is characterized by “the u of information and knowledge, which becomes the driving force for growth” (Samaskou, 2004: 6). The WWW is where an abundance of information, that could potentially generate knowledge, is located. Anyone is able to access this network of mutually hyperlinked web-pages easily and for free. It really constitutes a universal resource. Powerful arch engines and methodical directories facilitate information arching and retrieval for the novice and the experienced ur alike.
“More information is needed for almost everything we do” (Hill, 2001: 277). This ntence summarizes the significance of relevant and uful information in every aspect of everyday life. Furthermore, the WWW reprents an important supplementary tool for formal education as well as for individual life-long learning. It also promotes rearch, since a scholar is able to retrieve esntial bibliographical references in remote databas, e-journals or online public catalogues (OPACs) hosted on web-bad rvers. In addition, by facilitating
diffusion of information in relation to current or completed rearch projects, through blogs for instance, international collaboration schemes may emerge.
The development of the WWW has made accessible a lot of information concerning governmental a
ctivities and debates (e-government). In this way citizens are more informed and probably keener or even expected to participate in the decision making process (Hill, 2001). Free real-time communication among individuals is possible through the WWW. In addition, e-mail messages, mailing lists and chat rooms may be sources of informal but sometimes highly desirable information.
The WWW has enabled people to explore foreign countries through their respective cultural resources and thus it promotes a tolerant and egalitarian society. On the other hand, globalization threatens to extinguish cultural and linguistic diversity. Williams and Nicholas (2001) report on the large number of English-written internet sites. Samaskou (2004) stress the importance of creating “local contents” to better address specific needs and as a means to strengthen local cultures and languages.
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In a business tting access to the right or latest information is fundamentally important and information management is considered a core function of management process. In this ca, information is regarded as a resource that, if properly administered, will increa productivity and the acquisition of new knowledge. In a parallel context, e-commerce has flourished the recent years and one is able to compare prices at a greater scale that was ever the ca and eventually buy goods at better prices online.
Electronic democracy or digital divide?
Is it therefore true that the appearance and rapid development of the WWW has enabled humanity to enter into a state of “electronic democracy” (Feather, 2000: 90)? Or is it that this phenomenon has contributed to further widening the
吃龙眼有什么好处information gap that has traditionally divided information rich from information poor countries and individuals? It is believed to be the latter ca. The emergence of the WWW has enabled rich nations to fully exploit online information and direct it towards developmental and social activities. Parayil (2005) describes the model of today’s “knowledge economy” where scientific knowledge and technological innovation, both of which are informational products, are decisive factors for incread productivity and economic development. Furthermore, the high degree of integration of ICTs into economic, social and educational activities has greatly enhanced the economic status and has generally improved the well-being of citizens living in developed countries (Parayil, 2005). On the other hand a large number of countries or certain individuals within developed countries are being excluded from the network revolution and its benefits, on the grounds of economic, technological, social or personal circumstances. The chasm in technological and economic progress that parates developed and developing countries is continuously widening as the former are experiencing an unp
recedented development that the latter are not able to follow.
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The majority of people living in developing countries are not being given the opportunity to access the WWW and thus benefit from the abundance of information it offers. There are many reasons for this fact. Lack of advanced technological infrastructure and economic inability to buy a computer and pay for the telecommunication cost constitute prime factors. Furthermore, in certain countries the percentage of adult literate population is strikingly low. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2005) reports on a 12,8 % of adult population in Burkina Faso having basic literacy skills. Computer literacy is also rare among people in developing countries.
For this problem to be addresd effectively, major changes affecting more than one aspect are required. The role of local political leaders in promoting and implementing ICTs applications within developing countries is highlighted爱情片日本
(Feather, 2000; Parayil, 2005). Furthermore, Parayil (2005) discuss the character of the economic system itlf, described as “industrialized”, which while being a product of the past, is no longer profitable and certainly cannot compete with the thriving knowledge economy. He then urges for a w
ay “to integrate informational economy with traditional economy in a fair manner such that the asymmetric relationship between the two could be overcome” (Parayil, 2005: 49).
This issue to be successfully solved needs not only ensuring a profitable economy, but also engaging significant resources into developing rvices to support education and training for people. Samaskou (2004) stress the importance of a quality educational system for Higher and Secondary Education and states that “the ability to u information is proportional to the level of education” (Samaskou, 2004: 9). Computer literacy is an indispensable skill that people should posss in order to take part in the Information Society in equal terms. Furthermore, Public libraries have an important role to play in providing an alternative for retrieving quality information resources. Libraries’ collections are certainly of a good value and usually preferable to online material.
Access to information is certainly a universal right. In the Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 2005) one can read: “Everyone has the right to ek, receive and impact information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. This idea has inspired a number of international projects that have been designed and implemented as means to allow developing countries cross the digital divide. UNESCO’s “Information for All Project”, “African Information Society Initiative” (AISI) and “Computers for Africa” are only some of them. Finally, the “World Summi
t on the Information Society” (WSIS) address a plethora of problems that relate to developing countries, the digital divide and interrelated topics included.
