Slashdot Mirror
U.S. Home Internet Access up to 75%
waytoomuchcoffee writes "Over 200 million U.S. residents now have access to the internet at home, or 3/4 of the U.S. population. This is quite a jump, as only 51% of U.S. homes had access to the internet in August of 2000. Interestingly, among age/gender groups, internet access is highest among females 35-54."
So all those email solicitations I've been getting lately from lonely housewives were real?
Phoenix
Surprising to male /.ers perhaps, but not us girls...I spend eight hours a day on a T-3 at work and five nights a week on my cable connection at home. Typical home activities include updating my Web page, trolling forums, email/messaging friends, playing competitive leagues Counter-Strike, and shopping. At work, when I'm not /.ing, I'm a communications coordinator (writer & designer). I use the 'Net for research, purchasing, and communication with my colleagues.
You guys keep being surprised, but women make up half the work force where we spend a lot of time on computers. We buy more than half of all electronic devices and more than half of all computer games (and no they are not all for our spouses/children).
Wake up boys. This is no more news than females voting and driving!
That said, I've noticed the net is slowing down at home and at work. Do we have the infrastructure for all of America to be online (and with blazing connections)?
Can I bum a sig?
I didn't know computer ownership was that high
This reminds me of a quote I read in one of my textbooks that said "3 out of every 4 teens have been on-line" like it was a big deal
Sigs are for the weak.
"internet access is highest among females 35-54" So thats why there are 3 girls registered on the OSDN Personals instead of the one that had her pic put in the banner. That would account for the huge jump =)
Stranded.org
..for all those worm (etc) infested machines! ;)
Interestingly, among age/gender groups, internet access is highest among females 35-54.
Hey! I'm 38! get ready for a flurry of "A/S/L" IMs..
Trolling is a art,
In December 2003 only 126 million Americans were online. Also, interesting to note that 66 mln use the Internet on a daily basis.
Going by all the trolls on ./, I think the distribution must be close to the 2-year old end.
Indefinitely Detained US Citizen
No, Internet access is actually highest among middle aged men who call themselves "Debra".
Any sufficiently well-organized Government is indistinguishable from bullshit.
These new comers with their DSL will never have the joy of crawling around at 2400 baud. Nothing but FTP or gopher.
These kids today!
It's probably single woman trying to find a single man...
Abiit, excessit, evasit, erupit.
There's hope for the male geeks yet! (Assuming you don't still live in your parents' basement. You don't, do you?)
I ceased to take this seriously as soon as I realized that whoever wrote this POS didn't seem to understand that "internet" != "web".
Why am I still getting these freakin AOL disks?
I've recently dropped my phone line at home therefore dropping my home Internet access as well. Our household has 2 cell phones, I get plenty of Internet at work/college, and I can't quite afford broadband. I wonder how many others are in similar situations?
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So it's 25% from the "great tech bubble", I wonder if that means that now would be a good time to start buying YHOO shares again? Although the tech bubble burst, it could almost be considered underrated, the issue was all the money thrown into the internet at one time caused the over-value, now it may be near corrected or even undervalued, so as the internet grows, so will tech stock.
Mod +5 Drunk
3 out of 4 people will not be able to tell you what bandwidth is.
I'm wondering about this "easy to use" business. It's true that it will get us more users in the short run...but if the system was such that you would be forced to acquire at least some understanding of what you were doing, eventually you would get similar number of users, only they would be a little bit more aware of what is going on.
It astonishes me that people don't care to learn about something they use every day, for perhaps hours on end.
ever been to shoes.com?
boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
Since I'm from Romania here we see this like:
... you do the math.
... the best
go to US plug your cable in the wall and the broadbad flows.
Now this is something I envy you for. Low rate decent speed access. Since here a 64/128 kbit goes around $100-$150 and the minimum wage is around $75 monthly
But at least we cand get some online clients from US. The more
Hmm, posting about wanting online soap operas, on Slashdot. You're being ironic, aren't you?
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
How can we not be "connected"? Its become narly manditory (if not already so) for secondary schools to teach internet skills. It's only a natural thing to have the students ask their parents for an internet connection: "We need to do our projects" is often the case. Granted, teens do use it for many other things, but that's not the point. How many state websites have money saving online forms for Car Registration, etc? If you do it via hardcopy, you often have to pay X number of dollars to process it. But it's less online more than not. Want more information about a product or service? Check out the company's website! Want to play the latest game or get a new pc part? You better have the internet, since the company may not have bothered to send the correct drivers with the product, check their online driver download section! You might be lucky if they have an option for you to buy the update CD and pay for shipping for a 6-8 week later delivery. It's becoming more and more difficult to use the "I don't have internet" excuse. It's not a merely sending email and for up and coming companies to use the web. It's invaded our everyday lives. For better or worse, we need to conform or perish.
"Interestingly, among age/gender groups, internet access is highest among females 35-54."
And you thought mom was busy balancing the checkbook online....
Now all you teenagers now get to face the fact that 'HotChick69' you've been eagerly getting busy with in the chat rooms may in fact be just down the hall.
The horror... the horror...
#1) This is a press release. It is in the interest of the Nielsen group to exaggerate these figures. The more people who they show as on the internet, the more advertisers who will buy their data.
#2) The data was collected using random-digit dialing. Obviously, the people who don't have phones are more likely to not have internet access too. I wouldn't discount this factor.
#3) It's very vague what question they actually asked people. Does it include "is there a library within 50 miles of you that has internet access?" Given their natural bias towards inflating the numbers, you can't discount them incorporating those results into their totals.
It's great if more people are online, but these figures and percentages need to be taken with a grain of salt.
Their method of counting internet access is flawed. Their method would count me four times, and my wife three.
And then you count my mother-in-law and while she has "access", she has never been online. Her access is just to get e-mail.
So there you have it. 6 accounts out of 8 counted that are not valid. How many more of them are not valid as well?
Of which 199 million got online just so they could sell and/or buy lawn trolls on eBay.
Great ideas often receive violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein
Your mom is so fat she takes up the largest age/gender group of internet users in the United States!
If you search past Slashdot archives, you will see discussions where
Here's an interesting report (Adobe Reader required).
Perhaps the real story isn't that the percentage of Americans online at home has grown about 25% in the last 4 years. I think the fact that we've gone from almost nobody being online in the early nineties to having 3/4 of the population on the net in only a decade is the really impressive figure.
You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
I have access to my my neighbours Porsche ( and keys ), still I won't use it.. Having access and using it is something completely different.
BS Research Inc.
+592 vagina.
What's happening with Internet II? I haven't heard much about it lately. Is there still progress being made or did people dump that?
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Seeking the meaning of life... @slashdot of all places
Good idea. What button on AOL connects me to that then?
From what I've seen through my work, it's exactly that 35-54 group that are keeping me in business. I have seen more junk running on these older ladies computers than I even knew was out there. A cat the falls down the screen, walks out a little cat door has been the highest offender. But other things such as "cute" screensavers (likely spyware), comet cursor's "cute" pointers and the like are just as popular.
I see a ton of ads for Classmates but I wonder how they make their money... by getting people's e-mail and then spamming them perhaps?
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Seeking the meaning of life... @slashdot of all places
Assuming you're not trolling, do some work on your own and try visiting www.internet2.org.
It's strange that only 70% of homes in the USA have an Internet capable computer, yet 75% of homes have the Internet?
Maybe WebTV is an explanation, but it could be something more sinister. Perhaps these figures are wrong?
I'd bet the figures are wrong, as I've just made up the "70%" stat. Sorry if I had alarmed you there for a moment...
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
If I were to guess, I'd say it is due to competition between market forces. Here in the midwest (specifically St. Louis), Juno/Netzero is a popular option for cost savers. While gamers either decide to pay the Charter titan, or the SBC titan for high speed access.
For me, my college life was redefined by high speed internet access. When we moved down here it was hard to adjust to not haveing interent access. Nearly all of my communication with family memebers is done by cell phones or IM now.
Go Gusties
Having access is not the same as using it. She knows how to get e-mail because I set it up. I tried to walk her through going online one, just to get a e-card I sent her. I had to do it for her, because it made no sense to her.
It raises the question, what level of usage equates to "online"?
My mother-in-law, though it is a fine line.
That still leaves 5 accounts counted that are duplicates. Oh, and 4 of those didn't exist last year, so there is your growth.
Wasn't there a story here a couple weeks ago, that stated the largest group playing MMORPG was that same group.
This signiture copied from somewhere.
homeless=place to hangout
Where do they hangout? realtor.com?
Fool, I2 is just another backbone. It's nice because it makes transfers between many US universities quite fast.
LOAD "SIG",8,1
There's a fundamental difference between computers and these things. Computers are interacted with on a low level. I've used locks my whole life and will never have to open one up. A computer is so complex that even the simplest tasks can cause problems. For instance, few people have a decent grasp of the directory structure. Yes, the simple directory structure. This is a constant problem when they want to open a file with something other than the program that saved it and that program has a different default open folder.
Your examples would make sense if say, the ring voltage on your phone had to be randomly calibrated to fluctuating levels manually (silly isn't it?), but it doesn't. The problem isn't with users , but with computers themselves. Computers NEED to be learned or need to be simpler.
Photos.
These figures are impressive but they seem fishy to me. If I'm not mistaken this overtakes cable/satellite/etc television (anyone have the tv figures handy?) I find that hard to believe. I can't think of a single person who has internet but no cable television (not counting students and people moving/transiting/etc)
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Seeking the meaning of life... @slashdot of all places
Better analogies:
How many digits are in a phone number?
How much gas does your tank hold?
What's your car's top speed?
How many minutes are on your cell phones calling plan?
How much milk comes in a typical jug?
I can't help but wonder if the increase of internet users, with most being in the female 35 and up range, has anything to do with the rise of match making web sites like cupid.com in the last few years. Seems like I've read somewhere that the US population has 5 million more females than males, which could lead to more women looking for Mr. Right on the PC.
I planned on inserting something witty here but never got around to it.
Guess I'll throw my karma in with yours since that's EXACTLY what I immediately thought. Another way to communicate. Women like it. Shocker.
"Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world." - Alan Greenspan, 1999
It isn't ironic, because it is a known fact women don't care about love triangles between Natalie Portman, a Beowulf cluster, and Yoda.
Vote in November. You won't regret it.
Table 2: Nielsen//NetRatings Internet Access Penetration (U.S., Home)
well, duh. no wonder it's highest among women.
Anything which has a user's manual which we try not to have to read.
They say the first thing to go is your penis. Well, it's either that or your brain. I forget which...
How does this relate to any increase in compromised Windows machines out there? ;-)
Mmmmmm... Bold, yet refreshing!
That's why I say that either people need to learn more or computers need to be simpler.
Would you mind reading my words in their entirity next time? I'd caution you to be more careful before you go about using such derisive language.
Photos.
internet access is highest among females 35-54
That's cos females 35-54 have finally figured out you can have a 'verbal chat electronically' without getting pregnant.
Does your lack of knowledge about the number of tumblers in your door lock make it easier for a thief to crack? No. Will I ever, EVER need to know how many tumblers or even that there are tumblers in order for me to use a lock? No. The exact same questions can be asked about your other stupid analogies.
In the past couple weeks I've had to act as phone support for friends trying to configure their IP address to use their network. To even USE a computer for what it is designed you need training. I can't tell you how many times my friends who use computers everyday have tried to email me an mp3 and have only sent their winamp playlists... or told me all of their files were deleted when Word or Excel couldn't find a file that was in the recent docs list.
These are basic tasks that can't be performed without knowledge of how the computer works. BASIC tasks. Do you need a manual to use your phone, TV, or remote? No. Do you need a manual to program phone numbers in memory, add new devices to a remote, hook up 20 cables for a home theatre system? Yes (for non-geeks). Advanced tasks are the only times when you need training. Basic tasks for a computer require training. If you don't know the modulation scheme for your TV or the ring voltage of your phone, can a hacker come in and destroy it? No. Just using a computer opens it up for malicious activity.
Even worse is the analogy people use with car engines. Sure, I don't know what the tension is supposed to be on my old cable clutch, or how much pressure is in the hydraulic clutch... but does that hinder my ability to use it how it was designed? No. Can you just put a 12 year old in the driver seat and expect that kid to a) know how to operate the vehicle, and b) not kill people when they do? No. You have to be trained to use a car for its basic function to be usable. Same with a computer. Its basic function is complex and requires knowledge to use correctly and responsibly.
IANAL, but I play one on
I remember that many prior surveys said men use Internet than women do. Women are more "computer anxious" than men. But this survey has a different results. Why?
I work for a cable ISP in a town populated with mostly older people (retirement age and up). And I swear, they ALL buy/sell stuff on eBay. They all bought digital cameras to take pictures of the stuff they are selling on eBay. They all upgraded from dial-up so they could bid faster on eBay. In fact, retired people dig eBay so much, I'd bet that many of them would trade their Social Security and Medicare for high buyer/seller ratings. We could cut the federal deficit by billions! So, that's my platform. Vote realmolo in 2004. Contributions accepted via PayPal.
I'm not trolling (although the original poster was a troll)...Man... I'm asking him/her to update me on the status of Internet 2. Obviously if I wanted to, I could have spent time looking that up. Anyway, going to the home page of Internet 2 doesn't really mean much... call me lazy if you want but I find that asking others is a fast way to learn something (will be biased but still...) :)
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Sivaram Velauthapillai
Seeking the meaning of life... @slashdot of all places
Duh. The '69 is the year she was born. WTF were *you* thinking?
-Rob
Marriage doesn't have to suck!
if most of those users are on dial-up.
If 3/4 of the US population had broadband, the prices would most likely drop. I'm tired of paying $40/mo for cable modem service. DSL is not much cheaper and a lot slower than cable modem.
It's not that I cannot afford a land line...I can't yet afford broadband. I live in a very urban area and very rarely travel to rural areas, so cell phone coverage isn't a concern for me. I dropped my land line recently simply because it made no sense for me to have 2 cell phone lines as well as a land line, especially when most of my friends/family called me on the cells.
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Could there be a correlation between the statement that single women in that age group have a tough time finding a husband and women of that age group are proportionally more connected to the Internet? I think maybe not.
and not just browsing for pr0n.
it's called PARTICIPATION man. There's only so much portforwarding you can do.
Fuck Beta. Fuck Dice
You are a statistic. In the case of americans with internet access you are either in the 75% group, or the 25% group if you are an american. Of course if you live in some other country you aren't part of that statistic, but you are still part of the world internet useage ones.
In the case of your phone, you are part of the growing segment that has dropped the land line phone for cell phone only. I'm part of that group too, but a case of skewed statistics, I have a land line connected to nothing because I'm required to have it to get DSL.
"Welcome to the real world. here's your computer, your xDSL/cable modem and a coffee maker. Have fun"
Where does your tap water come from?
Where does your electricity come from? Okay the power company. But how do they get it?
Where do they get or how do they grow/raise your food, and how long is it in trucks and/or warehouses before it gets to the grocery store?
Where does your poop go after you flush it?
Funny how the things that were most important not too long ago (where we get our food, heat in winter, what to do about waste) have become givens.
c-hack.com |
What they reveal are suggestive.
What they hide are critical.
- the telephone company gave her her own area code! - she has little fat women orbiting around her! - her blood types Ragu! - etc.
There are 4 people living in my house. I definitely have access to the internet, my wife doesn't care about computers and my kids are too young to understand it. So in our house it is 1 out of 4 people, and I know people who do not have any kind of Internet access in their home because they don't even own a computer.
So I'm a bit skeptical about these numbers. I'm guessing there is probably about 200 million actually capable of using the internet in this country (of the whole population, some are too young, some too old, some are unable for other reasons - ill (mentally or otherwise), in jail, etc.).
because they're developing Internet2 and Internet3 at the same time. They'll release one per Christmas.
This should be expected since this is precisely the age group that is willing to go out with the average 20-year old slashdot geek.
"Interestingly, among age/gender groups, internet access is highest among females 35-54."
So all our moms are downloading porn?
that this was modded off-topic - it's a direct quote from the article. Ah well.
The Army reading list
What the hell is a cazillion? Is it higher than a gazillion or lower than a kajillion?
Liberals call everyone Nazis yet they are the closest thing to it.
The filesystem is simple and crucial. People do not know it. I never made a value judgement. You made the inference regarding my values.
Photos.
My geekgirl wife read this thread, smiled and said:
We're taking over the world, dear.
In Alabama you can renew your car tags online, but you have to pay a processing fee to cover the cost of the credit card processing. Plus they don't give you good confirmation and will sometimes just lose your re-registration request. Doing it online for cheaper means that somebody's cousin will be out of a cushy government job doing registrations rudely in person, so they want to make it hard to do it online...
Not everything women do is "female" in nature, you know? Does using instant messengers and e-mail make men feel more feminine now?
What these statistics seem (to me) to confirm is that "The PC" is no longer the domain of businesses, scientists, gamers and geeks but is becoming just another household appliance, and internet access is considered part of that. Most of the things PCs are commonly used for aren't really "computer-only" the way programming would be. Typewriter, phone, post office... things many/most people use. Women are hardly some sort of weird minority among that group.
Having internet access at home doesn't automatically mean you're a techie, no matter what sex or gender or combination thereof you are, were, will be, refuse to be, want to be, or identify as. Nor does it mean you're a non-techie. It's probably going to mean about as much as having a telephone or radio at home.
Even people who don't really care about it or have the slightest idea what it actually is seem to feel some sort of pressure to "get on the net" so they "won't stay behind". Sometimes the pressure is very real, as with universities providing material online only (don't know how common that is).
Okay... this was probably incredibly obvious and redundant (again). Guess I'm just getting tired of ...something.
Interestingly, among age/gender groups, internet access is highest among females 35-54."
Women need their pr0n, too!
Wasn't their an article about women being big online gamers not too long ago? Damn, the're taking over the 'net!
i mean all the cable modems are rated at 10 mb.. how much do you get? mine is about isdn...
And who exactly wears the pants in this family?