I'm afraid my original post may have been misconstrued a bit. Let me offer a couple clarifications:
I'm not trying to belittle the obvious economic problems and inequities in the US. To an individual, poverty is still poverty and yes, it is present across the country here.
In fact, my point is that it's disingenuous to interpret the study as suggesting that conditions must be improving simply because more poor people have accessed the internet in a one month period. All evidence instead points to decline in real (inflation-adjusted) wages for the majority of Americans over the past decade.
Even considering all this, conditions are still better overall
in the US (as well as in the UK and other highly developed countries) than they are in many countries. I state this not to champion the American way, but rather as a reminder of how much further we still have to go.
So it doesn't make sense to talk about a digital divide in relation to areas of the world where basic human rights are not guaranteed and the basics necessities of life aren't readily available (my short list would include food, clothes, shelter, clean water, and basic health care).
In terms of harnessing the true power of the net, those of us who have savvy should seek out ways to uplift the rest of the crowd -- not so that more people can enjoy free digital audio, but so that everyone can at least have a fair shot at the basics.
Can anyone provide statistics about non-American users?
All things considered, the poor in America are still much better off than most of the rest of the world. So while the picture may be kind of rosy on the home front, it's a sure bet that the rest of the world isn't keeping pace.
The whole notion of a narrowing "digital divide" is small consolation if you live in a place with no health care and no clean running water.
That, of course, is the real divide, but it's not usually of any interest to the American marketing machine.
The game is also be ported to Mac OS by Evolution Interactive. Their press release and specs claim that the game should be shipping in November, but the page is also a bit dated.
Some company is now taking pre-orders for the game, but states it won't be shipping 'til mid-December (sorry, no link).
To digress offtopic a bit, the Games 4 Mac Campaign has some decent advocacy info for Mac gamers frustrated by the lack/lagtime of top titles for that platform.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy is the general response to the events in the mainstream media. Predictably, coverage has focused only on the most sensational elements ("How to identify 'disturbed' teens", "Should we make weapons less accessible", etc.)
-- Noticeably lacking: in-depth analysis of the cultural climate that fosters such a profound sense of isolation for some individuals.
To prevent future incidents of school violence, we should be seeking ways help our kids from so alienated. This requires a much greater commitment from society than quick-fix gun legislation, or trying to defuse those who have already become 'hostile'.
Rather, we need to actively cultivate an environment of tolerance, shared knowledge and understanding.
It is always easy to villify those we perceive as different, but that is ultimately an exercise in denial. Improving the situation requires the courage to question underlying assumptions about what generates hostility and isolation in first place.
Slashdot Mirror
...was the one whose single button toggled the screen from displaying the regular date & time to displaying only the year.
That's all -- just a handy reminder in case you ever lost track of the big picture.
Never useful, but in retrospect it was my favorite.
Maybe they died while on hold for MS tech support?
in the US (as well as in the UK and other highly developed countries) than they are in many countries. I state this not to champion the American way, but rather as a reminder of how much further we still have to go.
In terms of harnessing the true power of the net, those of us who have savvy should seek out ways to uplift the rest of the crowd -- not so that more people can enjoy free digital audio, but so that everyone can at least have a fair shot at the basics.
Can anyone provide statistics about non-American users?
All things considered, the poor in America are still much better off than most of the rest of the world. So while the picture may be kind of rosy on the home front, it's a sure bet that the rest of the world isn't keeping pace.
The whole notion of a narrowing "digital divide" is small consolation if you live in a place with no health care and no clean running water.
That, of course, is the real divide, but it's not usually of any interest to the American marketing machine.
Some company is now taking pre-orders for the game, but states it won't be shipping 'til mid-December (sorry, no link).
To digress offtopic a bit, the Games 4 Mac Campaign has some decent advocacy info for Mac gamers frustrated by the lack/lagtime of top titles for that platform.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy is the general response to the events in the mainstream media. Predictably, coverage has focused only on the most sensational elements ("How to identify 'disturbed' teens", "Should we make weapons less accessible", etc.)
-- Noticeably lacking: in-depth analysis of the cultural climate that fosters such a profound sense of isolation for some individuals.
To prevent future incidents of school violence, we should be seeking ways help our kids from so alienated. This requires a much greater commitment from society than quick-fix gun legislation, or trying to defuse those who have already become 'hostile'.
Rather, we need to actively cultivate an environment of tolerance, shared knowledge and understanding.
It is always easy to villify those we perceive as different, but that is ultimately an exercise in denial. Improving the situation requires the courage to question underlying assumptions about what generates hostility and isolation in first place.