Actually, Don, it's being argued that much of the rioting was instigated
by blog postings and other technology-driven innovations on the part of
the youth involved, ranging from mass-SMS to a giant blog site run by a
radio station (will have to find the link for this).
I would also argue that providing technology tools is a step in the
right direction, towards empowerment. However, the ability to organize
as a community can also be warped to translate into the ability to
organize a riot, since this is also an extreme example of community
organizing. Instead of becoming a tool of needed empowerment, I think
technology is currently being portrayed as a tool of excess empowerment,
to be feared by the proponents of the status quo. The media reviewed the
blogging factor in the same light as media websites being hacked by
radical elements, on the general theme of "youth have all of this scary
technology, the police are powerless, we should all fear" ...which I
think is an extremely negative, though extremely typical, media position.
An example, from the Washington Post: http://tinyurl.com/e2rwu
A more moderate review of blogs commenting on France from Yahoo News:
http://tinyurl.com/774sr
Fearmongering might hurt technology initiatives in Europe, and also pave
the way for greater governmental controls / oversight on freedom of
speech and access to technology, simply to prevent another France
incident. How can we portray (publicly) a distinction between blogging,
which is a tool several of us use and promote, and malicious hacking /
defacing? As long as the two are mentioned in the same breath, and the
media is shedding such negative light on blogging as a technology, we're
liable to face major obstacles in promoting CTC-like work.
For example, can you imagine the negative publicity if a blogger is
convicted of inciting riots, and it later comes out that they learned
how to use the internet, or learned how to blog, as a result of a
community technology initiative? Funders will not be keen to go anywhere
near that possibility. I'm worried that the word "blog" might itself be
gaining very negative connotations...and media coverage of the rioting
in France is going to hurt community technology efforts far more than it
will open people's eyes to the positive potential inherent in technology
education.
D.
--
Dave A. Chakrabarti
Projects Coordinator
CTCNet Chicago
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(708)919-1026
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In a message dated 11/11/05 9:04:54 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
Study Says Europe Has Digital Divide
BRUSSELS, Belgium - A digital divide has appeared among Europeans, with
age, income and education determining whether the continent's citizens
use the Internet, according to a new European Union study released
Thursday. Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency, said its survey which
gathered information from across the 25-nation bloc revealed a digital
divide, especially between the young and those over 50 years old, many
of whom have never or hardly use computers or use them to go online
In practical terms, I wonder how much of the current rioting in France, which
is likely to spread to other "disconnected" communities in Europe, could be
minimized by spreading more widely the benefits that could be derived from
access to connectivity and Internet skills. Perhaps none. Perhaps some. Perhaps
more in the longer term than immediately. Perhaps important.
Don Samuelson
Chicago
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