Digital divide cartogram in which country size is proportional to Internet use.

The term digital divide refers to the gap between those people with effective access to digital and information technology and those without access to it. It includes the imbalances in physical access to technology as well as the imbalances in resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen. In other words, it’s the unequal access by some members of the society to information and communications technology, and the unequal acquisition of related skills. Groups often discussed in the context of a digital divide include socioeconomic (rich/poor), racial (majority/minority), generational (young/old) or geographical (urban/rural). The term global digital divide refers to differences in technology access between countries. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,804 × 2,599 pixels, file size: 142 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,804 × 2,599 pixels, file size: 142 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... For other uses, see Digital (disambiguation). ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... For other uses, see Society (disambiguation). ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... The global digital divide is a term used to describe “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries” (Lu 2001 p. ...

Origins of the term

The term initially referred to gaps in ownership of computers between groups.^[1][2] The term came into regular usage in the mid-1990s. President of the United States Bill Clinton and his Vice President Al Gore used the term in a 1996 speech in Knoxville,^[3] though the term had appeared in several news articles and political speeches as early as 1995.^[4] Larry Irving, a former United States head of the National Telecommunications Infrastructure Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and technology adviser to the Clinton Administration, noted that a series of NTIA surveys (1995), (1998), (1999), and (2000) were “catalysts for the popularity, ubiquity, and redefinition” of the term, and he used the term in a series of later reports.^[4] Since the start of the George W. Bush Administration, the NTIA reports (2002)(2004) have tended to focus less on gaps and divides and more on the steady growth of broadband access, especially amongst groups formerly believed to be on the wrong side of the digital divide.^{[citation needed]} Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Vice President of the United States[1] (sometimes referred to as VPOTUS[2] or Veep) is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president. ... This article is about the former Vice President of the United States. ... Alternate uses: Knoxville (disambiguation) Knoxville is a city located in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. ... The United States Department of Commerce is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. ... The office of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce in the mid-20th century. ... President Clintons Cabinet, circa 1993 Headed by President of the United States Bill Clinton, the Clinton Administation was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from 1993 to 2001. ... The Bush administration includes President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Bushs Cabinet, and other select officials and advisors. ...

Current usage

There are various definitions of the term "digital divide". Bharat Mehra defines it simply as “the troubling gap between those who use computers and the internet and those who do not”.^[5] Dr. Bharat Mehra is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. ...

The term initially referred to gaps in the ownership of, or regular access to, a computer. As Internet access came to be seen as a central aspect of computing, the term's usage shifted to encompass gaps in not just computers but also access to the Internet. Recently, some have used the term to refer to gaps in broadband network access.^[2] The term can mean not only unequal access to computer hardware, but also inequalities between groups of people in the ability to use information technology fully.^[6] The ideal telecommunication network would have the following characteristics: broadband, multi-media, multi-point, multi-rate and economical implementation for a diversity of services (multi-services) [1][2]. The Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (B-ISDN) provides these characteristics in todays networks. ... Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ...

Due to the range of criteria which can be used to assess the imbalance, and the lack of detailed data on some aspects of technology usage, the exact nature of the digital divide is both contextual and debatable. Criteria often used to distinguish between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' of the digital divide tend to focus on access to hardware, access to the internet, and details relating to both categories. Some scholars fear that these discussions might be discouraging the creation of Internet content that addresses the needs of minority groups that make up the "have nots," as they are portrayed to be technophobic charity cases that lack the desire to adopt new technologies on their own.^[7]

The discussion on digital divide often are tied with other concepts. Lisa Servon argued in 2002 that the digital divide "is a symptom of a larger and more complex problem -- the problem of persistent poverty and inequality".^[8] As described by Mehra (2004), the four major components that contribute to digital divide are “socioeconomic status, with income, educational level, and race among other factors associated with technological attainment”.^[5]

Recognition of digital divide as an immense problem has led scholars, policy makers, and the public to understand the “potential of the internet to improve everyday life for those on the margins of society and to achieve greater social equity and empowerment”.^[5]

Digital divide and education

One area of significant focus was school computer access; in the 1990s, rich schools were much more likely to provide their students with regular computer access. In the late 1990s, rich schools were much more likely to have internet access.^{[citation needed]} In the context of schools, which have consistently been involved in the discussion of the divide, current formulations of the divide focus more on how (and whether) computers are used by students, and less on whether there are computers or internet connections.^{[citation needed]}

The E-rate program (officially the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund), authorized in 1996 and implemented in 1997, directly addressed the technology gap between rich and poor schools by allocating money from telecommunications taxes to poor schools without technology resources. Though the program faced criticism and controversy in its methods of disbursement, it did provide over 100,000 schools with additional computing resources, and internet connectivity.^{[citation needed]} E-rate is a United States federal program intended to provide funding for data/telephone communications re-imbursement for K-12 educational entities. ...

Recently, discussions of a digital divide in school access have broadened to include technology related skills and training in addition to basic access to computers and internet access.^{[citation needed]}

Technology offers a unique opportunity to extend learning support beyond the classroom, something that has been difficult to do until now. “The variety of functions that the internet can serve for the individual user makes it “unprecedentedly malleable” to the user’s current needs and purposes”.^[9]

Global digital divide

Main article: Global digital divide

Digital Divide Cartogram

Another key dimension of the digital divide is the global digital divide, reflecting existing economic divisions in the world. This global digital divide widens the gap in economic divisions around the world. Countries with a wide availability of internet access can advance the economics of that country on a local and global scale. In today's society, jobs and education are directly related to the internet. In countries where the internet and other technologies are not accessible, education is suffering, and uneducated people cannot compete in the global economy. This leads to poor countries suffering greater economic downfall and richer countries advancing their education and economy. However, when dealing with the global aspect of digital divide there are several factors that lead to digital divide. For example, country of residence, ethnicity, gender, age, educational attainment, and income levels are all factors of the global aspects of digital divide.^{[10][page # needed]} In addition, a survey shows that in 15 Western European countries females, manual workers, elderly, and the less educated have less internet access than males, professional, the young, and the well educated”.^[11] The digital divide is a term used to refer to the gap between people who have access to the internet and those that do not. It can also refer to the skills people have – the divide between peoples who are at ease using technology to access and analyse information and those who are not. The global digital divide is a term used to describe “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries” (Lu 2001 p. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,804 × 2,599 pixels, file size: 142 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,804 × 2,599 pixels, file size: 142 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The global digital divide is a term used to describe “great disparities in opportunity to access the Internet and the information and educational/business opportunities tied to this access … between developed and developing countries” (Lu 2001 p. ... The world economy can be represented various ways, and broken down in various ways. ... It has been suggested that Three Worlds Theory be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section should be merged with ethnic group Ethnicity is the cultural characteristics that connect a particular group or groups of people to each other. ... Gender in common usage refers to the sexual distinction between male and female. ... Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ...

Digital divide worldwide

China: see Digital divide in the People's Republic of China

Europe: European Union study from 2005 conduced in 14 European countries and focused on the issue of digital divide found that within the EU,^[12] the digital divide is primarily a matter of age and education. Among the young or educated the proportion of computer or Internet users is much higher than with the old or uneducated. Digital divide is also higher in rural areas. The study found that the presence of children in a household increases the chance of having a computer or Internet access, and that small businesses are catching up with larger enterprises when it comes to Internet access. The study also notes that "Despite increasing levels of ICT usage in all sections of society, the divide is not being bridged."

United States: According to a July 2007 Pew Internet & American Life report, "47% of Americans have a broadband connection at home," an increase of 5% in one year.^[13] Digital divide is a common subject in US politics and various government policies.

// The term digital divide refers to the gap between those with regular, effective access to Digital and information technology, and those without this access. ...

Digital divide, e-democracy and e-governance

Main articles: e-democracy and e-governance

The theoretical concepts of e-democracy are still in early development, but many scholars agree that blogs (web logs), wikis and mailing lists may have significant effects in broadening the way democracy operates.^[14] There is, as yet, no consensus among scholars about the possible outcomes of this revolution;^[14] it has so far shown promise in improving electoral administration and reducing fraud and disenfranchisement; particularly positive has been the reception of e-government services related to online delivery of government services, with portals (such as United States USA.gov in English and GobiernoUSA.gov in Spanish) used as intermediaries between the government and the citizen, replacing the need for people to queue in traditional offices.^[15] E-democracy (a neologism and contraction of electronic democracy) is the utilization of electronic communications technologies, such as the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy. ... ... E-democracy (a neologism and contraction of electronic democracy) is the utilization of electronic communications technologies, such as the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Wiki wiki redirects here. ... A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. ... The term (in all its uses) is generally agreed to derive from electronic government which introduces the notion and practicalities of electronic technology into the various dimensions and ramifications of government. ... USA.gov, the U.S. government’s official web portal, is designed to improve the public’s interaction with the U.S. government by quickly directing website visitors to the services or information they are seeking. ...

One of the main problems associated with the digital divide as applied to a liberal democracy is the capacity to participate in the new public space, the cyberspace - as in the extreme case, exclusively computer-based democratic participation (deliberation forums, online voting, etc) could mean that no access meant no vote. Therefore, there is a risk that some social groups - those without adequate access to or knowledge of IT - will be under-represented (or others over-represented) in the policy formation processes and this would be incompatible with the equality principles of democracy.^[15] Liberal democracy is a form of government. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Gathering place. ... It has been suggested that Virtual world be merged into this article or section. ... A typical Internet forum discussion, with common elements such as quotes and spoiler brackets A page from a forum showcasing emoticons and Internet slang An Internet forum is a web application for holding discussions and posting user generated content. ... Electronic voting (a. ...

Proponents of the open content, free software, and open access social movements believe that these movements help equalize access to digital tools and information.^{[citation needed]} Open content, coined by analogy with open source, (though technically it is actually share-alike) describes any kind of creative work including articles, pictures, audio, and video that is published in a format that explicitly allows the copying of the information. ... Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things. ... Open access (OA) means immediate, free and unrestricted online access to digital scholarly material[1], primarily peer-reviewed research articles in scholarly journals. ... Social movements are broader political associations focussed on specific issues. ...

Overcoming the digital divide

Projects like One Laptop per Child and 50x15 offer a partial solution to the global digital divide; these projects tend to rely heavily upon open standards and free open source software. The OLPC XO-1 is an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world,^[16] to provide them with access to knowledge. Programmer and free software advocate Richard Stallman has highlighted the importance of free software among groups concerned with the digital divide such as the World Summit on the Information Society.^[17] First working prototype of $100 laptop One Laptop Per Child is a non-profit organization set up to oversee the $100 laptop project. ... The 50x15 Initiative, launched by AMD at 2004 at the World Economic Forum, aims at providing accessible Internet and computers for 50 percent of the worlds population by the year 2015. ... Open standards are publicly available specifications for achieving a specific task. ... ... The XO-1, previously known as the $100 Laptop or Childrens Machine, is an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world [1], to provide them with access to knowledge. ... Laptop with touchpad. ... The Access to Knowledge movement (also known as A2K) is a loose collection of civil society groups, governments, and individuals converging on the idea that access to knowledge should be linked to fundamental principles of justice, freedom, and economic development. ... Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things. ... Richard Matthew Stallman (born March 16, 1953), often abbreviated rms,[1] is an American software freedom activist, hacker,[2] and software developer. ... The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication and, in broad terms, the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis. ...

Organizations such as Geekcorps, EduVision ^[18] and Inveneo ^[19] also help to overcome the digital divide. They often do so through the use of education systems that draw on information technology. The technology they employ often includes low-cost laptops/subnotebooks, handhelds (eg Simputer, E-slate, ...), tablet PCs, Mini-ITX PCs ^[20] and low-cost WiFi-extending technology as cantennas and WokFis ^[21]. In addition, other information technology material usable in the classroom can also be made diy to lower expenses. This includes projectors, ... ^[22][23] Geekcorps is a non-profit organization that sends people with technical skills to Third World countries to assist in computer infrastructure development. ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sony VAIO model C1 subnotebook A subnotebook is a small and lightweight portable computer, with most of the features of a standard notebook computer but smaller. ... The Simputer is a self-contained, handheld computer, designed for use in environments where computing devices such as Personal Computers are deemed inappropriate. ... Wi-Fi (or Wi-fi, WiFi, Wifi, wifi), short for Wireless Fidelity, is a set of standards for wireless local area networks (WLAN) currently based on the IEEE 802. ... A cantenna is a directional waveguide antenna for long-range Wi-Fi (compare hi-fi) used to increase the range of (or snoop on) a wireless network. ... See also: DIY Network, a cable TV network. ... Projectors are used for displaying an image on a projection screen or similar surface for the view of an audience. ...

In Digital Nation, Anthony G. Wilhelm calls on politicians to develop a national ICT agenda.^[6]

Yet another solution is to try to better understand the lifestyle of a minority or marginalized community.^[24] In doing this, researchers can figure out “what is meaningful to them [minorities and marginalized users] and how they use (or do not use) different forms of the internet for meeting their objectives”.^[25] Furthermore, “a need for a re-examination of questions based on traditional ways of looking at people, their social dynamics, and their interactions with technology”.^[25] Additionally, “One strategy is to transfer goal-setting, decision making, and choice-determining processes into the hands of the disadvantaged users in order that they ‘fit’ internet into their daily lives in ways that they themselves consider to be meaningful”.^[26]

International cooperation between governments have begun, aiming at dealing with the global digital divide. For example, in an attempt to bridge this digital divide, an agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Egyptian government emerged. The USAID funded state-of-the-art equipment for Egyptian education, their brilliance of knowledge in using such equipment caused such equipment to increase in use throughout the years. Now, Egyptian society is more computer literate and knowledgeable about computers than they used to be. Nonetheless it's a sign of progress that such attempts at bridging the digital divide are seriously being made. ^[27] Additional participants in such endeavors include the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development and the Digital alliance Foundation.^[28][29] USAID logo The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the U.S. government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid. ... Politics of Egypt takes place in the framework of a semi-presidential republic, whereby the President of Egypt is de facto both head of state and head of government, and of a system dominated by the National Democratic Party. ... The Egyptian educational system is highly centralized, and is divided into three stages: Basic Education - (Arabic:Marhalet Al-Taaleem Al-Asassi) Primary Stage Preparatory Stage Secondary Education (Marhalet ElTaaleem Al-Thanawi) Post-Secondary education Since the extension of the free compulsory education law in 1981 to include the preparatory phase...

The United Nations is aiming to raise awareness of the divide by way of the World Information Society Day which takes place yearly on May 17.^[30] UN redirects here. ... World Information Society Day was put into adoption by the United Nations general assembly as a result of outlines set by the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis in 2005 by way of resolution A/RES/60/252. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Criticism

The existence of a digital divide is not universally recognized. Compaine (2001) argues it is a perceived gap. Technology gaps are relatively transient; hence the digital divide should soon disappear in any case. The knowledge of computers will become less important as they get smarter and easier to use. In the future people will not need high-tech skills to access the Internet and participate in e-commerce or e-democracy. Thus Compaine argues that a digital divide "is not the issue to expend substantial amounts or funds nor political capital".^[2] Electronic commerce, EC, e-commerce or ecommerce consists primarily of the distributing, buying, selling, marketing, and servicing of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. ... E-democracy (a neologism and contraction of electronic democracy) is the utilization of electronic communications technologies, such as the Internet, in enhancing democratic processes within a democratic republic or representative democracy. ...

See also

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

The Information Age

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Information and Communication Technologies for Poverty Alleviation

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of

Internet Governance

• 50x15
• Achievement gap
• Generation gap
• Income gap
• Information society
• Knowledge divide
• Knowledge society
• Opportunity gap
• United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force
• VIA pc-1 Initiative, VIA Technologies digital divide program.
• OLPC XO-1, One-Laptop Per Child program's laptop
• Classmate PC a low-cost laptop by Intel.
• Eee PC, a low-cost subnotebook designed by ASUS and Intel.
• Sinomanic, another low-cost (250$) subnotebook
• InkMedia MC, another low-cost subnotebook
• Zonbu
• Digital Textbook a South Korean Project that intends to distribute tablet notebooks to elementary school students.

Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo-en. ... Wikibooks logo Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a wiki for the creation of books. ... The 50x15 Initiative, launched by AMD at 2004 at the World Economic Forum, aims at providing accessible Internet and computers for 50 percent of the worlds population by the year 2015. ... An achievement gap refers to the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. ... A generation gap is a popular term used to describe wide differences in cultural norms between members of a younger generation and their elders. ... Economic inequality refers to disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. ... For other uses, see Information society (disambiguation). ... // The transformation of world’s economy and society become continuum. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Opportunity gap can refer to: in business, a Market opportunity a company or individual is not addressing in politics, a euphemism for a lack of Equal opportunity Business opportunity Market Intelligence Marketing management Marketing plan Product management Strategic planning Achievement gap Digital gap Generation gap Income gap Marriage gap Category... The United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UN ICT TF) was a multi-stakeholder initiative associated with the United Nations which is intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts to bridge the global digital divide, foster digital opportunity and thus firmly put ICT... The VIA pc-1 Initiative is a project of VIA Technologies to help bridge the digital divide by developing innovative and sustainable information and communication technology (ICT) solutions to benefit one billion people who currently do not have access to computers or the Internet. ... The XO-1, previously known as the $100 Laptop or Childrens Machine, is an inexpensive laptop computer intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world [1], to provide them with access to knowledge. ... The Classmate PC, formerly known as Eduwise, is Intels entry into the market for low-cost personal computers for children in the developing world. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... The Eee PC is an ultra-portable laptop designed by Intel and ASUS, aimed at the consumer market. ... Sony VAIO model C1 subnotebook A subnotebook is a small and lightweight portable computer, with most of the features of a standard notebook computer but smaller. ... For other uses, see ASUS (disambiguation). ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... A Loongson based laptop,designed by Sinomanic. ... Sony VAIO model C1 subnotebook A subnotebook is a small and lightweight portable computer, with most of the features of a standard notebook computer but smaller. ... The InkMedia mobile computer (Ink MC) is a low cost mobile computer running Linux/FOSS being developed by a Canadian company called Ink-Media Inc. ... Sony VAIO model C1 subnotebook A subnotebook is a small and lightweight portable computer, with most of the features of a standard notebook computer but smaller. ... Zonbu is a technology company responsible for the development of a computing platform that combines a web-centric service, a small form factor PC, and an open source based software architecture to create an affordable, hassle-free, and environmentally responsible computing environment. ... The Digital Textbook program was announced by the Education Ministry of South Korea on March 8th 2007, the program intends to provide for all Korean schools by 2011. ... For Korea as a whole, see Korea. ...

Notes

References

• Bargh, John A. & McKenna, Katelyn Y.A. (2004), "The Internet and Social Life", Annual Review of Psychology 55: 573-90 
• "REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT TO THE PEOPLE OF KNOXVILLE", 'Clinton Presidential Center (clintonpresidentialcenter.org), October 10, 1996, <http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/legacy/101096-remarks-by-president-and-vp-in-knoxville-tn.htm>. Retrieved on 27 October 2007 
• Cheung, Charles (2004), "Identity construction and self-presentation on personal homepages: Emancipatory potentials and reality constraints", Web Studies (New York: Oxford: In D. Guantlett & R. Horsley (Eds.)): 53-68 
• Compaine, Benjamin M. (ed.) (2001), The Digital Divide: Facing a Crisis or Creating a Myth?, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, ISBN 0262531933 
• Horrigan, John B. & Smith, Aaron, "Home Broadband Adoption 2007 Report", Pew Internet & American Life, <http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Broadband%202007.pdf>. Retrieved on 27 October 2007 
• Mehra, Bharat; Merkel, Cecelia & Bishop, Ann P. (2004), "The internet for empowerment of minority and marginalized users", New Media and Society 6: 781-802 
• Servon, Lisa (2002), Bridging the Digital Divide: Technology, Community, and Public Policy, Malden, MA: Blackwell, ISBN 0-631-23242-7 
• Stallman, Richard (06 October 2006), "Transcript of Richard Stallman's speech at World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) on "Is Free/Open Source Software the Answer?"", Fellowship of Free Software Foundation Europe, <http://fsfe.org/en/fellows/ciaran/ciaran_s_free_software_notes/transcript_of_rms_at_wsis_on_is_free_open_source_software_the_answer>. Retrieved on 27 October 2007 

• Young, Jeffrey R. (November 9, 2001), "Does 'Digital Divide' Rhetoric Do More Harm Than Good?", The Chronicle of Higher Education 48: 1-5, <http://chronicle.com/free/v48/i11/11a05101.htm>. Retrieved on 21 November 2007 

John A. Bargh is a professor of social psychology at Yale University. ... Dr. Bharat Mehra is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. ... Richard Matthew Stallman (born March 16, 1953), often abbreviated rms,[1] is an American software freedom activist, hacker,[2] and software developer. ... The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper that is a source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and administration. ...

External links

Relevant Organizations

• Digital Divide Network, an internet community for citizens working to bridge the digital divide
• InterConnection, a non-profit organization that works to reduce the digital divide, providing refurbished computers, laptops, and technologies to schools, NGOs, and other organizations in developing countries throughout the world.
• Digital Alliance Foundation: Capacity-building ICT Skills
• Digital Opportunity Channel - provides info on global developments
• Citizens Online - UK initiative
• UK Online Centres - gives UK internet access to the "digitally deprived"

Studies, Reports and Articles

• The Pew Internet & American Life Project tracks internet usage in the United States.
• Bridging the digital divide: An opportunity for growth for the 21st century Strategy White Paper
• EU policies on EurActiv.com
• "Digital Divide into Digital Opportunities" by Marc Sehrt, for the UN Chronicle
• Three Stages of the Digital Divide: Economic divide, Usability divide, Empowerment divide
• Crossing the Divide & Measuring Digital Opportunity for America's Children Reports from the Center for Justice Tolerance and Community at the University of California, Santa Cruz
• Focus group reports from a 3-year NSF-funded study of service-learning and the digital divide
• Your Guide to the Digital Divide PBS MediaShift

Scholarly Literature

• IT & Society Journal Journal published by Stanford University. Publication suspended in 2004, but has several issues devoted to the digital divide
• "Generational Differences in Information Technology Use and Political Involvement" (2006)
• "Lost in Cyberspace: Barriers to Bridging the Digital Divide in Politics" (2006)
• "Closing the Digital Divide with Service-Learning" (2005)
• "Digital Citizenship: Parameters of the Digital Divide" (2004)

Research Projects

• Digital Citizenship: A Service-Learning Approach to the Digital Divide