The Digital Divide/s

What precisely does the Digital Divide--this sweeping, seemingly all-encompassing designation--mean? It's bandied about enough, it's catchy enough--rolls nicely off the tongue--but it's has now also become ubiquitous enough to be almost meaningless, like the cliché--once so apt--that's lost its sting.

And yet: Government 2.0 or 3.0 or whatever release the thing will have reached once it finally gets its entire act together, will not--axiomatically, I should add--get there while Digital Divides still exist: a fully digitized citizenry, by definition, would be a prerequisite to true digital government.

Digital Divide Defined

So, I ask again, what, precisely, is the Digital Divide?

Knee-jerk reply of Michael Powell, former US Federal Communications Commission Chairman: It's like a Mercedes divide, "I would like to have one, but I can't afford one." About as simplistic as you can get.

My knee-jerk reply: Many different things.

Digital Connect

Okay, let's come at this from another angle: what's the opposite of the Digital Divide? What would constitute a full Digital Connect?

In other words, what does the Ideal Digital Citizen (IDC) look like? It's important that we establish this, for everything that separates the IDC from the current analog, if you will, citizen (where- or whoever he or she may be) is in fact the Digital Divide--or, more accurately--the Digital Divides.

IDC Ingredients

Let's reel of the easy ones first:

Computer -- Yes, our IDC has to have one of those, and has know how to turn it on and off.

Software -- The IDC has to own and know a few of those, and he or she has to feel comfortable enough with them, and trust them well enough to find them of use in his or her own life. They must be more than toys, in other words.

Broadband Connection (Access) -- Yes, it has to be broadband. Our IDC can no longer live with 56K, it just won't do the trick--for one, the average government web page requires something like 30 seconds to download over a 56K modem. Not workable.

Skill and Training -- Our IDC is at home with the Internet, knows how to navigate and feels at home there.

Trust -- Our IDC feels secure in using the internet, and "dares" do online banking, investment, even voting, knowing it will be secure.

Purpose -- Our IDC feels that both the computer and the Internet enhances his or her survival, that he or she lives better for them in all strata of life. Has "What's in it for me?" figured out, and it came down on the side of Digital Connect.

Awareness -- Our IDC is aware of the many sites offered by States and Municipalities to interact and do business with.

Time -- Our IDC has sufficient time to spend online to exercise his or her Digital Citizenry.
Responsibility -- Important point: our IDC must give a damn. Must in fact care enough about local, state and national issues to keep informed, and to as requested submit his digital votes or input.

A Given?

Now, it seems to be a given that this would be a desirable creature to have around. But is it? Just asking.

If governments and ISPs were truly successful in morphing our analog hordes in to model IDCs--do we look at a better world? I don't know, but it's something to consider: Do we in fact want the digital divide bridged?

Back at the Ranch

Assuming, however, for argument's sake, that we do want the IDC around, in significant numbers, what factors play a part in the divides?

Here's a cursory list:

• Income
• Occupation
• Gender
• Age
• Education
• Geographic centrality
• Ethnicity and race
• Religiosity
• Language
• Family structure
• Physical capacity
• Frequency
• Time online
• Purpose
• Skills
• Autonomy
• Affordability
• Competitive market structure
• Ownership and density of computers and websites
• Communication infrastructure

And others.

In this blog I simply want to state the problem as I see it. I will explore the various divides in more detail in other blogs and articles.