DIGITAL DIVIDE
Bill Gates Views What He's Sown in Libraries
N.Y., N.Y., It's a Wireless Town
Appleton West Alum Fills in Digital Divide a Little Byte at a Time
INTERNATIONAL
South Korea Claims Net 'Super' Status
Chinese Province Launches ID Requirement for Net Cafe Users
DIGITAL DIVIDE
BILL GATES VIEWS WHAT HE'S SOWN IN LIBRARIES
Multi-billionaire Bill Gates is wrapping up a five-year philanthropic effort
to provide computers and Internet access to underserved and poor libraries
across the United States, particularly in rural areas. After a visit to one
of the libraries where computers were donated, Mr. Gates noted that many
people were taking advantage the donated technologies. However, he said, the
program was not having the desired impact of helping to prevent rural
flight. "I thought digital technology would eventually reverse urbanization,
and so far that hasn't happened," he said. "They come into the library, and
they may use the computer to get a job and leave," said Kristie Kirkpatrick,
a librarian in Colfax, Washington. An evaluation of the library project
found that most people who used the donated computers were poor and use the
libraries to stay in contact with family members through email.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Timothy Egan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/national/06GATE.html)
N.Y., N.Y., IT'S A WIRELESS TOWN
A recent study performed by wireless network operator OpenAir Communications
revealed that Manhattan is an island ready for wireless Internet. According
to OpenAir vice president Marcos Lara, nearly 13,000 Wi-Fi access points
exist in New York, suggesting that the near future could bring "a day in
which anyone can stand on any street corner... and receive Internet access
wirelessly." The vision is not without its caveats, as the existing networks
are privately owned and security interests may prevent companies from
opening them up to the public. Lara also noted that despite the near
ubiquity of Wi-Fi in Manhattan, lower-income areas are almost completely
void of wireless access points. One of them is Harlem, which Lara found had
almost no wireless activity.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Elisa Batista]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,56197,00.html)
APPLETON WEST ALUM FILLS IN DIGITAL DIVIDE A LITTLE BYTE AT A TIME
A Menasha, Wisconsin native has spent the last six years helping to bridge
the digital divide in his state, but this week he got to give back to the
schools he attended as a child. Michael Pitsch, founder and executive
director of Tech Corps Wisconsin, delivered 175 refurbished PCs, including
25 laptops, to three schools last weekend -- including his high school and
junior high. "It's all about leveling the playing field for kids who need to
compete for jobs and college," Pitsch says. "We want to make an impact on
children who are less than affluent and wouldn't necessarily have access at
home."
[SOURCE: The Post-Crescent, AUTHOR: Kathy Walsh Nufer]
(http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/local_6848427.shtml)
INTERNATIONAL
CHINESE PROVINCE LAUNCHES ID REQUIREMENT FOR NET CAFE USERS
In another attempt to control Internet use among its citizens, the Chinese
government has mandated that Internet cafe users purchase access cards that
identify them to authorities. The move is the second rulemaking in a month
aimed at curbing use of the Internet as a forum for free speech. Last month,
all minors were banned from Internet cafes, which are seen by the government
as detrimental to the nation's youth. The new system, enacted in the central
province of Jiangxi, requires users to register personally identifiable
information in a police database, allowing authorities to track attempts to
access forbidden Web sites.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2002-11-05-china-crackdown_x.htm)
SOUTH KOREA CLAIMS NET 'SUPER' STATUS
South Korea, where 60% of the population uses the Internet, is now touting
itself the world's most Internet-friendly country. The country has announced
a program intended to wire every home with a high-speed Internet connection
by 2005, increasing broadband connections from 10 to 13.5 million
households. Increased high-speed access "will serve as an important stepping
stone for the country to emerge as an advanced information-communication
nation in the 21st century," stated Kim Dae-Jung, president of South Korea.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2408923.stm)
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