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The term "Digital Divide" is a term to describe the space between different demographics and regions that have the ability to access information and communications technology, or that don't have access or have restricted access. There truly is a gap, as I did my research I found that it was more common to see the upper and middle class are more likely to have an ISP service at home, whereas the lower class often will have to gain access through public places such as libraries or public places with free Wifi. Closing the gap would improve literacy, economic equality, democracy, and stimulate economic growth (Rouse, n.d.)
2. The impact free speech has on the Internet has been a discussion in my workplace this week. Some individuals who have access to the Internet feel as though they are more protected and can say whatever they like and not have to suffer any consequences. We had a few individuals basically get into a confrontation on social media with our commander. The individuals I am sure would not have said these things if they were in-person. But the belief that social media seems to bring a since of invisibility. There have been some cases, users will racially attack others for the color of the skin, whether black or white.
There should be an "acceptable and appropriate" standard for information being posted but the Internet is too big to regulate the information that is being shared. The internet has provided a stage to speak you mind at that moment and at anytime. Filtering pornographic sites is viewed would be targeting and censoring those who chose to look at those sites. Again, censoring those sites based on the content, then we would have to censor anything found offensive to everyone else. However, terror groups have been able to spread their ideology over the internet without reprieve. Politicians have attempted to filter these types of sites as well as pirating websites and other sites. The right to censor certain things does not fall on politicians but rather everyone who uses the Internet.
3. The first URL I discovered this week was freedomhouse This site discussed the idea that the internet was critical for people to share ideas and a tool through which democracy and human rights activists can mobilize and advocate on. However, some state and countries have devised proxies in which to contain and block information. Is this anything new, not really, as China is known to filter and block access to sites on the internet. North Korea just blocks the internet and uses an intranet. We see how Facebook and the election is panning out.
The Ford Foundation is a advocate group that promotes free civil expression of rights and freedom on the internet. The group works to support regulations, policies, and social norms that govern the internet and protect the public. This generation is indeed internet saturated and rules or guidelines to protect and help keep the internet fair are needed. Most communication is done over the internet and etiquette is important.
Reference:
Rouse, M. (n.d.). What is ICT (information and communications technology, or technologies)?
Reply 150 minimum words to discussion
1 The digital divide can be thought of as a four quadrant chart. The top left is wealthy ) What is meant by the term "Digital Divide" in relation to the Internet? Which groups of people are most negatively affected by the Digital Divide, and why? What are some of the consequences of the Digital Divide to both individuals and society?and young, and bottom right is poor and old.
Additionally, in the context wealth is predicated on the understanding and use of the internet. The people at the creates disadvantage are the elderly with no digital experience and no means of which to acquire said experience. The consequences are astronomical for those who find themselves in the lower right quadrant.
As things become more "digitally dependent" the farther and farther those people find themselves from the average, and the barrier to start to climb back up is very large. Just think of something like health care, the un-digitized elderly have no shot at getting and understanding medical care if they don't at least have some footing in the digital realm.
2) What is the impact of free speech on the Internet and how does this relate to censorship? Should information on the Internet be filtered? Should there be an "acceptable and appropriate" standard for information posted online? Why or why not? How might the filtering of pornographic sites relate to political censorship and distribution of propaganda?
It seems in the U.S. and places where postings on the internet is unregulated in the since that the person is not breaking any laws, people remain largely uncensored. With the addition of anonymizers and things like TOR create forums where not only is "speech" unregulated, it is almost untraceable.
While we have laws against illegal activity, information on the internet is largely unfiltered. I do not believe that their should be filters placed on legal activities as such filters can lead to further regulation and the preponderance of filtering based on the biases of the bodies doing the filtering. There should not be a standard for appropriate online content at the internet level. This filtering should be done at the personal level. For example, filtering of pornography should be something done by the parents of youth and at the ISP and browser level.
This is not because I believe that pornography is appropriate, but rather it invites someone else to decide what is appropriate content, no matter the topic. If this were to occur, where does it stop? Could dissenting opinions of government programs be filtered? The internet is a vast information highway, and the restriction of this will only limit innovation.
3) Provide the URL of at least two sites that discuss the impact of the Internet on any one of the concepts discussed this week and provide a brief review of the information contained there. Did you learn anything new? Were you surprised by any of the information presented on the site?
This site discusses the digital divide. The first thing I noticed when conducting my research on this site is the informational graph based on access to the internet. It was astonishing to me the level of access in relationship to quality of life. In a country like the U.S. there is a higher level of income, education and medical care, as well as internet usage, compared to a places in Africa where poverty is vast.
This USA Today article discusses the places in which internet content is the most restricted. Places like Iran, North Korea and Cuba. In this context I saw that the amount of government regulation throughout the societies was directly proportional to the amount of restriction placed on the internet. We then equate this restriction and heavy government oversight to tyrannical rule and lack of free speech and free thinking.