roundtable: Re: Visions of the GII at t

roundtable: Re: Visions of the GII at t

Re: Visions of the GII at t

Mary Gardiner Jones (mgjones@apt.org)
Tue, 21 Mar 1995 18:06:10 -0500 (EST) 

Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 18:06:10 -0500 (EST)
From: Mary Gardiner Jones <mgjones@apt.org>
Subject: Re: Visions of the GII at t
To: roundtable@cni.org
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9503171140.B15971-0100000@stubbs.ucop.edu>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9503211846.G21436-0100000@idi.net>


Karen: You have raised a critical issue which we need to address. In 
part, the information you referred to which less advantaged citizens are 
apt to be interested in is local government informaiton. We need to work 
on them to publish their information in easy to access attratcive 
formats. That's at least a first step. we need to be much more creative 
on other steps.

Mary Gardiner Jones
Alliance for Public Technology (APT)	|   Internet:	mgjones@apt.org


On Fri, 17 Mar 1995, Karen Coyle wrote:
> 
> Jeff,
> 
> Content is a big issue, and you're right that there isn't much talk
> about it.  I believe that's because information, as content, is
> unlikely to provide the market that the commercial interests are
> desiring to obtain from the Iway.  What will sell is infotainment
> and entertainment.  
> 
> The truly information intensive businesses already have their information
> needs met by commercial systems like Dialog and Lexis/Nexis.  As a
> librarian I can tell you that much of the information that the general
> public seeks out has little or no commercial potential.  Will people
> pay for bus schedules, public health notices or voter information?
> Can we, as a society, afford to have things like safe sex information
> be on a "pay fer" basis?  And how on earth will you sell information
> on how to apply for welfare benefits in your state?
> 
> The real danger of "universal access" is that everyone will have the
> wires, but that the information needed by the less wealthy members
> of our society won't be there because it isn't profitable to provide
> it.  Or if it is there, it will be in a plain brown wrapper and no
> one will access it.  
> 
> There really is a question of social responsibility here that isn't
> getting addressed.
> 
> Karen Coyle
> Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
> Berkeley Chapter
> <kec@stubbs.ucop.edu>

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