(1.) Andrew Mahar (Radio Australia, 2009) established a group, InfoXchange, that collected and recycled old computers and supplied them to people in a large multi-storey housing estate in inner city Melbourne. He also established cheap access to the Internet for these people. He says "One of things about those communities is the things that often bind them are negative things; poor maintenance, bad security, drug and alcohol problems, family violence problems. Putting computers and the technology into those communities have given a great positive thing that connects them and binds those communities....They chat online together, they chat online with people outside of those communities." He goes on to report that "the communities there have over 30 different nationalities, so there are people who have come from all around the world and these people now are able to connect back in with their family and friends in the countries that they have come from as well."
(2.) These recycled computers are also being used by carers (at home) of chronically ill or disabled people. These people are usually severely stressed and poor in time and money, often unable to have any outside interaction. They are being encouraged to form support groups, using the Internet Chat sites, with other people coping with similar problems. Many such groups have been very successful in reducing the isolation and frustration of their existence.
* Published previously on the Discussion Board.
Experts in particular areas wishing to get a message across
The use by political parties to get their policies across to a different age group can be a legitimate pursuit. It is working well for Barak Obama but failed miserably for John Howard.
Citizen journalism
- Enables citizens to report some incidents that otherwise would go unreported due to censorship (like whistle-blowers but can be accomplished with anonymity if necessary)
- normal publications are constrained by guidelines and can be sued if they print or publish damaging or incorrect information
- Blog reporting is often published without these considerations. Hence, you need to:
- check the truth of the information
- check whether images have been modified or falsified
- carefully analyse the interpretation and/or bias of any conclusions
ABC Radio Australia (2009) Connecting Poor Communities to the Internet: An innovative project to bring the internet to disadvantaged communities for the first time. Retrieved April 16, 2009, from http://www.abc.net.au/ra/innovations/stories/s2504762.htm
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