“The full electronic participation in Society” (Ribble, 2011). Whilst the Internet, World Wide Web, cell phones, television and other electronic information and communication technologies (ICTs) are opening up ways for the transformation of the way we live, learn, work and communicate, it is important to note that the decisions of opening, directing or closing of opportunities is key to bringing social and economic benefits to people around the world. Access is key and critical to bringing these social and economic benefits and should be at the forefront of all business and government decision making in the context of creating opportunities
Issues Surrounding Access
Technology is changing at a rapid rate. In 1965 Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of the Intel Corporation, predicted that computer hardware power would double every two years, where later he revised this to every 18 months (Moore, 1965). This is known as Moore’s Law
The Digital Divide – a Socio-economic Divide
The first issue surrounding access is that of the ability to access, in general, data and information through the use of digital devices. This access is known as the Digital Divide, or sometimes referred to as those that have and those that ‘have- not’ (Dutton, 2004)
The Digital Divide – a Divide in Infrastructure
Continuing along the theme of developing vs. developed countries lies the issue of infrastructure. Developed countries have a far greater penetration of appropriate and up-to-date infrastructure than that of the developing countries. Quite simply it is about the infrastructure of the developing countries that often impedes the broad range of access, in addition to the socio-economic factors. A prime example is that of South Africa’s poor electricity infrastructure that is under such extreme pressures, that we are experiencing rolling blackouts
The Digital Divide – a Divide in Content
According to Dutton (2004) nearly 70% of the websites are in English. Although this has changed substantially, the fact of the matter remains that English dominates the web
The Digital Divide – a Gender Divide
According to a 2013 report the Internet gender gap is notable in developing countries, with very real consequences to the girls and women of those communities. The statistics show that, on average, women are online in developing countries 23% less than that of their male counterpart. In some cases this gap is over 40%. What are the consequences? People derive huge benefits through the use and access of the Internet. These include economic and educational opportunities, access to support communities, as well as accessing career opportunities. Furthermore, by providing access for women to ICTs, nations are better able to empower women and provide equitable development (Women and the Web, 2013).
The Digital Divide – a Skill Divide
Having the skill to operate a computer is probably the biggest opportunity or hindrance to the adoption of technology for development. Although accessibility is increasing, skills are not necessarily conforming at the same rate of increase. These skills relate to digital literacies
The Digital Divide – the Universal Access Divide
Another issue pertaining to Digital Access is that of those who are physically disadvantaged. Those that suffer from some physical disability are often disenfranchised when it comes to access, both from skill but moreover the hardware and software utilised and available. Furthermore, the cost of such hardware and software is also exorbitant
. Difference between Data, Information and Knowledge
Often we hear of the concepts of data, information and knowledge being interchangeable and it can get quite confusing. However, these concepts, albeit related, are individual concepts that are interrelated. Therefore it is important to understand these concepts before we explore them in different contexts.
Data
Data is defined as: “a collection of facts, such as numbers, words, measurements, observations or even just descriptions of things” (mathisfun, n.d.). Essentially it is unprocessed and raw facts that need to be processed.
Information
Information is defined as: “the result of applying data processing to data, giving it context and meaning” (The free On-line Dictionary of computing, 2010).
Knowledge
Knowledge is defined as: “Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject” (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.).
The Difference
The difference between data, information and knowledge is the processes that it undergoes. Essentially data is a collection of unprocessed facts and figures, whilst information is the result of processing that data.
Technology is changing at a rapid rate. In 1965 Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of the Intel Corporation, predicted that computer hardware power would double every two years, where later he revised this to every 18 months (Moore, 1965). This is known as Moore’s Law
The Digital Divide – a Socio-economic Divide
The first issue surrounding access is that of the ability to access, in general, data and information through the use of digital devices. This access is known as the Digital Divide, or sometimes referred to as those that have and those that ‘have- not’ (Dutton, 2004)
The Digital Divide – a Divide in Infrastructure
Continuing along the theme of developing vs. developed countries lies the issue of infrastructure. Developed countries have a far greater penetration of appropriate and up-to-date infrastructure than that of the developing countries. Quite simply it is about the infrastructure of the developing countries that often impedes the broad range of access, in addition to the socio-economic factors. A prime example is that of South Africa’s poor electricity infrastructure that is under such extreme pressures, that we are experiencing rolling blackouts
The Digital Divide – a Divide in Content
According to Dutton (2004) nearly 70% of the websites are in English. Although this has changed substantially, the fact of the matter remains that English dominates the web
The Digital Divide – a Gender Divide
According to a 2013 report the Internet gender gap is notable in developing countries, with very real consequences to the girls and women of those communities. The statistics show that, on average, women are online in developing countries 23% less than that of their male counterpart. In some cases this gap is over 40%. What are the consequences? People derive huge benefits through the use and access of the Internet. These include economic and educational opportunities, access to support communities, as well as accessing career opportunities. Furthermore, by providing access for women to ICTs, nations are better able to empower women and provide equitable development (Women and the Web, 2013).
The Digital Divide – a Skill Divide
Having the skill to operate a computer is probably the biggest opportunity or hindrance to the adoption of technology for development. Although accessibility is increasing, skills are not necessarily conforming at the same rate of increase. These skills relate to digital literacies
The Digital Divide – the Universal Access Divide
Another issue pertaining to Digital Access is that of those who are physically disadvantaged. Those that suffer from some physical disability are often disenfranchised when it comes to access, both from skill but moreover the hardware and software utilised and available. Furthermore, the cost of such hardware and software is also exorbitant
. Difference between Data, Information and Knowledge
Often we hear of the concepts of data, information and knowledge being interchangeable and it can get quite confusing. However, these concepts, albeit related, are individual concepts that are interrelated. Therefore it is important to understand these concepts before we explore them in different contexts.
Data
Data is defined as: “a collection of facts, such as numbers, words, measurements, observations or even just descriptions of things” (mathisfun, n.d.). Essentially it is unprocessed and raw facts that need to be processed.
Information
Information is defined as: “the result of applying data processing to data, giving it context and meaning” (The free On-line Dictionary of computing, 2010).
Knowledge
Knowledge is defined as: “Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject” (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.).
The Difference
The difference between data, information and knowledge is the processes that it undergoes. Essentially data is a collection of unprocessed facts and figures, whilst information is the result of processing that data.