Oops there goes the thread RE: [Air-l] Re: first post (An Internet Withou...

[Jonas Heide Smith]

FRANK SAID:

> I think what we're seeing here is typical use by a generation who grew up 
> with computers and the internet present by default. They're not interested

> in the internet _an sich_, as most people on this list I imagine. They're 
> not very interested in computers and the internet as a technology, as many

> of the tech-savvy "old school" users were/are. They're pretty much putting

> it to practical use: interacting with the school/university website, 
> searching/surfing a bit for information and entertainment, joining the odd

> forum, e-mailing, and chatting with friends. Maybe it's time to recognize 
> that this is typical use and that what came before really was atypical, 
> tech-savvy, avant garde use of the specific technology/medium that is the 
> internet.

I completely agree. This recognition, however, is far away in some circles.
Particularly, the idea that since children grow up with computer media they
naturally recieve a complete understanding of these media is very popular.
But the understanding that they recieve, as Frank states, is now (with
somewhat user-friendly graphical interfaces etc.) that of a user - not that
of someone who can engage with these media in critical ways. Not even to the
extent that they can make informed choices about IT work tools or take a
stand on broader semi-technical discussions related to IT (software patents,
open source etc.)

Interestingly, at one time many people were worried about girls not being
eager videogamers since they would not develop the IT skills that some boys
got from installing drivers, messing with system files etc. Today, that fear
has been eliminated - because today you can be a gamer without developing
such skills.

So, building on Frank's observation I would point to the problem of
implementing IT at all levels of society without taking seriously the need
to actually provide students (and others) with an understanding of the
aspects related to IT that one does not pick up by "interacting with the
school/university website, 
searching/surfing a bit for information and entertainment, joining the odd
forum, e-mailing, and chatting with friends".

Best regards,
Jonas

--------------------------------------------
JONAS HEIDE SMITH
PhD candidate, MA in Media Studies
 
IT University of Copenhagen
Department of Digital Aesthetics and Communication
Glentevej 67 / Office 1.12
DK-2400 Copenhagen
 
Tel: (+45) 38 16 89 35
Mobile: (+45) 24 91 33 13
Web: http://www.itu.dk/people/smith/




-----Original Message-----
From: air-l-admin at aoir.org [mailto:air-l-admin at aoir.org] On Behalf Of Frank
Schaap
Sent: 18. februar 2004 11:25
To: air-l at aoir.org
Subject: Re: Oops there goes the thread RE: [Air-l] Re: first post (An
Internet Withou...


Steffasong at aol.com wrote:
> As you can see from the sig file, I am from the States.  Most of my 
> students
> are not internationals.  What do you think is the reason for their lack of

> Internet savvy?  

Well, there are a couple of things happening as far as I've been able to get

them to talk about it. Unlike Eero's kids (in another message), my students 
have had access to computers and the Internet for the past 5 to 8 years. 
Most of them at school, with little restrictions, and a fair lot of them at 
home too.

The main thing is that they're not really interested in the internet as a 
medium, just like they don't care much for tv as a medium. It's all about if

"what's on" is interesting.

Also, if it doesn't come ready to use with Windows, few people will bother 
to download software for it to check it out. Unless it's interesting, like 
downloading music. So, they use Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger. Of 
course, Outlook (Express) will let you subscribe to newsgroups, but no one 
uses Outlook, because everybody only uses Hotmail.

There could be a nice paper here about "nomadic" use of the net by students,

who use the net mostly in computer rooms and at their parents place. They 
have a cellphone and because almost all universities in the Netherlands 
_don't_ have a campus, students live in privately rented rooms and shared 
apartments throughout town, often forgoing a landline or ADSL/cable to save 
money. If it doesn't work on the computers (ie Windows + IE) they have 
access to, then they don't use it.

I think what we're seeing here is typical use by a generation who grew up 
with computers and the internet present by default. They're not interested 
in the internet _an sich_, as most people on this list I imagine. They're 
not very interested in computers and the internet as a technology, as many 
of the tech-savvy "old school" users were/are. They're pretty much putting 
it to practical use: interacting with the school/university website, 
searching/surfing a bit for information and entertainment, joining the odd 
forum, e-mailing, and chatting with friends. Maybe it's time to recognize 
that this is typical use and that what came before really was atypical, 
tech-savvy, avant garde use of the specific technology/medium that is the 
internet.


Frank.

-- 
Barst     [NL] http://fragment.nl/barst/
Fragments [EN] http://fragment.nl/fragments/

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