What Does it Mean to be a Technology Activist?
Taran Rampersad has just authored an insightful essay on what it means
to be a technology activist. Some highlights:
"Really - what is a technology activist? This has been something
I've been trying to figure out, as it is presently a primary description
of me... I joked about it, saying that the 'pay sucks' (and it does),
and that there's little room for advancement....
"And I still can't quite put a finger on what a technology activist
is. At the end of the day, it's a very broad and ill defined area which
is a bit scarey, because perception might lead people to believe that
technology activism is limited to a select group, when in fact I believe
it isn't. I believe that it's a part of the natural course of technology.
"For my part, I see it as an issue related to quality of life. I
know that a lot of other people feel the same, though most I do know of
would be categorized as Digital Divide Activists...."
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Taran goes on to say that technology activism in itself is "a pretty
poorly defined area." Generally speaking, he concludes, it means "trying
to bring about change with technology."
I think that hits the nail on the head. Being a technology activist and
working to bridge the digital divide isn't about putting an Internet PC
so we can grow the market for e-commerce, online gaming or
entertainment....
Instead, being a technology activist is something more basic: fostering
equitable access to tools that will improve people's quality of life -
quality as they define it, on their own terms....
At its root, it's not about the technology. Being a technology activist
is being a community activist, a social justice activist, a political
activist, an education activist, a development activist. We've got these
amazing tools that are revolutionizing the way we all live, learn, earn
and interact. Shouldn't everyone have the same opportunity to benefit
from these tools, so they too can make a better life for themselves?
Taran's essay:
http://www.knowprose.com/node/11473
My response:
http://www.andycarvin.com/archives/2006/03/what_does_it_mean_to.html
--
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Andy Carvin
acarvin (at) edc . org
andycarvin (at) yahoo . com
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://www.andycarvin.com
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