I'm kind of new to this network. Not that this matters.
I'm with you John until you said lazy high school students. Can we really say that their being lazy is the problem? In some communities I know that there are a lack of available role models and inspiration. Teacher can't do it all. I can guarantee you that the people in these areas that you are using as examples, did not get motivated without some focused guidance.
I agree with what you said about the opportunities for less expensive training on the net. I does though, take some doing to get people who are focused on survival in the streets to understand the exponential possibilities of information intelligence.
When it comes to the digital divide, we need to focus on the source. I also like what Andy said about different solutions for different situations. For instance, in the American inner, cell phones and other type of digital toys are fairly ineffective in reaching the youth populations and making sure that once they are trained that the jobs are there for them.
Many of the high school students are not lazy, many are just misguided. Unfortunately, the violence and gun play in cities such as Philadelphia makes it difficult to reach the very people who need a bridge through the Digital Divide. They are the stigmatized form both directions because they are being caught in the cross hairs.
It's very sad that unfortunately this is the problem is alive and kicking right here the most digitally progressive county. What do you think about that? Like or not.
Sandra
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Hibbs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "The Digital Divide Network discussiongroup" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 7:40 PM
Subject: Re: [DDN] The real digital divide (fwd)
At 4:27 AM +0000 3/12/05, Cindy Lemcke-Hoong wrote:One reason is, as a labourer, you don't need to know too much reading. Just pure muscle. And miserable lives. I saw that in China, Singapore (that was in the 80s, where foreign workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia lived in deplorable conditions as compared to the local. The Malaysian faired better since their home is only a hop away ...), now in Malaysia ...
While we frequently talk about greater access to education and training as a result of the Net and cheaper access to it -- all of which is true -- we really don't concentrate very hard on the talking more about promoting *work* opportunities as a result of the new connectivity. I don't know why this is because the examples are many that this kind of thing is well underway; (India's India's call centers -- coupled to the complaint by wealthy nation employees that their job was outsourced). (What is one man's poison is another man's potion.)
It is not a terribly long step to believe that relatively simple typing skills by Bengali's can lead to data processing jobs from Boston -- along the lines of what the Irish have done for New England insurance companies for two or three decades.
"Outsourcing" has just begun. In full bloom, 30, 40, 50 years from now, it will mean tele-commuting -- probably from telecenters with all the latest and greatest equipment, with the labor force coming from that same pool that Cindy came from...except what will count most is brain power, not muscle power.
Final note: All this means today's American college and high school graduate had best get off their lazy butts and realize what the REAL competition is going to do to their job situation.
--
John W. Hibbs
<
http://www.bfranklin.edu/johnhibbs
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