Gaved, Mark and Mulholland, Paul
(2004).
| URL: | http://www.cmis.brighton.ac.uk/research/seake/cna/... |
|---|---|
| Google Scholar: | Look up in Google Scholar |
Abstract
The expression 'community network' has been used to describe a wide variety of networks with different aims and objectives, utilising diverse technologies, funding mechanisms, and existing for varying lifespans. This paper will focus on a specific form of community network - grassroots initiated networked communities. These are communities of locality that have developed their own Internet and /or intranet infrastructure with minimal external support. We analyse five examples of UK networked communities, and present preliminary survey results, identifying key characteristics and highlighting their approaches to achieving sustainable IT usage.
We contend that the design of many 'community networks' have been influenced by a discourse predominated by a focus on the provision of potential physical access, and as a result fail to provide an effective solution to the 'digital divide'. We argue a more complex model of multiple digital inequalities should be considered, as proposed by DiMaggio and Hargittai (2001). Our research extends this work by placing the community at the centre of action, as active participants within the process of achieving Internet connectivity, rather than as passive recipients of external interventions. Furthermore, we suggest sustainability to be an additional, critical factor when considering digital inequalities. We hypothesise that grassroots initiated networked community projects offer a viable method of overcoming multiple digital inequalities and are likely to ensure sustainable IT usage, with individuals moving online as part of an active community of locality.
Further research has commenced to analyse how the presence of social software and near-ubiquitous Internet access affects the sharing and storage of information within a community of locality. An outline of this work is presented and indications of likely future developments are offered.
| Item Type: | Conference Item |
|---|---|
| Academic Unit/Department: | Open University Business School Knowledge Media Institute |
| Interdisciplinary Research Centre: | Centre for Research in Computing (CRC) |
| Related URLs: |
|
| Item ID: | 17117 |
| Depositing User: | Wendy Hunt |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Aug 2009 15:13 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Oct 2011 09:49 |
| URI: | http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/17117 |
Actions (login may be required)
| View Item | |
| Report issue / request change |