Subject: Re: Markle initiative for universal e-mail
Michael Eisenmenger (eisenmen@rci.rutgers.edu)
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 00:28:55 +0000
Message-Id: <353550BF.23B4@rci.rutgers.edu> Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 00:28:55 +0000 From: Michael Eisenmenger <eisenmen@rci.rutgers.edu> To: roundtable@cni.org Subject: Re: Markle initiative for universal e-mail References: <199804152021.QAA26695@raptor.cqi.com>
Mary G. Jones <mgjones@cqi.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the posting about the markle foundation E mail project.
> I think it is tragic that Markle is spending these funds on e mail
> which for many- perhaps most consumers- is such an artificial way of
> communicating and difficult for those who are not comfortable writing
> and typing and who do not have computers. This can't be a unifying
> force when so few people have access.
I agree with Mary's comments above - providing public access and
community based training should be the primary goal of foundations who
are presumably working to ensure that the information underclass grows
smaller rather than larger. This universal e-mail discussion has been
around for years, and today, web based e-mail accounts are offered free
with certain advertising hooks - so what is Markle really proposing that
the corporate world can't already claim credit for? If anything, we need
more community based technology centers providing access to tools, more
funding for these technologies in public libraries and MORE funding for
teachers to work in these sites to ensure proper training is available.
Markle has funded some good studies and I believe they have funded a few
good pilot projects, but now it's time we get past the flashy press
parties and get to work!
Excuse my impertinence on this subject but after spending six years
institutionalized in academia, I was recently fired (denied tenure)
for having spent too much time in class teaching students how to use
technology effectively and for engaging in collaborative projects on
real social and community based issues rather than concentrating on the
type of brand name research that is more easily remarketed to corporate
and foundation donors. So while we're at it, let's have a foundation do
a study on the hypocrisy of real teaching and learning in contemporary
American higher education. Younger, technology savvy professors are
routinely being turned away from higher education positions at tenure
time or are lured away much earlier by better paying corporate work.
If we can't ensure that our 'institutions of learning' value sound
education, what the hell good will universal e-mail be?
michael eisenmenger
(formerly of rutgers university)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Paper Tiger Television
339 Lafayette Street fax: (212) 420-8223
New York, NY 10012 email: tigertv@bway.net
phone: (212) 420-9045 web: http://www.papertiger.org
--------------------------------------------------------------
Paper Tiger TV is a non-profit volunteer collective that has
been pioneering media criticism through video since 1981. The
diverse series of over 260 programs addresses issues of demo-
cratic communications, media representation and the economics
of the information industry. The tapes are broadcast in NYC
and across the U.S. The tapes are also distributed by PTTV
to universities, libraries, and media art centers worldwide.
--------------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a16 : Tue Mar 23 1999 - 03:33:24 EST