Subject: Re: NYT Article - E-mail for Everyone
Craig A. Johnson (caj@tdrs.com)
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:24:39 -0400
Message-Id: <199804171716.NAA23752@ice.clark.net> Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:24:39 -0400 To: roundtable@cni.org From: "Craig A. Johnson" <caj@tdrs.com> Subject: Re: NYT Article - E-mail for Everyone In-Reply-To: <199804171204.IAA32441@raptor.cqi.com>
Mary Gardiner Jones <mgjones@cqi.com> wrote:
>
> We need to encourage technology to produce simpler access devices, the
> affordability of voice recognition and infrastructure to facilitate
> video communciations which is the way most of us communciate naturally
> and easily. When audio video communciations are possible, Markle is
> exactly right that then we have a potential universal service which
> needs to be encourage.
I have no clear idea what "voice recognition and infrastructure to
facilitate video communciations" means in the present context. Are you
suggesting we push more high-tech bundled telco toys like "audio video
communications" into the 'hoods to narrow the gap? This seems to be
precisely the wrong approach. Community centers, such as Virtually
Wired, community nets, and other municipal nets offer public places
where people can go to learn online skills. The last thing we need is
more packaged gadgets pawned off on poor consumers, many of whom cannot
even pay their long distance phone bills due to the over-inflated prices
caused by the current monopoly stranglehold on the local loop.
I think, as Dave Hughes says, there are times when it is important to
say, "To hell with the phone companies," and work for alternate local
access with wireless or other media. Pictures and voice recognition
come far down in any kind of Maslow communications hierarchy. As
Coralee points out, it doesn't take that long for people with relatively
little exposure to the online world to become conversant enough to do
e-mail. Public places may be much more important than shoving pipes
into every nook and cranny.
Craig
Craig A. Johnson
<caj@tdrs.com>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a16 : Tue Mar 23 1999 - 03:33:24 EST