42% don't and won't use the Internet!

[Wright Huntley <jwwiii at pacbell_net>]

A recent article in the Wash. Post reported a startling survey.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41817-2003Apr16.html

"Forty-two percent of Americans still don't use the Internet and the 
majority of them do not believe they ever will, according to a study 
released yesterday. "

This has significant implications for those of us who often urge the use 
of e-mail and web sites for most hobby communications. Should we rethink 
our stand, here, or is our hobby of a sufficiently technical nature that 
it should be exempt from such considerations?

The article describes the demographics of the non-users pretty well, but 
it left me with a big question:

Since the survey was conducted entirely by phone, did it leave out all the 
true technophobes who will not even use *that* tool of the devil? :-)

It took 150 years to get a trickle of phones into classrooms (many still 
probably don't have them). Cars had been around for a half-century when I 
was a kid, but I knew folks that would have nothing to do with anything 
powered by an "infernal"-combustion engine.

My feeling is that we have a very high proportion of 'net users in the 
hobby, partially because we can provide them with timely and ample content 
to make it worth while to go through the small learning curve. Those 
reluctant to join in can only be encouraged to do so as we improve and 
refine that content to make it even more desirable to access.

I think we should expand and perfect our use of the internet resources, 
but the article is certainly an eye-opener to me. Maybe it can help us 
tailor our work and services to be more user friendly and accessible?

What do you think? [I know, I'm only preaching to the choir on this list, 
but would like us to think about it and discuss the implications.]

Wright

--
Wright Huntley -- 209 521-0557 -- 731 Loletta Ave, Modesto CA 95351

From all my years of living in New York and following the Yankees 
religiously, I cannot remember an opening day at Yankee Stadium that was 
cancelled because of snow. Yet there is not a word out of those who have 
been hysterical about "global warming." -- Thomas Sowell

                 www.sfbaka.net


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