Digital Divide

While the information age has had an effect on many aspects of the world today, it has also introduced a divide between countries because of their economies, political ideologies and cultural preferences. However, within the countries of the world, a local divide can also be found. This division of communities and nations alike (in terms of the information age) is known as the digital divide.

The global divide

As mentioned above, there are a number of reasons why a global divide is apparent. The main reason would be the unequal economic statuses between all of the world’s countries. For example, rich countries such as the US, China and Russia have more access to computer technology and internet as their money allows them to invest in this. However, countries with less stable economies would be ‘behind’ in terms of computer access. The populations of these countries may have only started using basic internet technology whereas populations of richer countries are able to use the latest technology available. This is how there is a digital divide between rich and poor.

The world map according to internet usage

However, the global divide is also caused by the social and political beliefs of certain countries. For example, certain websites may be blocked in a particular country as those websites area associated with different political beliefs. If these websites are blocked, then the population of the country are less likely to consider any other political ideologies. Despite this, other countries may believe in ‘the freedom of speech’ and there is little internet censorship in these countries. The level of censorship is an effect of social and political beliefs held by countries across the world and represents another form of the global divide.

The effects of the social and political beliefs can also be linked to the global divide concerning cultural and geographical reasons. This means that the geographical location of a country as well as its culture can affect the accessibility of computer technology and the internet. For example, the location of some countries means that it is more difficult to access the internet compared to other countries where the internet can be accessed easily. The cultures of some countries also affect the accessibility of computer technology. An example of this would be countries with high internet usage such as Japan or the US would have accepted the internet as part of their cultures when it was first created in 1991. This shows that the geographical locations and cultures of countries is also responsible of the digital divide.

The local divide

Although there is a digital divide between countries, there is also a local divide between the communities in those countries. The economies of countries is also a reason for the local divide although the divide here is between rich and poor individuals. One main example of this would be the cost of a computer. Computers and internet are becoming more accessible and the number of users is rising (according to statistics, there was a 566.4% increase of world internet users between 2000 and 2012). The price of an average computer is also falling as computer technology becomes more commonplace. However, this price can still be considered expensive for some people as the average price ranges from $300 to $1,600.

Today, people are using other forms of technology to access the internet. These forms of technology include tablets, smartphones and laptops which can be bought for cheaper than the average desktop computer. These other forms such as tablets are also more convenient to use as well as cheaper than most desktop computers which helps people to avoid the issue of computer costs. Despite this, a significant local divide remains between the rich and poor individuals.

The unveiling of the ‘35 dollar computer’, the Aakash tablet was designed to be affordable for students in India

Another form of the local divide would be the urban – rural divide. This is the divide between those living in the richer cities and those living in the poorer rural areas. One significant example would be the urban – rural divide in China. Although China’s economy is growing, only the cities are affected by this growth. The rural areas of China remain poorer than city areas and the urban – rural gap is widening. The urban – rural divide would also affect the accessibility of computer technology and internet usage in China today. While those in the cities would benefit from the latest computer and internet technology, those living in the rural areas may not be able to access this same technology. The urban – rural divide also exists in other countries (such as the UK, India and France) and is another form of the local divide.

The recent advance in computer technology has also created an age divide which is another form of the local divide. Because of its recent advance, younger people who grew up with computer technology are considered to be more ‘computer literate’ than older people (although this may not be entirely true). However, some older people who grew up before the advance of internet may not understand its popularity or are simply avoiding it. Reasons for this would include fear of technology and no interest for technology. Despite this, some older people frequently use the internet and computer technology.

As the invention of the World Wide Web was only 22 years ago, younger people have lived through the advancing technology concerning computers, smartphones and tablets. Popular websites such as Facebook and YouTube form part of the daily lives of many young people today. This is because these websites are suited to the interests (such as social networking) of many young people. As these young people browse these websites frequently, some have naturally become more computer literate than other people. This therefore created another form of the local divide.

The increase in computer technology used in schools is one reason why younger people are sometimes considered more ‘computer literate’

Bridging the divide

As computer technology has advanced further, internet access has recently become more important in our world today. However, the digital divide means that not everyone can have access to the internet despite how important it may seem. This is why governments and organisations are working to give everyone access to computer technology and to ‘bridge the divide’

Along with food, water and medical equipment, computer technology is now being seen as a ‘necessity’ that some poorer countries need more of. Charities and organisations are also working towards providing those in poorer countries computers and other forms of technology. This is to allow everyone access to a computer and therefore bridge the global divide between richer and poorer countries.

A screenshot from close the gap.org, a charity that provides computers to areas in need and therefore helps to ‘bridge the divide’

However, there is also a keen interest to bridge the local divide as well. Companies such as Microsoft are also working towards bridging the local divide with schemes such as GetOnline@Home. These schemes sell cheap computers for those who wouldn’t be able to buy the normal computers costing at least $300. The scheme is also designed for charities and small businesses that may need cheap computer technology more than other people.

Governments across the world are also working in their own countries to ‘close the gap’. One example would be the Indian government working to bridge the urban – rural divide there. Other developing countries including China, Brazil and Russia are also working to close their own urban – rural divides. This is done by improving broadband, selling cheaper computers and introducing people to computer technology.

There have also been effects to introduce older people who have avoided it to computers and other forms of technology. The government schemes mentioned above are also suited to elderly who may not be able to afford the average computer. Outreach centres that teach older people about computer usage are also available as well as guides teaching the elderly about how to use a computer and the internet.

ICT outreach programs can help those who aren’t confident with computers and other forms of technology

Civil Rights

With the creation of the internet, many aspects of real life were changed as these aspects were also made possible on the internet. One example of this would be online E-commerce. However, for online services such as E-commerce to work, customers needed to provide their personal details. This then led to many issues such as covert data and the misuse of data. The response to this problem was various laws and acts including the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data Protection Act

The Data Protection Act was based around the civil rights of users online and because of this, the act only concerns personal data and not business data. However, the act doesn't just cover online data but also paper based data*. As part of the civil rights of the users, companies are held responsible for the data of all their customers/users and therefore have to follow eight separate principles of the Data Protection Act:

1. Personal data can only be processed fairly and legally
2. Personal data can only be obtained for legal reasons
3. Personal data must remain adequate and relevant
4. Personal data must always remain accurate according to the user
5. Personal data must not be kept any longer than necessary
6. The user has the right to see their personal data held and also to correct or remove any incorrect data held
7. Personal data must remain secure
8. Personal data must not be transferred outside the country unless adequate protection of that data can be guaranteed

 As well as these principles, companies must also inform an information commissioner about:

1. Any data they wish to store
2. The uses for that data
3. How long the data is to be kept for
4. Who they may pass that data onto

The customer’s civil rights are important to the act as the sixth principle focuses on the civil rights that apply to that customer. In terms of the Data Protection Act, the customer has the right to:

1. View their personal data held by the company
2. Change any incorrect data held
3. Remove their personal data held, if it is causing distress to them
4. Refuse their personal data being given out to direct marketing (junk mailing) companies
5. Inform the Data Protection Commission if the company holding their data has broken one of the principles of the Data Protection Act
6. Claim compensation if the company has been proven to break one of the principles

 However, the principles of the act do not apply in situations such as these:

1. National Security is under threat
2. A police investigation is taking place
3. Examination results are yet to be published by the examining body

Examples of Privacy Issues

Because the Data Protection Act keeps the personal data of customers private, data protection is often associated with privacy. The information age has also seen various issues concerning the privacy of people today.

One example of these issues would be the use of CCTV. While CCTV cameras are very effective at finding crime and offenders, some say that CCTV causes privacy issues. Some would also say that too much CCTV means that people are constantly being ‘watched’ and therefore, they have little or no privacy. However, others would argue that CCTV is necessary for keeping the public safe from crime.

Concerns over privacy issues have been raised since the police have increased the number of CCTV cameras

Another example of privacy issues in the world today would be the uses of number plate recognition. Like the use of CCTV, number plate recognition is also very effective at catching criminals and fining those speeding. However, some would say that number plate recognition also watches drivers constantly and therefore give them no privacy. Some also say that number plate data is passed on for other purposes. Despite this, number plate recognition is also necessary for keeping roads safe.

As a popular website, Twitter has also been associated with privacy issues online. The use of slander and libel on the website are one example of privacy issues concerning Twitter. As Twitter is a microblogging website, it is easy for slander and libel to be effective towards the victim. This is why there have been many slander/libel cases on Twitter with one example being the Love/Simorangkir case.

Websites such as Facebook are also effected by slander and libel

*Before the use of electronic storage such as computers, data was recorded on paper and stored in filing cabinets.

Crime Prevention

The information age has also had an effect on policing and crime prevention. The police have taken advantage of the computer and its abilities to help identify criminals and offences easier. This forms one main aspect of crime prevention. However, the other aspect involves cybercrime, a whole range of crime that was made possible with the popularity of the computer in the world today.

Police Database work

Database work involving computers is one aspect of crime prevention. Much of this database work is done using a national crime computer. A crime computer is a police database that holds information about committed crimes such as stolen vehicles and property. This can be useful as any piece of data can be retrieved to help solve a police investigation (the investigation can be linked to criminals who have committed similar offences before as a national crime computer contains this data).

The E-FIT (Electronic Facial Identification Technique) is another method of criminal identification that began in the 1980’s. Because of the E-FIT, police can create an electronic image of the face of a wanted criminal from information given by eyewitnesses. The E-FIT can also be shown to the public to help track down the criminal.

The TV programme Crimewatch shows E-fits and other types of evidence to the viewers. A phone number is available should anyone be able to provide the police with any extra information

Although computers are an advantage to identifying and tracking criminals, they are also used as a form of communication between different police forces. The information age has meant that local or international police forces can communication between each other. This can also prove useful as criminals can be on the run to different areas after committing a crime. However, if police communication is successfully used, then that criminal can be tracked wherever they are.

The information age has also had an effect on the equipment the police carry. Examples of police equipment include batons, air wave radios and handcuffs.  Among this equipment used by police, the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is one example of this effect. The PDA is a mobile computer device which is similar to the average smartphone. Like ordinary smartphones, a PDA can make phone calls, connect to the internet and also features touchscreen technology. Overall, the information age has had an effect on the advance in police equipment technology.

Tagging is also a method used by the police to track criminals as well as stolen items. One example of criminal tagging would be the use of an ankle monitor. This involves a monitor attached to the offender’s ankle. The monitor then alerts the police if the offender is ‘trespassing’ in a certain area (such as the home of a past victim). This then allows the police to take any further action towards to the criminal.

Stolen products can also be tracked by a serial number unique to the product. When a stolen product has been found, the police can use the serial number to find out more about the product such as where it was stolen from. The method of tracking can be used for many different types of products such as cars. In this case, the police can use the number plate of the car and a number plate database to track the stolen car and then take further action. This is another aspect of crime prevention in the information age.

Microchipping is similar to human tagging except microchips can also be used for animals. For humans, the process of microchipping involves implanting a circuit device (microchip) into the body. The microchip contains information such as ID and medical details which can be located on a microchip database.

However, police mainly use microchipping for the tracking of stolen animals. Cats, dogs and horses for example can also have a microchip implanted into their bodies. Like human microchipping, an animal microchip contains a unique ID number but also contain owner details as well. If a stolen animal was to be found, the police or animal carers (veterinaries or animal shelters) can use the microchip information to locate the owner of the animal and therefore return them.

Dogs are one example of a commonly microchipped animal

Although various types of car crime are a significant problem for the police, the information age has mean that computers can be used to the advantage of the police in terms of car crime. One example of this would include number plate recognition. Also linked in with the national crime computer database, number plate recognition can be used to identify certain cars in the case of car crime. An example of this would be identifying the number plate of a stolen car. The police can use the recognised number plate to track that specific car.

Number plate recognition is also used for other reasons. This would include the use of speed cameras. Speed cameras use number plate recognition to identify cars breaking the speed limit. The number plate of the speeding car is identified and police then take further action towards the driver and/or the car.

Police can also use databases to monitor car data. Examples of this include tax, car insurance and MOT. The police can use this database to track the payments made towards tax, insurance and MOT. Using this database and the national crime computer, police can fine those who don’t pay these taxes.

Forensics is a major area of police work that has been affected by the information age. Today, forensic police use advanced technology that helps towards finding those responsible. One examples of this advanced technology includes forensic equipment such as electron microscopes. Using this technology allows forensic scientists and police to discover evidence against the criminal responsible.

An example of forensic police investigation a crime scene

Cybercrime

However, the use of computers in the world today has created a new aspect of crime known as cybercrime. One common example of cybercrime is the theft of data using computers. This involves editing or deleting data (usually done through the use of a removable data storage device) without permission of the owner. The theft of data is common among employees in a business as they can easily access the company data and use it to their advantage. Because of this, many users and businesses use firewalls and other types of computer security systems to avoid the threat of data theft.

Another form of data theft would be hacking. This involves identifying the weaknesses of a computer security system and then using those weaknesses to pass the system itself. At this point, the hacker can access data, money and other important information about a business. However, some people hack computers for reasons other than data or money. Some hackers like to test the strength of security systems while some hack into computers just for the achievement of doing so.

Money can also be stolen through computers in other ways and is another common form of cybercrime. Identity theft is an example of cybercrime that allows offenders to take money from victim’s accounts. This is done by using information such as a victim’s name, ID or credit card details to impersonate the victim. The offender can then use these details to commit crimes such as taking the victim’s money from their account. Not only is the victim stolen from but he/she can also be held ‘responsible’ the offender’s actions or crimes.

A pie chart showing the proportions of different types of identity theft crimes

There are also a number of methods to gaining the personal details of victims. One of these methods includes online scamming. This involves a scammer who seems to be a legit user. Therefore he/she attracts victims and tricks them into giving away their personal details. Using these details, the scammer can then access the victim’s money or trick them into giving it away.

One common form of scamming includes phishing. The scammer is still trying to get hold of the user’s personal details except this time, the scammer asks for the details using forms of electronic communication (mainly E-mail). Phishing can trick many victims as the form of phishing used looks realistic and legit. If a user gives their details away to the E-mail or website, the scammer can then use the details for their advantage.

One common form of phishing would be the use of fake websites. The fake website is run by the scammer and is used to collect the details of victims that believe the website is actually real. Some real websites and companies can also be copied so that the user further believes in the website’s legitimacy. Malware infected websites are also used by scammers to find out the details of the victims.

Illegal downloading of online material is one of the most common forms of cybercrime today. The reason for this is that the crime is not treated as seriously as other cybercrimes such as identity theft. The process of illegal downloading involves downloading material such as music and movie illegally. This mainly causes problems as legal sales of music and movies (for example) fall and therefore resulting in a loss for some companies. Because of this, piracy laws have been toughened, public awareness has risen and more action has been taken against illegal sites.

A screenshot of a news article about Sony’s plans to prevent pirated console games. Other companies such as Apple also block access to pirated material

Another form of cybercrime is the issues of copyright. The idea of copyright protects a user’s work from being copied without credit. However, there are a number of copyright issues on the internet. One of these issues includes plagiarism, which involves copying someone else’s work whilst claiming it as your own. Despite the number of copyright issues online, various actions have been taken against them. One example of this is the plagiarism checker, which finds copied material between two sources.

Entertainment part 2

(Note: this post about entertainment concerns life in the information age. My other post shows entertainment as an online service).

The information age has also seen the increase in popularity and use of entertainment that is offline as well as online. Today, offline entertainment still remains popular with examples such as television, gaming and cinema.

TV programmes

Although the television set has been available from the late 1920’s, the popularity of television rose after the World War II especially in America with 55% of the population owning a television set by 1954. The technology of the television set improved over time with colour television sets appearing during the late 60’s/early 70’s. Today, programmes on TV are still popular with hundreds of programmes and channels available to the user. There are also a number of different genres of programmes such as comedies and documentaries. TV services such as Sky mean that the user can find the exact programmes they want to watch by using features such as search and programme categories.

A Sky box allows television viewers to choose from many programmes and channels

Radio

Radio is another example of a popular form of entertainment available today. Despite this, radio programmes date back to 1897 when Nikola Tesla used radio frequency as a form of commination. Radio programmes became popular during the 1920’s with many channels broadcasting music, news and other forms of entertainment. This high level of popularity lasted until the 1950’s when more people could afford a television set instead. However, people continue to listen to radio programmes and other forms of radio technology developed over the second half of the 20^th century. Examples of these other forms include wireless networking and mobile communication. Today, many people listen to the radio as a form of entertainment with music and charts being the most popular form of radio entertainment.

During the 1950’s, the radio was popular and cheaper alternative to a television set

Gaming

Gaming is also another form of offline entertainment with apps and consoles being the most popular today. Gaming apps began with the release of the Iphone in 2007 and of the Apple App Store in the following year. Other companies followed with Blackberry and Nokia launching their app stores in 2009. The downloadable apps were instantly popular with 10 billion being downloaded from Apple App Store as of 2011.

Before online and app gaming, console gaming was a main form of entertainment which is still popular today. Console gaming began in the 70’s with simple games such as Pong. Because of the instant commercial success, more companies, consoles and games appeared during the late 70’s/early 80’s. The 1980’s also saw an increase in gaming popularity after console became more accessible to users. This also introduced rivalry between companies such as Nintendo and SEGA. The 1990’s was an even better decade for console gaming with more consoles being introduced (Examples include the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo 64). These consoles also introduced discs instead of cartridges and 32bit and 16bit instead of 8bit. Like previous decades, the 2000’s saw further improvements to console gaming. Today, console gaming include online play and despite this, original console gaming still remains popular.

Super Mario Bros remains the most successful video game franchise ever after its creation in 1985

Music

Music is another form of entertainment that is popular with many people today. Listening to music as a form of entertainment began back in 1920’s/30’s with early forms of vinyl and LP records. The record consists of an acetate disc which is coated in vinyl and other metals such as silver. The vinyl records were popular with their users and remain the main choice for music entertainment until the 1980’s when the CD (Compact Disc) was made and sold.

The CD became the first digital form of music entertainment. The digital format meant that there were many advantages to the CD. The compression of music was the main advantage as this allowed many music files to be stored together in mp3 format. Apple experimented with the idea of music compression and this lead to the Apple IPod. The ability to store thousands of songs made the IPod revolutionary for its time. However, the idea of portable music players had already been thought of by Sony with the Walkman. Players such as the Walkman and IPod were mainly responsible for the increased popularity of music entertainment. Music isn’t the only form of entertainment to take advantage of the mp3 format. One example would be E-readers using a similar storage to mp3 to store text files.

The convenience and popularity of the Ipod was one of the main reasons for the success of Apple today

Movies

A popular form of entertainment, movies (or films) began in the late 19^th/early 20^th century and consisted of a short, unedited clip shot though a certain type of camera. Movies had become especially popular during the late 70’s/early 80’s with the invention of the laserdisc.

The laserdisc was a type of storage disc that allowed users to watch movies at home after their cinema release. However, the idea of using laser technology for watching movies was expensive and many people preferred the VHS system. Because of this, most movies were made into VHS tapes instead. VHS remained popular until the early 2000’s, when the DVD format was widely released.

The DVD was a similar form of storage to the CD, which was based on the laserdisc. However, DVDs and CDs were cheaper than the laserdisc format. Eventually, the MPEG system introduced the ability to compress many movies into MP4 format. This compression was similar to the music compression of the MP3 format. Despite the lower quality, many people used the MP4 system instead of buying DVDs because of the ability to store movies and the convenience of the MP4 format. Today, both DVDs and MP4 are popular for watching movies.

Cinema

A popular form of entertainment and viewing movies, cinema has also been affected by the information age. Like movies, cinema and filmmaking began with the introduction of film cameras. Over time, cinema and filmmaking became more than recording clips with a camera. Computer technology opened the possibilities of making more complex movies which were not possible using a camera only.

Although there have been many uses for CGI, the impact made on cinema is arguably the largest and most significant. Not only did CGI allow the impossible to be done in terms of acting and filming, but it also introduced realistic effects and the option of convenience for filmmakers. For example, CGI may be used for a stunt although it is possible in real life with a stuntman. However, using CGI may be easier in this case.

The idea of 3D film as opposed to 2D film has also been used in cinema. 3D film used to consist of 2 cameras next to each other showing the same film. This would give a ‘layered’ effect to the film. Using filtered film and viewing glasses, the viewer would see the film with a 3D effect. Today, 3D film uses polarised light to improve the 3D viewing experience.

An example of modern 3D glasses without the red/blue filters

Recently, filmmakers have been experimenting with the number of frames per second. Originally, films were made at a rate of 24 fps (frames per second). Therefore, to improve the quality of the overall film, 48 fps can be used instead. ‘The Hobbit’ became the first film to used 48 fps per second after many years of the standard number of 24 frames. The success of ‘The Hobbit’ may mean that more films will use 48 frames in the future.