Impacts of Public Information Infrastructure Access

该项目调查公共提供信息基础设施对上网人口多样化的影响，调查没有互联网经验的人口采用信息技术的情况，以及在日益信息化的经济中帮助小城市社区发展技能和网络的情况。 该项目将通过评估和评价格鲁吉亚拉格朗日市的在线使用、不使用和后果来解决这些问题。通过向公众提供易于使用的互联网接入，该市的目标是增加其上网人口，克服上网的经济、社会和心理障碍。 该市还寻求刺激更大比例的居民发展信息获取和互联网技能，以促进其新的信息经济战略。 该项目将分析和评估拉格朗日雄心勃勃的信息基础设施倡议的影响，使用不同的方法。 将跟踪一组家庭用户和非用户的世界之门公共信息实用程序，并将与城市中以其他方式访问互联网的在线用户进行比较。 特别重点将放在理解用户之间的影响没有以前的互联网经验，与那些有经验和非用户谁没有采取的服务。 将对一小部分家庭进行详细的案例研究，以支持深入了解如何使用该系统，并指导随后的问卷设计。还将与城市官员、社区和商界领袖以及信息公用事业经理进行访谈，以探讨城市在提供公共信息公用事业方面的决策过程、期望、经验和学习。 在美国，人们越来越关注处于“数字鸿沟”错误一边的人和社区，作为回应，越来越多的实验试图找到弥合这一鸿沟的方法。 在这方面，该项目将为信息技术的开发、部署和使用方面的决策提供指导。 该项目将允许详细探讨目前，不同的理论和观点的影响和信息技术的好处。 成果将包括向学术界、政策制定者和从业者群体发表演讲和出版物。

This project investigates the impacts of public provision of information infrastructure on the diversification of online population, the adoption of information technology by population segments without previous Internet experience, and the development of skills and networks which can assist small city communities in an increasingly information-driven economy. The project will address these topics through an assessment and evaluation of online usage, non-usage and consequences in the City of LaGrange, Georgia. Through public provision of easy-to-use Internet access, the city aims to increase its online population and overcome economic, social and psychological barriers to online take-up. The city also seeks to spur a greater proportion of its residents to develop information access and Internet skills that can contribute to its new information-based economic strategies. The project will analyze and assess the effects of LaGrange's ambitious information infrastructure initiative using varied methodological approaches. A panel of household users and nonusers of the WorIdGate public information utility will be tracked and comparisons will be made with online users in the city who access the Internet in other ways. Particular focus will be placed on understanding effects among users with no prior Internet experience, versus those with prior experience and nonusers who did not take up the service. Detailed case studies will be conducted with a smaller subset of households to support in-depth learning of how the system is used and to guide subsequent questionnaire design. Interviews will also be conducted with city officials, community and business leaders, and the information utility managers to probe the city's decision-making processes, expectations, experience, and learning in offering a public information utility. There is an increasing concern in the United States about people and communities who are on the wrong side of the "digital divide" and, in response, a growing number of experiments to find ways to bridge this. In this context, the project will provide guidance for decision-making regarding the development, deployment and use of information technology. The project will allow a detailed exploration of current, divergent theories and perspectives on the effect and benefits of information technologies. Results will include presentations and publications to academic, policymaking, and practitioner communities.