Community Informatics Summer School July 4, 2011 / Day 1 What is community informatics?

Agenda Getting started –Welcome from Professor Zhou, Vice-Dean for Teaching and Research –Introductions of faculty and students Lecture (KW) Small group discussions Report-back and summation Syllabus and assignment 1

What is community informatics?

Community informatics Local, historical communities Information and communications technologies AKA digital tools CONTINUITY TRANSFORMATION meets +

Social informatics “The interdisciplinary study of the design, uses, and consequences of information technologies that takes into account their interaction with institutional and cultural contexts” Rob Kling, 1999

In US, military was first computer user ENIAC: 1940s

Second science, third corporations Auto workers in , robotic auto factory 1970s and later

Finally to local communities: for example 1989, Santa Monica PEN (Public Electronic Network) City govt information Officials with Online discussions 19 public terminals, in libraries and elsewhere Much local homelessness, discussions began Demand emerged: “SHWASHLOCK!” (showers, washers, and lockers), govt agreed More info at

What exactly is the digital? Qiupu: 5000 B.C. to 1500s Calculator: 1840s First mouse: 1967 Memex: 1947 “Computers for the people”: 1974 IBM: 1954

hypertext + internet = WWW 1965: Engelbart coins the term hypertext 1970s: many versions of hypertext 1989: Tim Berners- Lee proposes a World Wide Web 1970s: TCP/IP, sending data in redundant and reassembling packets 4 nodes in 1969, 1B now  ? 1895: Paul Otlet starts RBU, eventually 15m cards

In popular imagination and use US adults on mobile phones: 73% talk while driving, 20% text

The digital divide, a useful term from the 1990s “A widening gap in access to and usage of computers and the Internet across the U.S. population and the concomitant exclusion from educational, economic, cultural, political, and social opportunity. … These populations are digitally divided: low-income Black or Latino or Native American senior in age not employed single-parent households those with little education those residing in central cities or rural areas.” US Department of Commerce 1999

Gap still widening: Global data

US gap persists: CPS 2007

Many dimensions to digital inequality Technical means of access Autonomy over the conditions of access Individual skill Social support –Technical –Emotional Purpose of use

What are the digital bridges outside the home?

From 32 DD surveys, three categories of questions emerged –do you use a computer at home? –do you use a computer at work? –do you use a computer elsewhere? Elsewhere = adult education center … assistive center … cable access center … church … college or university … community network center … community technology center … copy shop … cybercafé … day care center … government office … hospital … housing development center … job training agency… laundromat … library … literacy center … mental health agency … multiservice agency … museum … national urban league … neighborhood based organization … rehabilitation/drug abuse center … school … senior center … settlement house … standalone computer center … youth organization … and more

Three realms of computing that offer different conditions of access

US: Personal computing (at home)

US: Private computing (work) and public computing

What can we learn about one city’s public computing?

Toledo, Ohio

Group residence – Apartment complex16 Group residence – Hotel16 Preschool9 Copy shop3 Bar/restaurant/caf é 2 Bookshop2 Computer-related2 Campground1 Group residence – Seniors1 School1 Tax service1 Business sites 54 Religious institutions18 Group residence – Greek association17 K-12 School – Private12 Association9 Social agency4 Preschool2 Adult education1 Group residence – Seniors1 Group residence – Students1 Group residence – Campus/religious1 Hospital1 Community sites 67 K-12 School – Public33 Library4 Park3 Group residence – Apartment complex1 K-12 School – Adult education1 Government sites 42 University80 Community college1 Seminary1 Higher education sites 82 All sites245 Champaign- Urbana similar to Toledo, Ohio

Extrapolating…

Extrapolating from the Toledo numbers gives a national estimate (Estimates do not include schools)

Public libraries, an especially important form of public computing Yet, still digital divides persist

Break time

Discussion groups AA: HS: KW: YH:

Discussion time 1. Tell a story about when you first used a digital tool. (What was it? What did you use it for? Who taught you? When was it and how old were you?) 2. What are some key moments in China’s digital revolution? 3. What questions do you have so far?

Break time (2)

Report-back from each group Syllabus and assignment 1