Re: <nettime> e-LITISM (UK and beyond)

[Stefan Wray <swray@io.com>]

Recent reports have stated that in the United States now, over half of the
adult population uses the Internet. I'm not sure if these reports are true
or where they are from. I believe it was a CNN report. 

I suppose I'm wondering at what point of diffusion is a technology no
longer elite. At one point only a few people had radios, now they are
widespread. Same is true with television. I doubt anyone would argue today
that only an elite group has access to TV. VCR ownership is above 80
percent I believe. Nearly every household has a telephone. 

If its true that over half of adults in the U.S. have Internet access,
then are those people in an elite group? 


	OBSERVATIONS ON e-LITISM
> 
> Let's get some facts straight. Last time I read a figure (in The Guardian
> computer section, within the last year) the proportion of the adult
> population of this country who have access to the internet at work or home
> was 12%. So that's 88% who don't have access. Coincidentally, the
> proportion with access to the internet is about the same as the proportion
> who don't have access to a phone at all. And that's "households", so those
> who don't have a home to put the phone in don't count. 


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