The Internet Needs of the People

Martha Lane Fox has one big task ahead of her, teaching the digitally unconnected masses about the internet. It’s a big deal, because the internet can actually help people save more than anything else. It also opens up plenty of opportunities for growth, education and most importantly, employment.

It is easy to appreciate a few heart-tugging tales of senior citizens finding their re-connections to the world thanks to the internet. But the real success stories are in being able to teach the people who need the internet to live. Of course, the concept of internet access in every house is a pretty tough sell to make, instead, the real focus is in bringing internet access to the public.

Libraries and other public locations such as government buildings, job centers and even the local post office are being considered as prime locations for computer hubs that people can use.

There are already plenty of volunteers who are willing to give their time in order to reach out and teach others about how to use the internet, how to make their own email address and of course how to use the computer, mouse, keyboard and all (or in some cases, how to fiddle around with a smart phone).

The transition is expected to be slow, but this is not ideal. Technology is not waiting for anyone, and society as a whole is still not an exception. The big shift from traditional to digital will happen soon and people have to learn a lot faster.

While it may seem harsh, there is plenty of reasons to go digital. First off, digital correspondence is significantly better than using paper. According to some reports, the government alone stands to save millions if they stop using papers. The same applies to companies and even to individuals (though at much lesser and harder to notice scales).