After taking the Pew Typology quiz, I came out as a Digital Collaborator. But, while I have all the digital devices (digital camera, video camera's, dvr's, laptop, desktop, iPhone, iPad, and all the other "i" devices), I really don't publish that much about myself. I do have a Facebook page, but I was pushed into setting it up (I forget the exact reason) and I tend to stay away from Facebook as much as possible and only reply to others who post on my wall. Only once have I posted on someone else's wall that was not in direct response to a post on my wall. I think younger users are much more willing to give up personal info about themselves to the world than those of us who grew up before the Internet. I first started using the Internet twenty odd years ago and I used the text-based program called gopher to get around the Internet at a whopping 2400 baud connection.
If anything, I consider myself to be very much a consumer of digital information, news and various other types of info (weather for weather apps for example). For me, I rarely go out of my way to publish anything including blogging or adding a comment to a news article.
As with any attempt to categorize anything, especially people, you can never be 100% accurate. Even though the quiz says I'm a collaborator, I don't feel I collaborate that much. I consume a great deal. For me, trying to carry on a conversation via email or blogs is cumbersome because you lose too much 'environmental feedback' and emoticons are a weak substitute.
I agree with the statement in the Horrigan report that what qualifies as high-tech has risen over the years, and I think it’s obvious it will continue to rise as new uses are discovered. I also agree that the penalty for having little or no access will also rise as time goes on, or what is better known as the “digital divide”.
After reading your desription, it seems like you are somewhat of an Ambivalent Networker as well. One that finds the access to be slightly intrusive to everyday life. I am one as well and find that it is nice to engage on my own terms.
ReplyDeleteAnother digital divide issue, which will definitely become more and more important, is not just access, but knowledge. So, for example, many people who might not have access at home can get internet access at a local public library (like Memphis)--but if you are not a regular user, you may not have developed the knowledge and skills to utilize the technology to its full potential. Many people who use the internet on a regular basis don't really know very much at all about the way it works.
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