Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in the Information Age (Book Review)

Abstract

As we rush headlong into the presumed technological future that promises instant access to information, global connectivity, and seamless integration of electronic media, it's important to realize that, just like any other technology, these new gadgets are just "tools." And tools can only be used for certain things and under certain circumstances. So, for example, if someone does not have the know-how or land or materials or permit to build a house, all the hammers in the world will be of no use. Likewise, there are much deeper and more difficult problems to solve as we usher in the Information Age than installing enough satellite dishes and stringing enough fiber-optic cable. The impediments tethering the Information Age are not technological, but rather the same old economic, political, social, and cultural issues that humanity has been wrestling with for thousands of years. We are still dealing with tyranny, inequality, and illiteracy, among other things. In the words of William Wresch in his book Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in the Information Age, "We have met the enemy, and they are us

Citation

Schmoldt, Daniel L. 1997. Disconnected: Haves and Have-Nots in the Information Age (Book Review). AI Applications. 11(2): 52-54.