>what will heavy use of this
>type of medium do to
>our community

It depends on what it's used for. But at the very least, it can promote computer literacy and typing. Knowing those 2 basic things, brings folks back from the negative.

>Computers are a necessity for the
>most part
>But the internet is not yet
>a necessity for the average
>citizen

Personally, I think it's a lot like a cell phone. You don't need one, but when you have it, you realize how useful it is. (I"m cell phone free, though)

>I think that part of the
>resistance to computers (in general)
>and the internet specifically is
>the fact that they are
>such a solitary mediums and
>we are community/group minded people.

That might be plausible, but seemlingly black folks take to any technological invention within their means. PSX, Video games, Cellulars, TV's, DVD's, 2 way pagers,...IE, I see the net more like the next gadget and not a social experiment.

>Most people don't roam the
>net in groups, its an
>individual pursuit.

I would say that we as Af. Americans don't always operate in groups as a choice. But that's a diff convo for a different time.

That's why its
>a nest for freaks, geeks,
>& nerds...that's why even these
>loners sought out communities -
>some type of human interaction.

I'll go with that.

>Currently, the most popular aspects
>of the net involve actions
>cloaked in secrecy (the sex
>biz), community groups (chat/forums), or
>delivery of specific services (amazon
>books).

The killer app for the net is e-mail. Everything else comes in a distant 2nd.

>I disagree with the idea that
>being wired up is somehow
>tied in with the intellectual
>capacity of the enduser.

Me too. But it has been suggested by various folks in different places that I have been. Am I, online since 93, the anomaly, or the norm?

You
>don't have to be smart
>to be online -

ain't that the truth..

anymore
>than you have to be
>smart to drive a car
>or use a phone. Frankly,
>a lot of what happens
>in this medium is silly
>& frivilous - another type
>of television, another dumb talk
>show, another dirty magazine.

>From what I see the most
>important part of the internet
>is quicker access to some
>critical information, quicker ways to
>connect for groups of people
>to connect. But even these
>positives can be negatives if
>not done right.

I would rather have my folks have to deal with discretion over those matters, as opposed to not having the decision to make.

Coming back
>from a 4 day vacation,
>I had over 100 emails
>to sift thru, and out
>of the relatively handful that
>were important, I still needed
>to email back & forth
>and make a phone call
>& give verbal confirm.

Hopefully that will end on the business side of things.

The
>dot com businesses are in
>trouble now because too many
>of them weren't really necessary
>- it was all smoke
>& mirrors, same ole business,
>new clothes to dress it
>in.

Some of the dot.coms weren't even businesses.

>I think Black people aren't online
>as much because many of
>us don't feel we need
>to be ..we can get
>things done without it.

No doubt. But this is not like choosing between a ferrari and a bus, it's more like an old car from the 60's and one from 2K.

>To be honest. so could
>most people - that's why
>companies are limiting internet use.

It "kills" productivity? If I wasn't online, I'd be wasting time doing something else. (I actually wouldn't have this job were it not for the net).

>Then we have concerns about
>the government tracking our movements
>- a fear that's based
>on a very real foundation.

Tech solutions, and social hacks can stop that. But I feel you on it. But is this an actual concern of folks you know?

> And on top of
>it, the computer is a
>tool of a the solitary
>- it hasn't been developed
>to a point where it
>can be a gathering place
>- like the tv. though
>that's coming. I think
>we're more hesistant to adjust
>ourselves to that solitary mentality
>required to be a ...and
>maybe rightly so.

Interesting, I'm not sure I can go with the solitary vs community argument though

peace
k. orr