Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
to accomplish what you wish and feel your access is quite satisfac
tory. However, you may instead be subject to constraints that limit
your computer access and inhibit the ease with which you can work
with computers. With this general observation, we next consider in
more detail what factors about who you are influence the degree to
which you encounter Web access constraints.
As you've come to see in our discussion, many people cannot ac
cess the Web or cannot access it easily, because of political, eco
nomic, or social considerations. Further, access can be difficult or
impossible because of more blatant problems, such as a lack of tech
nology, legal constraints, or high costs. In many of the circum
stances that we have discussed, it takes little analysis to conclude
that some groups have easy access, whereas other groups do not,
and it takes little effort to have an idea of who can and cannot ac
cess the Web. In many other cases, however, the matter of who has
Web access is considerably more subtle.
To illustrate this, consider our previous example involving time
limited computer access in a library. From one perspective, the li
brary's policy provides equal access. Anyone can sign up for a time,
and a librarian will enforce the policy when notified that an infrac
tion is taking place. In practice, however, the system inadvertently
rewards antisocial behavior. A user can stay overtime by being
slow, ignoring a request by the next user, or waiting for a formal
complaint. These behaviors create a hassle for the next user. If this
happens a few times, that next user may want to avoid a confronta
tion and forego using the computer. Also, if a current user turns out
to own a local business and the next user works in that business,
then that next user may be reluctant to talk to a librarian about an
expired limit. Folks in different social circumstances similarly may
feel uncomfortable working to enforce time limits. In practice, such
policies may give priority to some groups of users over others.
Beyond social situations that impact computer use, our cultures
and genders also influence our levels of access and experiences with
computers. For example, much of our behavior is shaped in part by
cultural norms, and different groups may be encouraged or discour
aged in different ways. For example, studies suggest that negative
