25 August 2006
Many in the UK without Internet
Internet statistics recently released from the UK show that about 4 in 10 homes are doing without Internet. The reasons people have given for this are that they don't need it or don't know how to use a computer well enough to use it. Also about 30% of men and 40% of women said they never have used the Internet.
With as widespread as the Internet is now, a person should have access to it in some way. With almost every business having a presence online, people can research companies and products. The Internet is the easiest way to research product that you want to buy to find the best price, whether it's online or you would prefer to buy it in a traditional store. The Internet is also the largest store of information available from encyclopedias and travel information to health and medical advice, granted not all of it can be trusted, but it's still there. Email is also a very useful part of the Internet with it being the fastest and most efficient way to communicate with friends who don't live so close and also with companies to ask questions. Rather than waiting days or weeks for a letter you can send and receive a response usually within the same day or the next day at worst.
In regard to not having enough knowledge, computers now have become so easy to use that even someone with no knowledge can set a computer up and have it connected to the Internet in an afternoon. There is very little actual technical knowledge needed as most computers will lead you through the process of setting it up and connecting it to the Internet. Even the manuals for the initial setup of hardware are easy to follow with very nice pictures and color coded cords and plugs. If someone is afraid of that I'm certain it would not be hard to find someone who would be more than happy to take 15 minutes of their day to set your computer up and another hour or two to show you how to use the Internet and get you feeling comfortable.
Having actually been in this situation with some people saying the same things, it's amazing how quickly they change their mind after seeing what is available on the Internet and how easy it is for them. Everyone has some interest, and that is definitely catered to on the Internet.
With as widespread as the Internet is now, a person should have access to it in some way. With almost every business having a presence online, people can research companies and products. The Internet is the easiest way to research product that you want to buy to find the best price, whether it's online or you would prefer to buy it in a traditional store. The Internet is also the largest store of information available from encyclopedias and travel information to health and medical advice, granted not all of it can be trusted, but it's still there. Email is also a very useful part of the Internet with it being the fastest and most efficient way to communicate with friends who don't live so close and also with companies to ask questions. Rather than waiting days or weeks for a letter you can send and receive a response usually within the same day or the next day at worst.
In regard to not having enough knowledge, computers now have become so easy to use that even someone with no knowledge can set a computer up and have it connected to the Internet in an afternoon. There is very little actual technical knowledge needed as most computers will lead you through the process of setting it up and connecting it to the Internet. Even the manuals for the initial setup of hardware are easy to follow with very nice pictures and color coded cords and plugs. If someone is afraid of that I'm certain it would not be hard to find someone who would be more than happy to take 15 minutes of their day to set your computer up and another hour or two to show you how to use the Internet and get you feeling comfortable.
Having actually been in this situation with some people saying the same things, it's amazing how quickly they change their mind after seeing what is available on the Internet and how easy it is for them. Everyone has some interest, and that is definitely catered to on the Internet.
Labels: internet
