Blog 2

The digital divide is the gap between people with access to digital information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all. The divide includes the limits in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to participate as a digital citizen. The digital divide is simply the troubling gap between those who use computers and the Internet and those who do not.

The term can mean not only unequal access to computer hardware, but also inequalities in the ability of different groups of people to use information technologies. Because of the wavering factors used to assess the inconsistencies between groups some aspects of the digital divide are debatable

As Warschauer explains in the reading, “A digital divide is marked not only by physical access to computers and connectivity, but also by access to the additional resources that allow people to use technology well (par. 21).”

There is not a clear separation between people with access to information technologies and those without, but a hazy division that is based on a lot of different factors including the privilege of having access to technology.


A computer interface is similar to a television with a remote control. The mouse and keyboard work together to act as a standard remote control. The monitor is the same thing as a television screen. The different programs that can be bought and installed are like the different components and extras that can be displayed through a television. Extras not limited to but including video game systems, DVD players, Tivos, cable and satellite television, and stereos for surround sound. Folders containing stored information that can be accessed through the computers “remote” and the internet are similar to television stations. Downloading something is like recording it from a televised broadcast.

I can’t think of any other metaphors or any that are better than the office metaphor. Maybe a different office furnishing would be better, like a filing cabinet. It might be a little better for windows just because of the use of folders for storing and accessing information, but the desk metaphor is lot more comprehensive when you think about the calendar and the clock. If your desk is really nice then it probably has a small drawer that can be used as a filing cabinet anyway. So I think the office metaphor is a good one, or at least better than any other ones.

Works Cited:
Warschauer, Mark. Reconceptualizing the Digital Divide. First Monday, Vol. 7, Issue 7, 1 July 2002. Web. 1 Sept 2010.