In May 2002 David Wilcox and Martyn Pearl wrote: "Civic and community use of the Internet is important to the UK Government because of its targets for moving services online, and to commerce because of the insights it provides into user styles and preferences. It is also crucial in the development and re-energising of our social and civic institutions." They concluded that many of our institutions are failing to rise to the challenge. Journal of the Communication Network Is this still true?
The introduction to the article reads: The civic and community use of the Internet reflects the enormous range of social activities that extend our lives beyond work, formal learning and consumption. It's use embraces government and charitable services, hobbies and leisure interests, and an increasing number of formal and informal networks that blur distinctions between global and local.
In using the Net this way we encounter sophisticated systems for delivering online services developed by government and nonprofit organisations. We research information on the web and may also develop home pages for ourselves, our local community, or our interest groups. As well as a mass of one-to-one email we may use mailing lists, web forums, peer-to-peer systems and other tools provided free by commercial suppliers, nonprofits, or helpful tech enthusiasts.
Because of this diversity of use, understanding how we use the Net as citizens and social beings will be important in designing networks and appliances, software applications and support services. At the moment understanding is patchy, and there are few cross-overs between the worlds of government, charities, community groups, education, health and commerce.
The potential of the Net was recognised early in the life of the 1997 Labour government. 'The information age offers huge scope for organising government activities in new, innovative and better ways and for making life easier for the public by providing public services in integrated, imaginative and more convenient forms like single gateways, the Internet and digital TV' ( 1). The target set by Tony Blair was for all possible government services to be delivered online by 2008, which was subsequently revised to an even more ambitious target of 25 per cent of services online by 2002, extending to 100 per cent by 2005.
This article, through a review of research and interviews, examines that vision, not just in the field of e-government, but in the wider aspiration to use the Internet to empower citizens, enable nonprofit organisations, help strengthen local communities, and enhance the effectiveness of a wide range of public bodies. We look at what has happened in recent years in several fields - particularly local government, nonprofit organisations and housing. We identify problems in implementation and the common strands that emerge.
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