In 1970 I was privileged to benefit from meeting a visionary human being. Jack Scully operated a small shop in lower Manhattan. He called the shop "Everything for Everybody."
I'll expand on my early experience in these notes in future writing. But first I'd like to learn more about how this Facebook notes facility works. It seems to be a way to share longer bits of writing.
The words "Information Advocate" came to me about two weeks ago. I was invited to participate in a meeting at Temple University of people who are working on the "Digital Divide." You can see a web page about this event here: https://sites.google.com/a/temple.edu/digitaldivideforum/
Attendees included
Jonathan Latko (moderator)
- Former Mayor John F. Street
My friends Jay Cohen and Michele Masucci had invited me to participate in this. As things worked out, I sat next to Mayor Street. He opened the event with remarks about the City's effort to build Wireless Philadelphia. Since we then went around the table, each of us offering background about our work to offset the Digital Divide, and I was next to the Mayor, I got to be the last to speak.
I opened my remarks by saying how priviledged I felt to be invited. I told the group that I had probably been working on these issues for the longest since I started in 1970 with a small information shop on South Street where I was operating a kind of "Craigs List" for the people in the neighborhood using 3 x 5 cards." My shop was an extension of the street and offered information and referral to and about the people themselves.
Since I now run a computer thrift store and factory, I fit in nicely with the group of people assembled. They included a person from the City's department of technology and representatives of research teams working on Digital Divide issues. Mayor Street was himself a great advocate for technology and people's access to information.
However, I posed somewhat of a challenge to the group. I told them that people don't need technology and computers. What they need is information. Actually, I said that people need information, communication and trust.
These three things, I believe, are essential to the continued improvement of human society. And the last, TRUST, I feel is the most important of the three.
So, as the group continued to share ideas and issues: How are computer labs being built? what are issues around training people to use technology? How are people to gain access (at affordable prices) to the Internet? We were offered to build a list of issues that needed to be addressed. Mine was information advocacy... people not only need access to information, they need help making sense of the huge aray of available information, and they need to be able to connect with information that holds meaning for them in their community and in their lives. Information advocacy is akin to what librarians do. But I see it as being a bit of counseling, too. And I believe that we need to build an Internet based resource where people's needs and offers can be shared and found.
More on "needs and offers" with my next set of thoughts. Please use the comment feature here to add your ideas.
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ReplyDeleteShondell Ayala wrote:
Sounds like the event was an excellent opportunity to not only share the work that you do but also, offer up an exciting visionary plan. But my.question to.you is about access and mindsets. When you say people don't need computers that they is information, how do you ensure that all.people have access to this information when you provide it in an internet forum? Do you.propose some sort of affect training where we ready the minds of those without computers to see the need for computers/ the internet first?
Hi, Shondell.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question... this idea is specifically intended to help people who are NOT connected. The idea of an Information Advocate would be that the Advocate would help people who are not connected to the Internet and even if they are, the Advocate would help interpret, gather and create information to assist clients.
The Information Advocate would primarily function in a publicly accessible office. A place where people normally expect to find some types of help or information anyway. A community office run by a neighbors association, or an office of a church community would be likely candidates for locations of an Information Advocate. And it is my hope that we can find people who are already working or volunteering in such public offices to expand their current role providing some level of help to their constituents.
Once we find and establish a network of such Advocates and build some new tools for collecting and sharing information pertinent to community individuals, then we may need to create a training program for the Advocates. I'll have more to say on training and specific new information tools shortly.
I love it, love it, love it, Stan!! Similar to the vast disparities that exist in healthcare between the "haves" and the "have nots," the issue is not just merely providing access, but rather, helping people begin to understand how to navigate systems. I can't wait to find out more about this 'network of care,' if you will. Please let me know how I can help.
ReplyDeleteOne already established avenue to look at as a jumping off point are the NAC offices. While there might be wide variety in how well they function, part of their reason for being is to connect people to services within the framework of their own communities.
ReplyDeleteHere's another good resource (for the Advocates) www.cap4kids.org
Ann