I am posting this reply to Blake Polands message, sent by Eberhard Wenzel.
Unfortunately it 'bounced back' from the CLICK4HP server because of the
usual problem of leaving the original headers in the reply. The technology
is not perfect, and neither are we!
yr humble co-facilitator
Alison Stirling <[log in to unmask]>
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> I fear that increasing reliance on the internet as a
> medium of organizing, exciting as I find it to be, will only serve to
> further differentiate the "haves" and "have-nots" in our society, given
the
> heavy investment in hardware, software, connection charges involved (not
to
> mention investment in education as precursor to it's use as a hp/CD tool).
> Latest figures from Stats Canada indicate only 7% of Canadians are on the
> internet. Like other consumer innovations of advanced capitalism,
> information technology is an incredible boone to a few, while
> systematically excluding the many.
>
> I'm afraid this is something we should be concerned about, rather than
> being entirely seduced by the medium.

I couldn't have said it better. The social class bias of InterNet
access and subsequently its usage is obvious. Being part of this
discussion group means being part of an extremely privileged group.
We have to realize that between us and THEM there is a huge gap which
does not get reduced just because our communication tools become more
and more sophisticated.

Public health is NOT a matter of technology but a matter of
socio-political action. It's not a matter of equipment but a matter
of competence.

And if you look at the world these days, the only thing you can be
sure of is that public health does not seem to be an issue of major
concern.


Eberhard Wenzel M.A. PhD
Griffith University
Faculty of Environmental Sciences