Internet in Yemen: Problems and Prospects (A Case Study)

The Internet has caught the public in its expanding web. It is beginning to reshape other media and is now making its way into countries all over the world including developing countries. Yemen, as a developing country, introduced Internet services in September 1996. The present study attempts to evaluate Internet services in Yemen from inception up to the end of 1998. The study also hopes to find, among other things, how well and how widely the Internet is used in Yemen and to what extent Yemen can benefit from it, and how Yemen participates in the information highway. A questionnaire was used as a tool for collecting data. The homepages hosted at the Tele-Yemen (ISP) Server were scanned and certain criteria were used for their evaluation. The study was able to pinpoint the problems faced by Yemeni users of the Internet, the constraints confronting its diffusion in Yemen and the profits gained by subscribers. The study came up with several suggestions and recommendations that the two authors hope will provide a basis for assessing the prospects for the future of the Internet in Yemen.     

Searching Information and Evaluation of Internet: A Chinese Academic User Survey

This study examines the use of Internet resources and the evaluation of their usefulness from the perspectives of Chinese students and academics. The questionnaires were distributed at Peking University, ISTIC, and at the Information Institute of Science and Technology of Zhe Jiang Province, where 706 valid samples were collected. The data was analyzed according to: The background of the Internet users; the standard of Internet resources; Internet information-seeking behaviour; users’ evaluations of Internet resources and their perceived expectations about future Internet services. The study found that users with higher educational degrees tend to spend more time on the Internet and find Internet resources more useful than less-educated users. Although Internet search engines are the preferred information retrieval tool, other traditional or informal retrieval methods are also used. Many respondents agree that the Internet is helpful for narrowing the knowledge gap between developed and developing countries. Besides its richness and high speed, accuracy and authority are the most important factors when users judge the quality of the Internet; but, more specialized information filtering and navigation services are required. Further studies should focus on the information-seeking behaviour of different target groups, and with specific comparisons of Chinese academic users from economically developed areas, versus users from China's comparatively undeveloped Northwest provinces.     

Searching Information and Evaluation of Internet: A Chinese Academic User Survey

This study examines the use of Internet resources and the evaluation of their usefulness from the perspectives of Chinese students and academics. The questionnaires were distributed at Peking University, ISTIC, and at the Information Institute of Science and Technology of Zhe Jiang Province, where 706 valid samples were collected. The data was analyzed according to: The background of the Internet users; the standard of Internet resources; Internet information-seeking behaviour; users’ evaluations of Internet resources and their perceived expectations about future Internet services. The study found that users with higher educational degrees tend to spend more time on the Internet and find Internet resources more useful than less-educated users. Although Internet search engines are the preferred information retrieval tool, other traditional or informal retrieval methods are also used. Many respondents agree that the Internet is helpful for narrowing the knowledge gap between developed and developing countries. Besides its richness and high speed, accuracy and authority are the most important factors when users judge the quality of the Internet; but, more specialized information filtering and navigation services are required. Further studies should focus on the information-seeking behaviour of different target groups, and with specific comparisons of Chinese academic users from economically developed areas, versus users from China's comparatively undeveloped Northwest provinces.     

数字图书馆中多媒体馆藏与服务的建立

介绍岭南大学开发网上多媒体馆藏,并在香港开拓性地利用多媒体点播技术,通过互联网提供数字图书馆服务的实践。得出以下结论:多媒体技术对数字图书馆的影响无法估量,图书馆界应仔细研究和分析多媒体对数字图书馆的影响,充分发掘其潜能,并在引入多媒体服务的过程中,彼此分享经验,共建共享数字化资源。     

What Type of Internet Development Programme in Cameroon?

Everyone is trying to reap the extraordinary benefits of international networks, but without bothering to find out whether it is safe to do so. This paper echoes some questions being raised by the Cameroonian, and indeed the African, community. What will become of countries or social groups which do not get on to the Internet in time? Would the majority of the world population thus be cut off from a small group? What is the position regarding equality of conditions of access, freedom to communicate and interactivity facilities, understood as a network of exchanges? The programme for the development of the Internet in Cameroon is intended as a pilot experiment in a developing country, that could be taken up in other countries of the region.     

What Type of Internet Development Programme in Cameroon?

Everyone is trying to reap the extraordinary benefits of international networks, but without bothering to find out whether it is safe to do so. This paper echoes some questions being raised by the Cameroonian, and indeed the African, community. What will become of countries or social groups which do not get on to the Internet in time? Would the majority of the world population thus be cut off from a small group? What is the position regarding equality of conditions of access, freedom to communicate and interactivity facilities, understood as a network of exchanges? The programme for the development of the Internet in Cameroon is intended as a pilot experiment in a developing country, that could be taken up in other countries of the region.     

Internet search approaches: The influence of age, search goals, and experience

This study analyzed observations and interviews of 31 participants, who were divided into six age groups, to understand the influence of end-user goals and experience on Internet search approaches. Users who lacked experience approached the Internet similarly no matter what the age group. Children and older adults were more likely to lack online search experience than other users. In addition, children and older adults were more homogeneous than other users in that they had a narrow range of situational goals, whereas users in other groups had a wide range of situational goals. The study has implications for user services and research in end-user searching. An understanding of the influence of age, experience, and goals on Internet search patterns might guide how, how much, and in what format information should be presented in the future. Knowledge gained from this study can also form the basis of hypotheses for larger studies.     

Open All Night

Abstract

Archives can successfully use the Internet to enhance the level of access to information about their holdings, programs and services. The Internet can be used to improve the efficiency of traditional reference services and enable the institution to expand the level of use without an increased burden on existing resources. This essay reviews the experiences of the New York State Archives and Records Administration (SARA), which operates a variety of Internet services using Gopher and the World Wide Web. The essay focuses on how SARA selected and prepared information for Internet access, and how it has incorporated the Internet into its routine operations.     

Empowering Development Through E-Governance: Creating Smart Communities In Small Island States

An attempt is made in this paper to gain an understanding of the current and potential impact of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the Small Island Sates of the Caribbean, in particular those populations living in rural communities. The introduction briefly examines the impact of ICTs on society and calls for alternative channels for government to serve rural communities through the use of Multi-Community Access Centres (MCACs) or information kiosks available at libraries, police stations, tourist information centres and post offices, as an e-governance initiative in the creation of “smart communities” and as a grassroots effort. No analysis of ICTs on government's functions would be complete if we did not address the growing debate on the digital divide. In this paper a section is devoted to this and it summarily addresses the growing divide between the developed and the developing world and the potential of these islands to leap–frog barriers to information flows and access. The heart of the paper examines the impact of the Internet on small island economies and the growing use of the Internet in key sectors of each economy. Since this paper is about governments’ use of ICTs to transfer business transactions onto the Internet to service their populace, some discussion is undertaken and considers ways in which innovation has impacted on governments’ services and the early attempts by some Caribbean administrations to implement e-governance. E-Voices illustrates how certain government measures affect some vulnerable groups in society and ways in which they can broker power to participate in the process. Some key policy directions are proposed for Caribbean states and other developing countries to pursue.     

中、美、日信息产业比较研究

中、美、日信息产业比较研究张安珍ＡＢＳＴＲＡＣＴＣｏｎｄｕｃｔｉｎｇａｃｏｍｐａｒａｔｉｖｅｓｔｕｄｙｏｎｔｈｅｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｉｎ－ｄｕｓｔｒｉｓｏｆＣｈｉｎａ，ＡｍｅｒｉｃａａｎｄＪａｐａｍ，ｔｈｅｐａｐｅｒａｎａｌｙｚｅｓｏｎｔｈｉｓｂａ...     

Information searching behavior in the Internet age: A users’ study of Aligarh Muslim University

This study reports the results of a survey conducted at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to determine the extent to which Internet users are aware and make use of the Internet resources and services. The study examines the information searching behavior of Internet users. A questionnaire and follow-up interviews with the postgraduate students, research scholars and academic staff were conducted to collect data. A total of 489 questionnaires were distributed to the selected sample of eight faculties; 405 valid samples were collected. The data were analyzed according to the background of Internet users, Internet information searching behavior, use of Internet resources and services, quality of Internet information, problems of the Internet access and need for Internet literacy. The study found that the majority of respondents had a 5 year history of Internet access. The academic staff spent more time on the Internet than the students and research scholars. Although Internet search engines were the preferred information searching tool, other methods such as databases, gateways and World Wide Web (WWW) were also used. Online journals and databases were the preferred information sources among the Internet users. Respondents chose e-mail, WWW and search engines as important Internet services. About 60% of respondents believed that the good quality of information on the Internet made it a useful tool for education and research. Slow speed, lack of training and information overload were indicated as some of the factors affecting Internet usage. Further, recommendations are made to improve the use of Internet, including a well-planned Internet literacy program and preparation of subject gateways.     

User acceptance of SMS-based e-government services: Differences between adopters and non-adopters

Delivering public services through the SMS channel is popular in developed and developing countries, and it has demonstrated its benefits. However, citizens' acceptance of the services is still an issue. This paper presents a study on user acceptance of SMS-based e-government services. Constructs of the proposed model were derived from a survey on citizens' motivations for using SMS-based e-government services (142 respondents from 25 countries), prominent theories on individual acceptance of technologies, and current studies on user acceptance of SMS and e-government services. The model was validated using data from 589 citizens in three cities in Indonesia, who are non-adopters. The relationships between the factors then were compared with data from 80 adopters of SMS-based e-government services in Australia. The proposed model explains what factors influence non-adopters to accept SMS-based e-government services, and the comparison explains the relative importance of the factors for the adopters. The findings are promising for governments who wish to evaluate a new SMS-based e-government system very early in its development in order to assess potential acceptability and for governments who would like to diagnose the reasons why an existing SMS-based e-government service is not fully acceptable to citizens and to take corrective action to increase the acceptability of the service.     

Low cost broadband network model using WiMAX technology

This paper proposes a design for a low cost network model designed for rural and remote areas of the globe. It presents a six component framework, comprised of technical and non-technical issues that will guide a successful design and deployment of a community size wireless network. The authors conducted a number of studies in England and Tanzania to study available technologies, their potentials and shortcomings. They also studied challenges facing remote areas of developing countries as well as the challenges that face network operators in developing countries. Using the outcomes from these studies, they designed a model that takes a holistic approach to address these challenges. The designed model uses WiMAX technology as a key factor in creating a low cost community owned network. Practical and simulation tests show that a single base station WiMAX network is capable of covering up to 10 km radius community, linking wirelessly with acceptable quality services. Designed model is suitable for small communities in rural and remote areas in developing countries. Network designs are useful for anyone looking to build campus size wireless networks.     

Empowering Development Through E-Governance: Creating Smart Communities In Small Island States

An attempt is made in this paper to gain an understanding of the current and potential impact of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the Small Island Sates of the Caribbean, in particular those populations living in rural communities. The introduction briefly examines the impact of ICTs on society and calls for alternative channels for government to serve rural communities through the use of Multi-Community Access Centres (MCACs) or information kiosks available at libraries, police stations, tourist information centres and post offices, as an e-governance initiative in the creation of “smart communities” and as a grassroots effort. No analysis of ICTs on government's functions would be complete if we did not address the growing debate on the digital divide. In this paper a section is devoted to this and it summarily addresses the growing divide between the developed and the developing world and the potential of these islands to leap–frog barriers to information flows and access. The heart of the paper examines the impact of the Internet on small island economies and the growing use of the Internet in key sectors of each economy. Since this paper is about governments’ use of ICTs to transfer business transactions onto the Internet to service their populace, some discussion is undertaken and considers ways in which innovation has impacted on governments’ services and the early attempts by some Caribbean administrations to implement e-governance. E-Voices illustrates how certain government measures affect some vulnerable groups in society and ways in which they can broker power to participate in the process. Some key policy directions are proposed for Caribbean states and other developing countries to pursue.     

A stigma power perspective on digital government service avoidance

The digital-by-default policy for government services implemented in many European countries can pose challenges to marginalized citizens, such as people with disabilities. Prior research on electronic inclusion and the digital divide has mainly considered technology-related concerns, such as Internet anxiety, preventing people with disabilities from using digital government services. Yet, these concerns may insufficiently account for the fact that people with disabilities may suspect that governments provide new services only to reduce costs and forgo the need for more meaningful social change. Therefore, we draw from stigma power theory to understand how perceptions of stereotyping and discrimination contribute to the avoidance of digital government services among people with disabilities. Our results indicate that overcoming underutilization of digital government services among people with disabilities requires a holistic approach by addressing technology-related as well as stigma-related concerns.     

Library Automation at The University for Development Studies: Challenges and Prospects

The automation of a library that basically aims at improving the management of the library's resources and increasing access to these same resources by users has caught on so well in the western world that virtually all academic libraries in that part of the world have automated most of their services. In Africa, however, several challenges are making it difficult for academic libraries to do the same, thus depriving them of the numerous touted benefits a library stands to gain from automating its services. The University for Development Studies (UDS) Library in Northern Ghana embarked on an automation project on one of its campuses that has thus far resulted in the full automation of the cataloguing and circulation operations. This article recounts the experiences of the Library in its bid to automate some of its services. The procedures that were followed, as well as the highlights of the automation, are recounted here. Lessons learned and challenges encountered are presented as an example for other academic libraries in Ghana, Africa, and other developing countries that have plans to automate.     

Analysis of the urban/rural broadband divide in Canada: Using GIS in planning terrestrial wireless deployment

Millions of Canadians residing in Canada's northern, isolated, rural, and remote communities do not have broadband Internet access. This situation has led to a national “broadband divide.” That is, the deployment of wireline broadband is very limited in Canada's northern, isolated, rural, and remote areas because of the significant expense of installation and maintenance of the wired infrastructure needed to reach dwellings in these locations.Terrestrial broadband wireless technology, on the other hand, does not entail the same kind of physical infrastructure. As a result, there are dramatic changes in how spatial considerations affect the provision of broadband Internet services (BIS) to areas beyond the urban zone. In particular, the spatial question is now focused on assessing the capacity for different technological solutions to reach profitable population bases, and brings to the forefront organizations that are developing non-line-of-sight (NLOS) technologies that would permit wireless Internet access over much greater distances than current solutions.We begin this paper by establishing the importance of broadband connectivity to Canada's northern, isolated, rural, and remote communities. This discussion comments on the role of the Government of Canada in the provision of broadband connectivity to residents of these communities, and outlines the current regulatory issues that govern wireless services and policy formulation.The second part of the paper illustrates the use of geographic information system (GIS) approaches in the study of wireless broadband planning and deployment. Case study findings suggest that GIS applications can make a significant contribution to the analysis of wireless deployment planning, to the understanding of the relationships between wireless signal sources and consumers, and to the spatial configuration of terrestrial wireless broadband networks. We conclude the paper by discussing how the GIS approach employed could be used to inform the public policy process with regard to increasing access to broadband Internet services in all regions of the country, and thereby providing the opportunity for all Canadians, regardless of location, to fully participate in the Information Society.     

Displacement and Supplemental Effects of the Mobile Internet on Fixed Internet Use

Mobile devices facilitate the use of mobile services that are similar to services used via fixed Internet connections. The objective of this article is to assess displacement effects between fixed and mobile Internet services, and to research the role of technical capabilities of mobile handsets and demographics as moderators. This study is based on a sample of 628 respondents who have access to fixed and mobile Internet services. The respondents' usage of services was analyzed. An online questionnaire was used to collect data on the use of information, communication, entertainment, and transaction services. Mobile Internet reinforces, rather than replaces, Internet usage. When people possess an iPhone^® or (mobile) laptop, this reinforcement effect is present for entertainment services. With respect to transaction services, the Blackberry^® makes a stronger case. With the exception of gender, demographic characteristics do not have a moderating effect. Women display a stronger reinforcement effect than men in relation to transaction services. To the best of our knowledge, no study to date has investigated the displacement effects of fixed Internet services by the mobile handset. This empirical study contributes to the literature regarding the displacement effects of mobile Internet services.     

难以跨越的数字鸿沟——发展中国家的因特网

作者认为 ,信息沟不仅是经济和技术的鸿沟 ,也是经济制度和政治制度的鸿沟。对于发展中国家 ,因特网是一种引进的技术和商业模式。因特网在发展中国家的成长将是一个本土化的过程 ,发展中国家一定会做出自己的选择。     

皇后图书馆多元文化服务探析

美国是一个多元文化社会,文章介绍了多元文化视野下皇后图书馆的多元文化服务理念。同时介绍了其多元文化服务措施,包括:设置了新移民服务部为新移民提供多样化服务;致力于与其他国家图书馆之间的交流与合作;建立了多语种网站;发展多语种馆藏;长期举办实用的语言学习与识字课程;举办各种文化活动与课程等等。皇后图书馆的多元文化服务给国内图书馆提供了借鉴。