Re: UKNM: Awareness

[Mark Walker]

an old-ish thread

>This concludes that: the typical UK Internet user <snip> drinks like a

>fish... <hic>

>

>Couple this with approx. 10-11 million users (early 99 quote) in the UK

>(and growing) and I feel that the *opposition* is right - there are still

>many out there that need to know wassup...even if it is in a fluffy

>editorial style...more women are getting online as are wider demographic

>segments such as older people etc...thus...dont assume anything...provide

>everything :)



over the past four years we've run about 3000 hours of free internet

training sessions for people of all ages, genders, occupations, abilities

and drinking habits


no one has ever said they felt patronised by someone telling them how

things work in a way that's easy to understand, doesn't assume any prior

knowledge and offers to hold their hand at every possible stage.


I recently met someone who complained that the internet was good 'but a bit

slow', often taking up to 28 minutes to download a page. I asked him to

show me how he used it. He put a URL in the address: box and sat and stared

at the screen. Presumably no-one had told him to press 'return', although

he was still enthusistic about 'being on the net'.


In my experience the majority of people don't use a computer every

day/week/month. Most are scared of breaking something they don't understand

and/or want to know what's in it for them before they can be bothered

learning all the gobbledygook.


They expect computers to be expensive and difficult to use and the people

who sell them usually do their best to confirm their suspicions.


I suggest that most internet enterprises are in the business of market

development (ie not market penetration) and anyway shouldn't need to ask

whether their tactics should match the needs of their prospective punters.


Mark Walker

Project Manager


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sussex Community Internet Project http://www.scip.org.uk

Harnessing the power of new technology for the benefit of the whole community


SCIP, Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG

Tel 01273 234049 Fax 020 7681 2022 (JFax)


SCIP was founded in 1995 and is now registered as an incorporated not for

profit private limited company, reg. no. 3819836.



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