The Chronicles of a Digital Citizen: June 2015

Wednesday, 24 June 2015

Biblography Post

https://www.staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/for-parents/raising-digital-citizens

The Internet is a wonderful place for learning and entertainment, but like the world around us, it can pose dangers if precautions are not taken. Allowing free access puts your child, your computer and your personal data at risk.

Remain positively engaged: Pay attention to and know the online environments your children use. Surf the Internet with them. Appreciate your children’s participation in their online communities and show interest in their friends. Try to react constructively when they encounter inappropriate material. Make it a teachable moment.

Support their good choices: Expand your children’s online experience and their autonomy when developmentally appropriate, as they demonstrate competence in safe and secure online behavior and good decision making.

Keep a clean machine: Safety and security start with protecting all family computers with a security suite (anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall) that is set to update automatically. Keep your operating system, web browsers, and other software current as well, and back up computer files on a regular basis.

Know the protection features of the websites and software your children use: All major Internet service providers (ISPs) have tools to help you manage young children’s online experience (e.g., selecting approved websites, monitoring the amount of time they spend online, or limiting the people who can contact them) and may have other security features, such as pop-up blockers. Third-party tools are also available. But remember that your home isn't the only place they can go online.

Review privacy settings: Look at the privacy settings available on social networking sites, cell phones, and other social tools your children use. Decide together which settings provide the appropriate amount of protection for each child.

Teach critical thinking: Help your children identify safe, credible Web sites and other digital content, and be cautious about clicking on, downloading, posting, and uploading content.

Explain the implications: Help your children understand the public nature of the Internet and its risks as well as benefits. Be sure they know that any digital info they share, such as emails, photos, or videos, can easily be copied and pasted elsewhere, and is almost impossible to take back. Things that could damage their reputation, friendships, or future prospects should not be shared electronically.

Help them be good digital citizens: Remind your children to be good “digital friends” by respecting personal information of friends and family and not sharing anything about others that is potentially embarrassing or hurtful.

Just saying "no" rarely works: Teach your children how to interact safely with people they "meet" online. Though it's preferable they make no in-person contact with online-only acquaintances, young people may not always follow this rule. So talk about maximizing safe conditions: meeting only in well-lit public places, always taking at least one friend, and telling a trusted adult about any plans they make – including the time, place, and acquaintance’s contact information (at least a name and cell phone number). Remind them to limit sharing personal information with new friends.

Empower your children to handle issues: Your children may deal with situations online such as bullying, unwanted contact, or hurtful comments. Work with them on strategies for when problems arise, such as talking to a trusted adult, not retaliating, calmly talking with the person, blocking the person, or filing a complaint. Agree on steps to take if the strategy fails.

Encourage your children to be "digital leaders:" Help ensure they master the safety and security techniques of all technology they use. Support their positive and safe engagement in online communities. Encourage them to help others accomplish their goals. Urge them to help if friends are making poor choices or being harmed.

Keep your home computer in a central and open location: If your computer is in the open, you can physically monitor your children while they are online.

Be aware of all the ways people connect to the Internet: Young people have many options to connect to the Internet beyond a home computer. Phones, tablets, gaming systems and even TVs have become connected. Be aware of all the ways and devices (including what they do at friend’s houses) your children are using and be sure they know how to use them safely and responsibly.

Talk to other parents: When and how you decide to let your children use the Internet is a personal parenting decision. Knowing what other parents are thinking and allowing their children to do is important and can be helpful for making decisions about what your children do online.

Know the rules: Not all online services are for kids. Even some of the most popular social networking services and other sites are meant only for use by people 13 and older. There are many terrific sites designed specifically for younger children that provide a safer, more secure and age-appropriate environment.

Stay current. Keep pace with new ways to stay safe online: The online world is ever changing. New services with great features continually emerge. Knowing about them and how young people use them can help you better understand the digital life your children experience as well as any concerns you may have for your children.

Consider separate accounts on your computer: Most operating systems allow you to create a different account for each user. Separate accounts can lessen the chance that your child might accidentally access, modify, change settings and/or delete your files. You can set up certain privileges (the things that can and can’t be done) for each account.

Know who to contact if you believe your child is in danger: Visit http://kids.getnetwise.org/trouble/

If you know of a child in immediate risk or danger, call law enforcement right away. Report instances of online child exploitation to the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tipline. Reports may be made 24-hours a day, 7 days per week at www.cybertipline.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678.

Additional resources

ConnectSafely.org has basic guidelines for teens and parents about cyberbullying, sexting, social networking, and more.

GetGameSmart.com provides information and resources to help families make smart choices about what they play, browse, and watch.

GetNetWise.org is a useful resource for families to learn how to protect themselves from online danger and create the safest online experience possible.

iKeepSafe.org seeks to give parents, educators, and policymakers the information and tools which power them to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology and the Internet.
NetSmartz.org is a safety resource from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for children aged 5 to 17, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement that uses activities to teach Internet safety.

Lookout Mobile Security & The Online Mom's Generation Smartphone: A Guide for Parents of Tweens & Tweens has resources to help families talk to their kids about mobile security and safe smartphone use.

OnGuardOnline.gov is the FTC’s main consumer facing website to educate everyone on staying safe and secure online.

NQ Mobile & National Cyber Security Alliance's Kids and Smartphones: a Guide to Mobile Safety has resources for families who are considering giving their kids a smartphone.

WebWiseKids.org is a unique organization that offers fun, challenging and interactive simulations based on real-life criminal cases. Each program has been designed specifically for use with young people in classrooms and computer labs and is guaranteed to be easy to use and flexible with your classroom schedule.

Wired Safety.org provides help, information and education to Internet and mobile device users of all ages. They help victims of cyberabuse ranging from online fraud, cyberstalking and child safety, to hacking and malicious code attacks. They also help parents with issues, such as social networking and cyberbullying.

Five influences

Solution Fluency
8

Our education system has taught problem-solving in a show-and-tell manner (we show students the problem, and tell them how we got the answer) that has fostered a culture of dependency, rather than discovery. But if you look at today’s economy, you’ll discover that most left-brain tasks are already automated or outsourced via Internet in a global economy, leaving jobs that require whole-brain thinking. This means creativity and problem-solving applied in real time. The 6D system is a logical, thorough, and relevant approach for tackling problems:!”

Define the problem, because you need to know exactly what you’re doing before you start.
Discover a solution, because planning prevents wasted effort.
Dream up a process, one that is suitable and efficient.
Design the process in an accurate and detailed action plan.
Deliver by putting the plan into action by both producing and publishing the solution.
Debrief and foster ownership by evaluating the problem solving process.

8
Information Fluency
8

Because of InfoWhelm, data is increasing dramatically, facts are becoming obsolete faster, and knowledge built on these facts is less durable. Information fluency is the ability to unconsciously interpret this avalanche of data in all formats, in order to extract the essential and perceive its significance. Information fluency has 5 As, which are:

Ask good questions, in order to get good answers.
Access and acquire the raw material from the appropriate digital information sources, which today are mostly graphical and audiovisual in nature.
Analyze and authenticate and arrange these materials, and distinguish between good and bad, fact and opinion. Understand bias and determine what is incomplete to turn the raw data into usable knowledge.
Apply the knowledge within a real world problem or simulation using a VIP action (vision into practice).
Assess both the product and the process, which is both a teacher and a student practice.

8
Creativity Fluency
8

Creativity fluency how artistic proficiency adds meaning through design, art, and storytelling. We are all creative people. This means that creativity can be taught and learned like any other skill. It’s a whole brain process that involves both hemispheres working together. There are 5 Is to Creativity fluency:

Identify the desired outcome and criteria.
Inspire your creativity with rich sensory information.
Interpolate and connect the dots by searching for patterns within the inspiration that align with your desired outcome and criteria from Identify.
Imagine is the synthesis of Inspire and Interpolate, uniting in the birth of an idea.
Inspect the idea against the original criteria and for feasibility.

8
Media Fluency
8

In our multimedia world, communication has moved far beyond the realm of text. Our visual learning capacity needs stimulation with rich media from a variety of different sources. But it’s more than just operating a digital camera, creating a podcast, or writing a document. There are two components of Media fluency—one forinput and one for output.

Listen actively and decode the communication by separating the media from the message, concisely and clearly verbalizing the message and verifying its authenticity, and then critically analyzing the medium for form, flow, and alignment with the intended audience and purpose.
Leverage the most appropriate media for your message considering your content or message and what the desired outcome is. Then consider the audience, your abilities, and any pre-determined criteria. From here, the application of the other fluencies is used to produce and publish your message.

8
Collaboration Fluency
8

More and more, working, playing, and learning in today’s digital world involves working with others. It is the spirit of collaboration that will stimulate progress in our global marketplace, in our social networks, and in our ability to create products of value and substance. Collaboration fluency is the ability to successfully work and interact with virtual and real partners. The 5 Es of Collaboration fluency are:

Establish the collective, and determine the best role for each team member by pinpointing each team member’s personal strengths and expertise, establishing norms, and the signing of a group contract that indicates both a collective working agreement and an acceptance of the individual responsibilities and accountability of each team member.
Envision the outcome, examining the issue, challenge, and goal as a group.
Engineer a workable plan to achieve the goal.
Execute by putting the plan into action and managing the process.
Examine the process and the end result for areas of constructive improvement.

8
Global Digital Citizen
8

8
The digital citizen uses the principles of leadership, ethics, accountability, fiscal responsibility, environmental awareness, global citizenship, and personal responsibility, and considers his or her actions and their consequences. The ideal Global Digital Citizen is defined by the presence of 5 main qualities:

Personal Responsibility in ethical and moral boundaries, finance, personal health and fitness, and relationships of every definition.
Global Citizenship and its sense of understanding of world-wide issues and events, respect for cultures and religions, and an attitude of acceptance and tolerance in a changing world.
Digital Citizenship and the guiding principles of respecting and protecting yourself, others, and all intellectual property in digital and non-digital environments.
Altruistic Service by taking advantage of the opportunities we are given to care for our fellow citizens, and to lend our hands and hearts to these in need when the need is called for.
Environmental Stewardship and its common sense values about global resource management and personal responsibility for safeguarding the environment, and an appreciation and respect for the beauty and majesty that surrounds us every day.

Digital Commerce

One of the most popular activities on the Web is shopping. It has much allure in it — you can shop at your leisure, anytime, and in your pajamas. Literally anyone can have their pages built to display their specific goods and services.

History of ecommerce dates back to the invention of the very old notion of "sell and buy", electricity, cables, computers, modems, and the Internet. Ecommerce became possible in 1991 when the Internet was opened to commercial use. Since that date thousands of businesses have taken up residence at web sites.

At first, the term ecommerce meant the process of execution of commercial transactions electronically with the help of the leading technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) which gave an opportunity for users to exchange business information and do electronic transactions. The ability to use these technologies appeared in the late 1970s and allowed business companies and organizations to send commercial documentation electronically.

Although the Internet began to advance in popularity among the general public in 1994, it took approximately four years to develop the security protocols (for example, HTTP) and DSL which allowed rapid access and a persistent connection to the Internet. In 2000 a great number of business companies in the United States and Western Europe represented their services in the World Wide Web. At this time the meaning of the word ecommerce was changed. People began to define the term ecommerce as the process of purchasing of available goods and services over the Internet using secure connections and electronic payment services. Although the dot-com collapse in 2000 led to unfortunate results and many of ecommerce companies disappeared, the "brick and mortar" retailers recognized the advantages of electronic commerce and began to add such capabilities to their web sites (e.g., after the online grocery store Webvan came to ruin, two supermarket chains, Albertsons and Safeway, began to use ecommerce to enable their customers to buy groceries online). By the end of 2001, the largest form of ecommerce, Business-to-Business (B2B) model, had around $700 billion in transactions.

According to all available data, ecommerce sales continued to grow in the next few years and, by the end of 2007, ecommerce sales accounted for 3.4 percent of total sales.

Ecommerce has a great deal of advantages over "brick and mortar" stores and mail order catalogs. Consumers can easily search through a large database of products and services. They can see actual prices, build an order over several days and email it as a "wish list" hoping that someone will pay for their selected goods. Customers can compare prices with a click of the mouse and buy the selected product at best prices.

Online vendors, in their turn, also get distinct advantages. The web and its search engines provide a way to be found by customers without expensive advertising campaign. Even small online shops can reach global markets. Web technology also allows to track customer preferences and to deliver individually-tailored marketing.

History of ecommerce is unthinkable without Amazon and Ebay which were among the first Internet companies to allow electronic transactions. Thanks to their founders we now have a handsome ecommerce sector and enjoy the buying and selling advantages of the Internet. Currently there are 5 largest and most famous worldwide Internet retailers: Amazon, Dell, Staples, Office Depot and Hewlett Packard. According to statistics, the most popular categories of products sold in the World Wide Web are music, books, computers, office supplies and other consumer electronics.

Amazon.com, Inc. is one of the most famous ecommerce companies and is located in Seattle, Washington (USA). It was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and was one of the first American ecommerce companies to sell products over the Internet. After the dot-com collapse Amazon lost its position as a successful business model, however, in 2003 the company made its first annual profit which was the first step to the further development.

At the outset Amazon.com was considered as an online bookstore, but in time it extended a variety of goods by adding electronics, software, DVDs, video games, music CDs, MP3s, apparel, footwear, health products, etc. The original name of the company was Cadabra.com, but shortly after it become popular in the Internet Bezos decided to rename his business "Amazon" after the world's most voluminous river. In 1999 Jeff Bezos was entitled as the Person of the Year by Time Magazine in recognition of the company's success. Although the company's main headquarters is located in the USA, WA, Amazon has set up separate websites in other economically developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and China. The company supports and operates retail web sites for many famous businesses, including Marks & Spencer, Lacoste, the NBA, Bebe Stores, Target, etc.

Amazon is one of the first ecommerce businesses to establish an affiliate marketing program, and nowadays the company gets about 40% of its sales from affiliates and third party sellers who list and sell goods on the web site. In 2008 Amazon penetrated into the cinema and is currently sponsoring the film "The Stolen Child" with 20th Century Fox.

According to the research conducted in 2008, the domain Amazon.com attracted about 615 million customers every year. The most popular feature of the web site is the review system, i.e. the ability for visitors to submit their reviews and rate any product on a rating scale from one to five stars. Amazon.com is also well-known for its clear and user-friendly advanced search facility which enables visitors to search for keywords in the full text of many books in the database.

One more company which has contributed much to the process of ecommerce development is Dell Inc., an American company located in Texas, which stands third in computer sales within the industry behind Hewlett-Packard and Acer.

Launched in 1994 as a static page, Dell.com has made rapid strides, and by the end of 1997 was the first company to record a million dollars in online sales. The company's unique strategy of selling goods over the World Wide Web with no retail outlets and no middlemen has been admired by a lot of customers and imitated by a great number of ecommerce businesses. The key factor of Dell's success is that Dell.com enables customers to choose and to control, i.e. visitors can browse the site and assemble PCs piece by piece choosing each single component based on their budget and requirements. According to statistics, approximately half of the company's profit comes from the web site.

In 2007, Fortune magazine ranked Dell as the 34th-largest company in the Fortune 500 list and 8th on its annual Top 20 list of the most successful and admired companies in the USA in recognition of the company's business model.

History of ecommerce is a history of a new, virtual world which is evolving according to the customer advantage. It is a world which we are all building together brick by brick, laying a secure foundation for the future generations (http://www.ecommerce-land.com/history_ecommerce.html., 2008)

Digital Communication - CLASH OF CLANS

The Clash of clans is a game where one plays as a chief of a village. The game starts with a tutorial of how to build the village, how to protect the village from different types of magical creatures such as goblins, it also shows the player how to attack other villages to get their gold. the village starts of with two building thy are the town hall and the training ground. The main screen has a an icon for a shop where the player can buy goods such as, Shields, Resources,Decoration and goods for the villages army. The logistics and strategies of the game is purely simply, all the player really has to do is protect his or her own village and destroy other villages while leveling up (the are 50 level ups). to sum it up all the player has to do is survive with the aims at having the strongest village in the game.
my experience with the game was not bad but what i can say about is that it is a great way to pass the time it will not be challenging for people who like a great strategic game, but i would recommend it for people that are beginners to this type of games.

The type of communication used in this game is inappropriate, it is not standerd enlish where one can teach kids about digital communication it is similer to what people use in ''sms language''.

The issue with this game is that it can not be used to teach people about digital citizenship, because of the type of language is being used.

reference list

http://clashofclans.wikia.com/wiki/Single_Player_Campaign

Digital Literacy and Information Fluency

Digital fluency is interpreting information unconsciously so that we can extract knowledge and interpret its meaning and significance.

On the Animal Planet website:( http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/mermaids/) that has to do with the so called findings of mermaids i could find this results after going to the site.

1- The purpose of the site was to inform people that they had allegertly found mermaids
2-the process of delivering this to the public was by making a few decomenteries and making this website.
3-the public's response to this news was mixed as some thought that this news was a joke and that the was not enough evidence to support the claims of being mermaids. Another group of people just believed it just because they took the credibility of Animal Planet..
4- The accuracy of the claims by Animal Planet is hard to acually prove because of the pictures of the so called mermaids not being clear enough and them not giving enough information to acualy prove that their are mermaids

out and and the pictures don,t look real enough to be convincing.

Digital Security

ISSUES SURROUNDING DIGITAL SECURITY

Digital fraud and crimes

Digital fraud and crimes has to deal with issues such as digital scams, child pornography, identity theft, and many other digital crimes.

· Fraud and theft scams- The main aim of this crime has to do with people stealing another person’ personal or financial details. But other notable information taken is:

· Free samples- It has to do with this criminals using another person’s credit card details to buy things with it

· Disaster fraud- A person receives and email from an fake organization that deals with disasters and ask you for donation, or a malware is put onto your computer to take you contacts to ask people for donations

· Sexual offending against children-This deals with people distributing child pornography on the internet. Some crimes include:

· Online grooming- where criminals pretend to be younger and chat to young teenagers sometimes adults and later ask to meet with them somewhere the crime will happen such as rape.

· Sexting- The criminal encourage for self-generated pornography photos so that they can later blackmail them with the photos.

· Physical harm as a result of Digital crimes- This includes harassment, online stalking, cyber-bullying and hate crime. Victims report that they receive unwanted emails that threatening or obscene. Cyber-bullied victims have been harassed so much so that they end up committing suicide. In some cases the online stalker has gone on to murder their stalked victims.

Cyber-Crime

The definition of cyber-crime is any criminal act that involves electronic communication or information systems (www.cybercrime.org.za/definition, 2015). There are a high number of different cyber-crimes to name a few they are:

· Identity theft-A hacker or scammer may use a fake email to trick someone t5o give him/her, his/her password and account information, or get his or her I.D number , once the have it they will have access to that persons accounts so they buy things with that information and cause damage for the victim (www.science.opposingviews.com/examples-cyber-crime-1544.html, 2008)

· Hacking-This is a criminal offense where by a person goes into another person or organization’s computer system, to steal, gain control or destroy the system from the inside out(www.science.opposingviews.com/examples-cyber-crime-1544.html, 2008). There are other reasons why hacking happens.

· Industrial espionage-This is the theft of an organizations data by competitor’s ether to make the company close down or to sell it at high prices to someone else.

· Toll fraud-this is when a thief gains access to an organizations long distance lines using technological means .

· Computer viruses-This is a computer file program that is attached to another file or to disks that replicate fast. They are there to destroy or disrupt the way your computer system works.

Digital Rights and Responsiblities

Digital Etiquette in schools is the responsibility, respect, and the practice of using the education institutions technology in a digital environment.

[10 rules of Netiquette]

Responsibility

· Showing ethical behavior in the digital world using the schools IT facilities as you would in the real world.

· Use the institutions technology responsibly.

· Not breaking and rules and regulation set by the institution or the state/country while using the institutions technology.

Respect

· Respect yourself and others while using the technology of the institution.

· Not using the institutions technology in a harmful or inappropriate way.

· Show good digital behavior.

Using digital technology

· Learner may not use another student’s credential to login a site.

· Don’t use any offensive or any words that may be harmful to other people while using the institutions technology.

· Respect other peoples’ privacy while using institutions technology.

· Use institutions technology for educational use only not for personal issues.

[Penalties of not adhering to the rules al regulations]

· Could be called in for a hearing to discuss the offense.

· Handed over to the police for criminal actions.

· Fined.

· Expelled from the institution

[How I would enforce it in my business]

· I would firstly put it in their contract before hiring an employee so that they know what they getting into

· Put my code of conduct on the notice bore around the offices.

· Have workshops to inform employees of the code of conduct and what is in it

Digital Etiquette

Digital Etiquette in schools is the responsibility, respect, and the practice of using the education institutions technology in a digital environment.

[10 rules of Netiquette]

Responsibility

· Showing ethical behavior in the digital world using the schools IT facilities as you would in the real world.

· Use the institutions technology responsibly.

· Not breaking and rules and regulation set by the institution or the state/country while using the institutions technology.

Respect

· Respect yourself and others while using the technology of the institution.

· Not using the institutions technology in a harmful or inappropriate way.

· Show good digital behavior.

Using digital technology

· Learner may not use another student’s credential to login a site.

· Don’t use any offensive or any words that may be harmful to other people while using the institutions technology.

· Respect other peoples’ privacy while using institutions technology.

· Use institutions technology for educational use only not for personal issues.

[Penalties of not adhering to the rules al regulations]

· Could be called in for a hearing to discuss the offense.

· Handed over to the police for criminal actions.

· Fined.

· Expelled from the institution

[How I would enforce it in my business]

· I would firstly put it in their contract before hiring an employee so that they know what they getting into

· Put my code of conduct on the notice bore around the offices.

· Have workshops to inform employees of the code of conduct and what is in it

Digital Citizenship and Digital Access

3 Element 1: Digital Access
The first identified element of Digital Citizenship pertains to Digital Access, which is defined as: “The full electronic participation in Society” (Ribble, 2011). Whilst the Internet, World Wide Web, cell phones, television and other electronic information and communication technologies (ICTs) are opening up ways for the transformation of the way we live, learn, work and communicate, it is important to note that the decisions of opening, directing or closing of opportunities is key to bringing social and economic benefits to people around the world. Access is key and critical to bringing these social and economic benefits and should be at the forefront of all business and government decision making in the context of creating opportunities.
These decisions regarding access opportunities will impact on the ability for social transformations as a result of increased use of ICTs.
A prime example of the social transformations that ICTs leveraged are the Arab Springs in 2010, where the people of repressive countries leveraged the use of social media to gain support and plan for demonstrations resulted in the toppling of various governments.
3.1 Issues Surrounding Access
Technology is changing at a rapid rate. In 1965 Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of the Intel Corporation, predicted that computer hardware power would double every two years, where later he revised this to every 18 months (Moore, 1965). This is known as Moore’s Law.
Given the rapid change in power, and the introduction of new technologies, access to data and information is critical. However, access is not universal. Moreover, it is not just about access as a means but also about access as a skill. In fact the issue of access or the lack thereof, known as the Digital Divide, is actually based on several gaps.
The Digital Divide – a Socio-economic Divide
The first issue surrounding access is that of the ability to access, in general, data and information through the use of digital devices. This access is known as the Digital Divide, or sometimes referred to as those that have and those that ‘havenot’ (Dutton, 2004).
This divide is often associated with socio-economic factors, but as the gap between developed countries and developing countries, the digital divide is also associated with geodemographic factors; developing vs. developed countries. This is relevant in the case of Internet use, where nations vary widely in the number or ratio of the public with access to the Internet.
The Digital Divide – a Divide in Infrastructure
Continuing along the theme of developing vs. developed countries lies the issue of infrastructure. Developed countries have a far greater penetration of appropriate and up-to-date infrastructure than that of the developing countries. Quite simply it is about the infrastructure of the developing countries that often impedes the broad range of access, in addition to the socio-economic factors. A prime example is that of South Africa’s poor electricity infrastructure that is under such extreme pressures, that we are experiencing rolling blackouts.
IIE Module Manual DIGC5110
At the time of development Eskom was threatening to move to level 3, complete national blackouts! Coupled with this is Telkom’s stranglehold on the telecommunications infrastructure, where it sells its customers bandwidth that the infrastructure is not capable of providing. However, it should also be noted that South Africa, a developing country, is a juxtaposition of both first world and third world environments, intrepid entrepreneurs seeking solutions to these problems.
Due to infrastructure restrictions, coupled with socio-economic factors, people in townships and rural areas utilise their mobile phones as a point of access to the Internet. However, this is a costly exercise, resulting in the digital divide deepening. As a result there are many projects underway, mainly undertaken by entrepreneurs who are passionate about the country, in ensuring that townships, and hopefully rural areas as well, are able to gain access to the Internet at little or no cost. There is the Khayalitsha-Mitchell Plain Fibre Optic project, Project Isizwe – which is creating ‘WiFi’ in townships in a non-traditional manner, as well as the Dabba project of bringing low-cost voice and Internet access to townships.
The Digital Divide – a Divide in Content
According to Dutton (2004) nearly 70% of the websites are in English. Although this has changed substantially, the fact of the matter remains that English dominates the web.
The Digital Divide – a Gender Divide
According to a 2013 report the Internet gender gap is notable in developing countries, with very real consequences to the girls and women of those communities. The statistics show that, on average, women are online in developing countries 23% less than that of their male counterpart. In some cases this gap is over 40%. What are the consequences? People derive huge benefits through the use and access of the Internet. These include economic and educational opportunities, access to support communities, as well as accessing career opportunities. Furthermore, by providing access for women to ICTs, nations are better able to empower women and provide equitable development (Women and the Web, 2013).
IIE Module Manual DIGC5110
The Digital Divide – a Skill Divide
Having the skill to operate a computer is probably the biggest opportunity or hindrance to the adoption of technology for development. Although accessibility is increasing, skills are not necessarily conforming at the same rate of increase. These skills relate to digital literacies. This is perhaps a greater issue than that of physical access, as those that are disadvantaged due to socio-economic factors have less exposure to digital technology, thereby impeding their ability in education and in the job market. However, it should be noted that despite socioeconomic factors playing a role in the level of skills, it is not all bound to social strata but also personal factors.
The Digital Divide – the Universal Access Divide
Another issue pertaining to Digital Access is that of those who are physically disadvantaged. Those that suffer from some physical disability are often disenfranchised when it comes to access, both from skill but moreover the hardware and software utilised and available. Furthermore, the cost of such hardware and software is also exorbitant

Friday, 5 June 2015

9 elements of Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship has nine elements that are the structure of digital citizenship. These elements are:

1- Digital Access-This is the full electronic participation in society (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

2- Digital commerce- This is the electronic buying and selling of goods (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

3- Digital Communication- This is the electronic exchange of information (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

4- Digital Literacy- The process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

5- Digital Etiquette-The electronic standards of conduct or procedure (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

6- Digital Law-The electronic responsibility for action and deeds (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

7- Digital Rights and Responsibility-Those freedom extended to everyone in the digital world (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

8- Digital Health and Wellness-Physical and Psychological well-being in a digital technology world (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

9- Digital Security-The electronic precautions to guarantee safety (www.digitalcitizenship.netNine_Elements.html, 2015).

The Chronicles of a Digital Citizen