Wither the Information Society?

Another holdover from the dot-com era seems to be dying a slow death

With the end of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), it has become apparent that the European notion of the "information society" appears to be dying a slow but sure death. The WSIS is intended to provide a unique opportunity for all key decision makers to gain a better understanding of computer and information technologies and their impact on the international community. The roles that are assumed by various "stakeholders" in smoothly coordinating the setting up of the information society around the globe is supposed to be a major concern of the summit. However, judging by the final outcome of the WSIS, it's quite obvious that any truly social aspect to the concept is clearly lacking.

The first phase of the WSIS took place in Geneva in 2003. Some 175 countries adopted a Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action. In the second phase of the WSIS, which was held this year from November 16-18 in Tunis, efforts were made to put the Plan of Action into motion, with working groups set up to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of Internet governance and financing mechanisms.

Unfortunately, power and responsibilities over the Internet have changed significantly over the years, and the word "competition" has become increasingly fashionable. Likewise, the approach to establishing an information society in Europe and elsewhere has been modelled on that of private enterprise to the extent that it represents virtually a "market" system. One just has to look at the vocabulary used at the WSIS and other forums concerned with the information society. Efficiency, flexibility, targets, self-evaluation, steering, stakeholders; it is a vocabulary borrowed from business culture -- and the actions are without doubt inspired by it.

In Europe, meanwhile, the apparent disconnect between information and society has been apparent ever since the mid-term evaluation of the European Commission's Lisbon Agenda. In many ways, the concept of the information society and the lofty goals of the Lisbon Agenda were intertwined. As a result, when it was publicly acknowledged that the Lisbon Agenda was, in effect, dead, information society rhetoric became more toned down. One just has to take a look at official European Commission publications as an example. At the turn of the millennium, European research and innovation publications (CORDIS info, Euroabstracts, RTD info, etc.) [1] couldn't get enough of the term; every second line seemed to mention the information society. Lately, however, this term appears less and less in pages few and far between.

Governments Online

The notion of an information society is more than just simple rhetoric or an issue discussed at a conference. In Europe, the public services on offer -- and not simply how many people shop online -- is one indication of the nature and extent of the concept. Unfortunately, as with the WSIS, appearance is not a true reflection of reality.

According to a recent survey looking into the provision of public services online, EU member states are gradually moving more public services on to the Internet. Still, the report admits that with only 40% of these services fully transactional, there is some way to go before Europe has a high level of genuine online functionality.

But, as is often the case, content has been sacrificed for the sake of presentation. Greater progress has been made in the level of online sophistication of Internet-based services than in providing services which are fully functional. Moreover, differences exist depending on who the services cater to. Services targeted at business are more advanced than those aimed at citizens, both in terms of sophistication and full online functionality. In addition, over twice as many public services are fully available for businesses (58%) than for citizens (27%). Ironically, one of the main points of focus for the EU was to make sure that the information society doesn't become a two-tier information society.

It goes without saying that money lies at the heart of the information society in Europe, not only in terms of e-commerce but also the services provided by public authorities. Hence, income generating services, such as tax collection, are the most commonly available on the Internet in Europe. One of the public services least widely available online is for businesses to make social contribution payments for employees -- yet the report stresses that this is partly because this service is only relevant in some member states.

Other variations in service availability show that statistical data submission is much more likely to function on the Internet than is car registration, or change of address notification. Job search services are particularly likely to be fully functional online.

Contrary to what some might think, comparisons between old and new member states don't show that much of a discrepancy. The situation of the ten new member states is considered satisfactory and corresponds, on average, to where the EU-15 were two years ago. Estonia is already ahead of all but the leading established member states.

Overall, Sweden and Austria are seen as the best performers, both in terms of sophistication and full service availability. Sweden has moved from having 28% of public services fully available online in 2001 to 74% by October 2004. Austria, in the same period, increased from 15% to 72%. In contrast, during those same years, Portugal went from 32% to just 40% and, in the process, dropped from being one of the top performing nations to near the bottom of the list. The countries with the lowest scores are Latvia and Poland, with Luxembourg scoring the lowest amongst the EU-15.

In some cases, moving services to the Internet can involve a comprehensive re-engineering of a public service. Malta still requires claimants for unemployment benefits to initially present themselves for an interview, but subsequent weekly claimant registration is conducted electronically at district offices using a biometric finger scan.

Likewise, several countries have reorganised service provisions so that citizens no longer need to apply for welfare payments or, in the case of Finland, to file tax returns, because the information is collated online from other declarations.

In an attempt to explain the many differences of online public services within the EU, the report lists several factors which can cause lower levels of online service provision in some member states. First and foremost, security concerns and detailed regulations are seen as an obvious impediment. Another is the political organisation of the state; countries which have federated structures are more likely to have a fragmented structure for the provision of services. Finally, the changing role of the state from direct provider of services to contract purchaser lowers its ability to control service delivery channels.

Citizens of the Future

Aside from the number of government web sites online and the public services on offer, what many pundits often forget is that what ultimately defines a society is its people, coupled with the civic attitudes and responsibilities they exercise. As we enter into new relationships with knowledge and reality, there is an urgent need for a debate concerning the digital tools at our disposal -- and how they affect the way we see ourselves and the social environments we live in.

We are surrounded by digital tools that have skills and specialised knowledge built into them. With these new digital applications, not only can relatively inexperienced users manage enormous amounts of information, but they can also -- without even thinking – apply principles and methods within their operation which would have taken previous generations many years to understand and use successfully.

Consequently, many fear the future "dumbing down" of society as we become increasingly at risk of being totally numbed by a push-button culture, instead of using our mental capabilities. Already, we expect rapid and more frequent information flows in news, data, and communication. We also have much wider and often more superficial networks of friends and follow much more loosely defined rules for identity and ownership of digital materials. It is not unusual for one user to have numerous digital identities, sometimes with different genders and ages. Likewise, we exhibit more of a tendency to view digital media as being without fixed rules of ownership.

Stephen Bertman of Windsor University, Canada, author of "Cultural Amnesia", believes that computers are diverting us not only from a reflection on basic values, but from the very process of reflection itself. Accordingly, he argues that we will rely increasingly on digital tools to work for us, communicate between us, and entertain us. This type of information society, in turn, will be one in which we are fed information passively and thus, without the stimulus of effort and training, we will simply degenerate into beings that are unable to use our cognitive abilities as effectively as previous generations.

In many respects, this scenario is already upon us. Some point out that we are producing a generation of "digital idiot whiz-kids", who can perform amazing feats without any understanding whatsoever. Within the world of hacking, for instance, "script kiddies" refer to pseudo-hackers who have enough knowledge to apply ready-made scripts and tools yet who themselves don't fully understand the code they use.

These and other problems which we are already facing not only has to do with upcoming and future generations, however, but older generations as well. In fact, many of the negative aspects often highlighted by the advent of the information society began to develop long before the "digital revolution" of the 1990s. For example, our decreasing ability to "read between the lines" and the invasive role of the mass media and advertising in our lives is part of the foundation upon which the information society is being built. In fact, one of the cornerstones to this foundation is the emergence of the mass mind (Internet Independence and the Mass Mind)

The emergence of the mass mind has been given an entirely new dimension with the advent of digital learning. Educators now talk about knowledge and skill being part of a "collaborative whole" that includes the users of a system and the digital information tools in the system almost as equal partners. Along these lines, it is no longer the ability and effort of an individual that is important but, rather, how effectively the entire collaborative system performs. Problems with this approach arise, however, when the supporting technology breaks down or malfunctions. There are numerous examples of when users of advanced digital tools are unable to detect when there is an error in the output of their system because they lack the basic knowledge or skill to detect this.

Konrad Morgan, a Professor specialising in the psychological and social impact of new technology at Bergen University, Norway, sees a balanced approach to education as the best answer. According to Morgan, such an approach would allow individuals to operate effectively without the support of digital environments, identify when the digital tools are in error and, lastly, to appreciate the benefits of such digital support.

Morgan also feels that the future of the information society hinges upon our ability to find a solution to the three conceptual challenges that he sees are the main issues associated with the digital world: that of identity, ownership, and truth. Failing to do so, he warns, will usher in an world plagued with people impersonating others, people plagiarising or stealing digital items and contravening ownership rights, and being misled by false or inaccurate websites or information sources.

The Enigma of E-Governance

A final aspect to the information society -- and to any kind of society for that matter -- is one of governance. Unfortunately, at the WSIS "e-Governance" is usually understood within the narrow framework of control over network infrastructures by certain groups of stakeholders.This, in essence, is at the heart of the battle with ICANN.

While such technical and control issues are no doubt of major importance, what has been ignored is the subject of governance at the end user level. To its credit, the WSIS did make mention of the need to close the gap between the rich and poor, the so-called "digital divide". On the other hand, the digital divide is not one just of rich and poor; it includes various other aspects as well, such as digital literacy.

The exclusion of certain groups -- either due to economic conditions, access issues, digital literacy, etc. -- raises the question of citizenship within the information society, and with this additional social concerns, such as user rights. Regrettably, this aspect to the information society has been avoided at all levels of discourse, be it the WSIS, the EU, or at national and local levels.

At this point, the future of the so-called information society – at least in Europe -- can develop in many different ways. For some, the continuation of present trends represents a worst case scenario. In this case, the information society would be one of a homogeneous, dumbed-down society. The digital tools at our disposal simply reinforce a mass mind framework while our relationships -- both online and offline – are foremost superficial and ephemeral. In many ways, our lives end up resembling the dystopia depicted in the film "Brazil". As long the technology doesn't malfunction or break down, everything is fine. Those who don't conform to this way of thinking and living are regarded as merely "sore losers" and terrorists.

At the other end of spectrum, the notion of an information society will be acknowledged for what it really is: a hollow concept, born of the euphoria of the 1990s yet signifying nothing. Digital technology will continue to be ubiquitous within our daily lives, and like all the overly optimistic forecasts that had preceded other technological innovations of the 20th century -- the television, the VCR, the camcorder, etc. -- the lofty promises associated with computers and the Internet will remain largely unfulfilled. Indeed, many will look forward to the few minutes of peace and quiet when they can switch their machines off, realising that they have other and better things to do with their lives than have a mobile phone stuck to the side of their head or to sit and stare at a computer screen all day.