Virtual Society?

the social science of electronic technologies

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Delivering the Virtual Promise? from access to use in the virtual society

Conference

Delivering the Virtual Promise?
from access to use in the virtual society

Conference

19th June 2000

QE II Conference Centre
London
UK

The growth of the new technologies continues apace, perhaps only slightly faster than continuing speculation, analysis, policy debate and argument about their likely social impact. The UK government has embraced the idea of taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded by the new technologies, while keeping a careful eye on possible problems of social exclusion. Prime Minister Tony Blair recently promised that everyone would have access to the Internet within the next five years. So debates about the prospects for a virtual society are more charged than ever. But there is still little clear sense of what "access" will mean. What significant differences do these technologies actually make? How do we make the transition from mere "access" to meaningful use? Social exclusion and the nature and extent of the "digital divide" continue to be a major concern.

This major one day conference debates these issues by bringing together the best research and thinking in academia with senior figures from government, policy and industry. It asks: what will access mean (and for whom) in the virtual society? What are the routes for realising the potential of the new technologies?

The conference marks the culmination of 3 years of the ESRC Virtual Society? Research Programme. Professor Manuel Castells (UC Berkeley), the world renowned author of The Information Age trilogy, is our main academic keynote speaker. We shall hear from prominent members of business and government as well as some of the key research results emerging from the Programme.

Programme
Please click on the names of the speakers to enter their pen portraits. Full presentations can be accessed as web pages via clicking on the titles. Alternatively, click on "download" to download the presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint 97.

08.30 Registration and coffee

09.30 Keynote Session