Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Networking

    Teacher: Internet Is the Library

    By
    Wayne Rash
    -
    August 6, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Kimberly Johnson, a Washington social studies teacher, views the net neutrality debate through the prism of tiered services. If—and for now its a big if—carriers could put search engines such as Google and Yahoo on a more expensive service tier, its unlikely Johnsons school would foot the bill.

      Johnsons school is Roosevelt High School in northwest Washington, an older school in a system thats chronically underfunded.

      If her students couldnt access the likes of Google or Yahoo, it would mean that they would face an informational divide. Why? The Internet serves as the schools library. “We have to use the Internet a great deal because we dont have a functioning school library at my school,” Johnson said.

      Should access become too much of a financial stretch for the district, her students couldnt research projects, write papers, complete geography assignments or find information on countries around the globe.

      Meanwhile, any limits on the places the students could go for their research would pose problems. “Our students are familiar with Google, Yahoo and other search engines,” Johnson said. “I think it would be a lot more difficult for students to navigate the Web without the familiar engines.”

      /zimages/1/28571.gifWhile the debate over net neutrality continues, users remain the forgotten stakeholders. Click here to read more.

      Johnson said she wouldnt pay that much attention to the net neutrality debate if her students could afford access on their own—but they cant.

      “The school serves as their primary means to access the Internet,” Johnson said. “They come after school or even before school to use the Internet.”

      She added that its not just the students who use the Internet at her school: In many cases, students families also depend on the school for their Internet access.

      For Johnson, net neutrality has become intensely personal, and not just because shes uncertain whether she could afford her home account if prices increased.

      She said she wonders if the companies involved have forgotten about her and her students, despite the fact that shes located only a few miles away from the U.S. Capitol.

      “We dont want it to be more expensive. We dont want to make it more difficult for schools. Weve grown to rely on the Internet,” Johnson said.

      For others views of net neutrality, read the following:

      • The Doctor on the Digital Tundra
      • Finishing Off the Startup?
      • Even Giants Like Siemens Worry
      Wayne Rash
      https://www.eweek.com/author/wayne-rash/
      Wayne Rash is a freelance writer and editor with a 35-year history covering technology. He’s a frequent speaker on business, technology issues and enterprise computing. He is the author of five books, including his most recent, "Politics on the Nets." Rash is a former Executive Editor of eWEEK and a former analyst in the eWEEK Test Center. He was also an analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center and editor of InternetWeek. He's a retired naval officer, a former principal at American Management Systems and a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×