Please do not quote from this version, which probably differs slightly from the version in print. Abstract. Research on the Internet's role in politics has struggled to transcend technological determinism-- the assumption, often inadvertent, that the technology simply imprints its own logic on social relationships. An alternative approach traces the ways, often numerous, in which an institution's participants appropriate the technology in the service of goals, strategies, and relationships that the institution has already organized. This amplification model can be applied in analyzing the Internet's role in politics. After critically surveying a list of widely held views on the matter, this paper illustrates how the amplification model might be applied to concrete problems. These include the development of social networks and ways that technology is used to bind people together into a polity. 1

Recent information society policies have been paying much attention to the threat of a "digital divide". The gap between citizens from different socio-economic backgrounds with regard to their opportunities and abilities to access and use information and communication technologies is commonly regarded as a potential barrier for participation in the information society. This paper suggests a method for measuring the digital divide on an aggregate level by defining a Digital Divide Index (DDIX) which focuses on the presumably disadvantaged groups of society. The DDIX applies diffusion theory to the current digital divide research paradigm. It presents initial results for the 15 EU Member States and the European Union as a whole. A comparison of the indices for the years 1997 and 2000 shows that the digital divide within Europe has not yet decreased and that particularly the elderly and the low education segment of the population have failed to catch up with the average. Furthermore there is evidence of a polarisation between those countries who manage to foster an inclusive information society and those who do not. The paper reports about research in progress which is linked to several indicator projects funded within the IST Programme of the European Union, especially to the projects SIBIS, BEEP and SeniorWatch.

In this paper a personalization attribute oriented approach with mobile internet communities ’ context is presented. Such an approach enables different personalization attributes to have an effect on available internet-based communities in the mobile end-user device. These attributes are building blocks in the personalized services and applications both in the various public and private communities. These attributes are applied to the multi-user publishing environme nt (MUPE) , in which community-related services and applications can be built. This platform is an open-source application platform for creating multi-user context-aware applications. The approach is demonstrated by sample design for internet-based mobile communities for multidisciplinary purposes. This paper focuses on the client-side of the MUPE application platform. In this paper the personalization attributes are applied the manner attribute layering model proposes so that personalization information management is taken into account. 1.

of the authors, are independent of Government and do not constitute Government policy.

There is evidence to suggest that the UK economy may be failing to capture the full economic benefits of investment in information and communication technologies (ICTs). If this is occurring, the goal of becoming a world leader in the knowledge economy will be jeopardised. Results, based on macro-economic analysis, do not yield a clear picture. The additional evidence available from this study, at the micro-level, commissioned by the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, sheds further light on the situation. A review of UK case studies, and those conducted elsewhere in Europe, detects some of the factors that influence the diffusion pathways of ICTs and the efficiency and effectiveness of their use. The case study material is supplemented by information from the Office of the E-Envoy, the Office of National Statistics (ONS), and other online sources. The analysis of key factors focuses on the experiences of private sector firms, public sector organisations, and households and individuals. Improving ability to take advantage of ICTs is expected to have a strong positive impact on economic growth. The micro-level evidence provides insight into whether ICT usage patterns are consistent with expanding network capacity. Building this capacity to enable

What is the relationship between market structure and innovative behavior in commercial computing and Internet markets? This broad question does not and cannot have a simple answer for at least two reasons. First, the core determinants of this relationship did not remain constant over several decades. Second, commercial

This dissertation analyses two different paradigms used for the development of a software product, Operating Systems. The targets of research are two groups that operate in very different ways, Microsoft Corporation and the Linux Community. Through the observation of the strategies and methodologies used by these actors in their work, and taking into account the constraints to which they are subject, assesses, from a dynamic perspective, the relative strengths and weaknesses of their competing paradigms. In the dissertation I will analyse the efficiency of the development processes that they have adopted for the design, improvement and enhancement of their products. A theoretical model based on Giovanni Dosis "Technological Paradigms" framework, incorporating institutional, industrial, social and cultural aspects, is constructed and specifically adapted to the software industry case. The private management of technology issues considered during the analysis of the development processes inside different organisations are linked to questions having to do with the evolution of high technology, networked, markets. This analysis lends to assessment of some rationales and potential strategies for public intervention in the Operating Systems industry, taking into account some relevant concerns that have been raised about competitive issues and dominant position in this market, one of strategic importance for the future development of the Information Society

Is there an underestimation of ICT capabilities among the

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