Bridging the digital divide.

Sometimes the biggest news comes in statistic reports put out by serious organizations with boring-sounding names. Last week the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (cbpp.org) released a depressing study called "The Widening Income Gap." It turns out that the gap between rich and poor in the United States is now greater than at any time since the Great Depression. If this were just because of all the new millionaires, it wouldn't be so terrible. The rich getting richer is, in theory, good for everyone. But it turns out that the poorest fifth of Americans have actually seen their after-tax income decline over the past 20 years. One in five children lives in poverty. The richest 2.7 million Americans now have as much income as the poorest 100 million. These trends are being driven by technology, and the now familiar notion that what you earn depends on what you learn.

There's good news and bad news across this new continental divide. Access to computers is expanding rapidly. In 1998 more than 40 percent of American households owned computers, and 25 percent of all households had Internet access. Hardware prices are still falling, and used computers are making their way into even the poorest areas. Community technology centers (ctcnet.org) are springing up, and inner-city schools are being wired more quickly than anticipated, thanks in part to the billions provided through Washington's "E-rate" program, which under-writes Internet access. For Americans with incomes of $73,000 and higher, the gap in home-computer ownership between whites and blacks has narrowed some in the last year. That suggests the digital divide may eventually close, if prices fall and incomes rise. But in the meantime, the divide is getting worse. According to a new Commerce Department report, "Falling Through the Net" (nda.doc.gov), the gap in Internet access between those at the highest and lowest income levels grew by 29 percent in one year alone.

What's being done about the digital divide? Companies say they can't hire enough qualified minorities, yet few provide more than a symbolic contribution to nonprofits working in the inner city to close the divide. There are exceptions. Techcorps.org has 6,000 volunteers in 43 states helping poor schools plug in; cyber-mentoring programs that help professionals become e-mail pen-pals with disadvantaged kids (for example, imentor.org) are emerging. More common are the press releases that cross my desk from high-tech companies with multibillion-dollar market caps that want publicity for their five-figure charitable table scrapings. Most would rather lobby Congress to import more low-paid skilled immigrants than seriously invest in closing the divide. It's a long road. The computer is not a dew ex machina* - a god that can fix every social injustice. Access to technology won't by itself level the playing field: if you wire them, they won't necessarily prosper. Computers might become as common as TVs, but they require initiative and creativity to use fully. Knowing how to play computer games is not the same as knowing how to design them. "The access gap will close, but the gap in being able to use the technology in meaningful ways may get even larger," says Mitchel Resnick of the MIT Media Lab. Resnick, who cofounded creative after-school centers for at-risk kids (computerclubhouse.org), compares it to the study of foreign languages. "It's like the difference between having a phrase book and real fluency." Getting out of the ghetto requires the latter, but even fluency isn't enough. Job-readiness skills - how to show up at work on time and interact well are at least as important as learning Web design. Here, too, the high-tech companies are not doing enough.. They've mostly earned a blind eye to welfare-to-work programs.

In the political world, everyone keeps asking how the Internet will affect the 2000 campaign. Maybe it will do so less as a tool for organizing and fund-raising than as a metaphor for deeper questions of social justice. That theme is already in play, with President Clinton poised to veto a $792 billion Republican tax cut heavily weighted in favor of the rich. If prosperity holds, the next election may provide economic fairness, which today increasingly means digital fairness. Income gaps will always be with us. The wealth of the Information Age cannot, in a free society, be equally shared. But the knowledge and opportunity that the new economy creates should know no class distinction. Once the digital and opportunity gaps close, some greater economic justice will follow.

By Jonathan Alter.

NEWSWEEK, September, 1999, p.55

Note:

· dew ex machina - лат.: бог из машины (обязательный сценический образ в древнем Риме, появляющийся в конце пьесы и ввиду лимита времени быстро решающий проблемы) = неожиданное вмешательство, развязка

Vocabulary.

bridge - соединять

digital - цифровой

divide - раскол, разделение

put* out - здесь: предоставлять

boring-sounding - скучный

release - выпускать, публиковать

depressing - удручающий

widen - расширять, усугублять

income - доход

gap - раскол, разрыв

turn out - оказываться

after-tax - за вычетом налогов

decline - упадок,снижение

trend - направление, тенденция

familiar - знакомый

notion - понятие

earn - зарабатывать

depend (on) - зависеть (от)

warfare - война

expand - расширять(ся)

rapidly - быстро

household - здесь: семья

spring* up - возникать, появляться

be* wired - быть оснащенным (компьютерами)

anticipate - предвидеть

in part - частично

provide - обеспечивать, предоставлять

"E-rate" - рейтинг компьютеризованности

under-write* - подписаться (на)

ownership - собственность, владение

narrow - сократить, уменьшить.

eventually - в конечном итоге

meantime - тем временем

get* worse - ухудшаться

alone - здесь: только

hire - принимать на работу

nonprofit - некоммерческий

exception - исключение

volunteer - доброволец

plug in - подключаться (к Интернету)

mentoring - обучающий

pen-pals - друзья по переписке

disadvantaged - в неблагоприятном положении

emerge - появляться, возникать

common - общий, общепринятый

caps - заголовки

publicity - известность, реклама, гласность

charitable - благотворительный

table scrapings - крохи со стола

skilled - квалифицированный .

fix - уладить

injustice - несправедливость

prosper - процветать

require - требовать(ся)

creativity - творчество

meaningful - значимый, важный

at-risk kids - неблагополучные дети

phrase book - разговорник

fluency - белость (речи)

latter - последний (из двух)

interact - взаимодействовать

blind - слепой

welfare - благосостояние

social welfare - соц. Пособие

keep*(+ doing) - продолжать делать

affect - влиять

fund-raising - сбор фин.средств

poise а veto - наложить вето/запрет

tax cut - снижение налогов

heavily - значительно

in favor (of) - в пользу кого-то

election - выборы

fairness - справедливость

increasingly - все в большей степени

wealth - богатство, благосостояние

equally - поровну

share - делить(ся)

create - создавать

distinction - различие

оnce - когда

follow - наступать, (по)следовать

Word Study.

Ex. I. Match the phrases with their Russian equivalents.

1. language fluency a) на семью

2. more common b) разрыв в доходах

3. income decline c) зарплата после вычета налогов

4. boring-sounding name d) более общепринятый

5. per household e) разговорник

6. after-tax salary f) классовая война

7. in the meantime g) скучное название

8. income gap h) благотворительный взнос

9. social injustice j) в пользу (кого-то)

10. one in five k) неблагополучные дети 1

11. pen-pals l) квалифицированный рабочий 1

12. class distinction m) классовые различия

13. at-risk kids n) обучающая программа

14. in favor (of) o) снижение налогов

15. class warfare p) а тем временем

16. phrase book q) друзья по переписке

17. skilled worker r) социальная несправедливость

18. charitable contribution s) один из пяти

19. mentoring program t) свободное владение языком

1. Ex. II. Match the phrases with their Russian equivalents. 1. to release a study a) обязательно процветать 2. to poise smth. to veto b) жить в бедности 3. to want publicity c) ухудшаться 4. to be equally shared d) хорошо взаимодействовать 5. to live in poverty e) требовать творческого подхода 6. to expand rapidly f) опубликовать исследование 7. to get worse g) желать известности 8. to prosper necessarily h) наложить вето (запрет) 9. to interact well j) распределяться поровну 10. to require creativity k) быстро распростаняться Ex. III. Translate the following sentences into English. 1. Иногда самая большая новость приходит в статистических отчетах серьезных организаций со скучными названиями. 2. На прошлой неделе Центр по приоритетам в бюджете и политике опубликовал удручающие результаты исследования под названием "Разрыв в доходах расширается". 3. Оказалось, что разрыв между бедными и богатыми сейчас больше, чем когда-либо со времен Великой Депрессии. 4. Теоретически, если богатые богатеют, жто лучше для всех. 5. Но оказывается, что беднейших 20% американцев дрход, остающийся после вычета налогов, упал за последние 20 лет. 6. Каждый пятый ребенок живет в бедности. 7. Эта тенденция вызвана (driven) техническим прогрессом и знакомым уже понятием - то, что ты зарабатываешь, зависит от того, чему ты научился. 8. Доступ к компьютерам быстро растет (расширяется). 9. В 1998 г. более 40% американских семей (households) владели компьютерами, и 25% имели доступ к Интернету. 10. Возникают районные (community) технические центры, школы оснащаются компьютерами и подключаются к Интернету (be wired) быстрее, чем ожидалось, частично благодаря финансам, предоставляемым по программе Вашингтона "E-rate". 11. "Цифровой раскол" может в конечном итоге (eventually) "закрыться", если цены упадут, а доходы возрастут. 12. На самом деле, раскол усугубляется. 13. Что делается по этому поводу? 14. Компании заявляют, что они не могут принимать на работу недостаточно квалифицированных представителей меньшинств. 15. Но есть и исключения. 16. В Technocorp.org насчитывается 6 тысяч добровольцев в 43 штата, которые помогают бедным школам полключаться к Интернету. 17. Компьютер - не бог, который может уладить любую социальную несправедливость. 18. Доступ к высоким технологиям сам по себе ((by itself) не означает мгновенного процветания. 19. Разрыв в доступе к Интернету будет уничтожен, но разница (разрыв) в умении пользоваться техникой значимыми способами (in a meaningful way) может стать еще больше. 20. Митчел Резник, который был соучредителем Творческих Центров для неблагополучных детей, сравнивает это с владением иностранным языком. 21. Это как разница между наличием разговорника и свободным владением языком. 22. Раскол (разница) в доходах всегда будет с нами. 23. В Век Информации богатство в свободном обществе не может распределяться поровну. 24. Но знания и возможности, создаваемые новой экономикой, не должны иметь классовых различий. 25. Когда исчезнет (close) цифровой раскол и разница возможностей, наступит (be followed by) большая экономическая справедливость. Comprehension Check.

Answer the following questions.

1. Where can we get sometimes the greatest news from?

2. Why the discussed study is called a depressing one?

3. How many American households are wired?

4. What people are in a worse position?

5. What is being done about the digital divide?

6. Can having an access to high technologies mean a necessarily prosper?

7. What does M.Resnick compare it with?

8. Can income gap be annuled some day?

9. Can wealth in a free society be equally shared?

Topics to Discuss.

1. Digital divide.

2. What you eaarn depends on what you learn.

Text ID

Loosing your good name online

ALL IT TAKES IS YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, AND SOMEBODY CAN STEAL YOUR IDENTITY—AND THE NET'S MAKING^IT"EASIER FOR THE BAD GUYS

In just two days after leasing two expensive sport utility vehicles last spring, Kenneth Morse was finally stopped by a third dealership. Noting Morris's suspicious SUV-buying spree through a credit check, the New Jersey Mercedes dealer said no deal. It was a good thing, because the real Ken­neth Morse was more than 250 miles away pushing papers at his desk in upstate New York. With just his name and Social Security number, someone had hijacked Morse's credit-worthiness and was joy riding it for al. it was worth. The cops, who weren't mud help, knew enough to suspect he had given out his Social Security number somewhere online. The suspect was ultimately caught, and Morse's name was cleared—as best as he can tell. He still doesn't know exactly how it all happened. And he still drives his old Camry, a rusty beater with 160,000 miles.

Morse was a victim of the worst kind of pri­vacy violation—the theft of his identity. This alarming prospect is poised to be an increas­ingly common nightmare as the tendrils of the Internet take root even deeper in our daily lives. All it takes is your name and your Social Security number, and your identity can be plucked from you easier than a coat from a closet With Social Security numbers being used an account identifiers by financial-service firms, health care companies and motor vehicle departments—all of which are going online—it is becoming easier for impostors to put on your happy face. Once it's stolen, count on bureaucratic torture: a seemingly endless telephone and letter-writing campaign trying to atone for your alter ego's sins. Peter Neumann of the R&D firm SRI International calls identity theft the "hidden down side of computing."

The advent of e-commerce is inadvertently endangering privacy. Companies have long boasted about the efficiency, con­venience and personalized service that dis­tinguish commerce online. But that promise hinges on the merchants' intimate knowledge of their customers' tastes and be­havior. For starters, they know who their customers are, where they live and their credit-card numbers. And the more some­one buys, the more the seller finds out about him: likes bourbon and trash novels; sends someone not his wife flowers every Wednesday. Any Web-site operator can reconstruct a visitor's every move on his site: what pages he viewed, what information he entered and the Internet service he uses. Privacy advocates warn that most online companies won't fight subpoenas seek­ing access to those logs. "

Getting your identity stolen online isn't as unusual as you might think. Three weeks ago John Aravosis, a Washington, D.C., Internet consultant, logged onto AOL and found an e-mail warning that his account was involved in criminal activity in certain chat rooms. Realizing some­one had been logging into his account, he wanted to make sure AOL knew it wasn't him in the event any records became public. He began a weeklong lobbying effort, calling AOL, privacy groups and a senator's office. Ultimately, he found out that the "criminal" activity was software piracy, and he's still waiting for a letter from AOL that clears his name.

Aravosis says he never gave out his pass­word, nor did he download a malicious pro­gram, but AOL staffers suspect he did. Using AOL's Instant Messenger service, online cons can send a user a missive posing as an AOL employee who needs the user's password for some reason or another. "We are experiencing difficulties with our records... I need you to verify your logon password to me so that I can validate you as a user." If you don't fall for that ploy, you could become the unwitting victim of a "Trojan horse" program—an innocu­ously named e-mail attach­ment that stores your pass­word when you open it. The program then e-mails the in­formation to the perp.

So you have to be digitally vigilant. Guard your Social Security number as if it were the master key to your life, which it is. And plead with your insurance company and financial institution not to use the number as your ac­count ID (good luck).

Paranoid, maybe, but it could have saved William Bergau. In May 1998 the 35-year-old college recruiter and his wife had their wallets stolen from their car and returned the next day. But the thief kept checks and Bergau's Social Security card, which he used to obtain a fraudulent driver's license by telling he had lost the original. He successfully purchased goods and withdrew money. But the real problem hit Bergau when the pretender started getting arrested, under Bergau's name, for drunken driving, marijuana pos­session and grand-theft auto. A year after the theft, when Bergau was on vacation with his wife and kids in Arizona, thou­sands of miles from home, he was pulled over for speeding. "His" record—for driving under the influence—came up, and the cop wanted to lock him up. "The kids are in the van thinking Daddy's going to jail," he says. But Bergau explained the theft of his iden­tity and, after more letters and calls, he fi­nally got off the hook. He wasn't ensnared online, but the Internet makes his predica­ment more imaginable for the rest of us.

Now Bergau carries around a series of let­ters from agencies and the police explaining his plight. But the notes give him little com­fort: "I'm going to spend my whole life pick­ing up the pieces of this guy's dirty work." For him—and anybody whose identity is lifted in cyberspace—it's hard to see if he'll ever truly get his name back.

BY JARED

NEWSWEEK SEPTEMBER 20, 1999

Note:

• AOL = America-On-Line

Vocabulary: lose* - терять steal* - красть identity card - удостоверение личности lease - брать в аренду high-end utlity vehicle dealership - сделка suspicious - подозрительный SUV - камера видеозаписи deal - сделка hijack - ограбить а/м на дороге worthiness - стоимость; возможность cop - разг. полицейский suspect - подозревать rusty - ржавый victim - жертва violation - нарушение theft - кража alarming - тревожный prospect - перспектива increasingly - все в большей мере common nightmare - общий кошмар tendrils - бот. усики take* roots - укореняться closet - встроенный шкаф account identifier - определитель счета healthcare - здравоохранение impostor - самозванец, мошенние vehicle - средство передвижения, (любой) транспорт put* on - здесь: присвоить count on - рассчитывать на torture - пытка atone - заглаживать, возмещать sin - грех crook - разг. жулик, плут cause - вызывать, быть причиной criminal - преступник lock onto - нацеливаться на marriage liense - свидетельство о браке county courеhouse - окружной суд safeguard - охрана (в т.ч. и прибор) compound - осложнять advent - приход inadvertently - нечаянно, непреднамеренно endanger - подвергать опасности boast - восхвалять, хвастаться distinguish - различать depend (on) - зависеть (от) merchant - торговец, продавец customer's taste - вкус клиента for starters = first of all advocate - защищать warn - предостерегать guru - инд. учитель liken (to) - cравнивать (с) VCR - видео log - войти involve - вовлекать in the event - в случае lobby - защищать (интересы) effort - попытка ultimately - в конечном итоге piracy - пиратство password - пароль download - загружать malicious - преднамеренный, злобный staffer - staff member - сотрудник thief - вор missive - официальное послание posing - ставящий (вопрос) verify - проверять, удостоверять validate - подтвердить unwitting victim - невольная жертва attachment - приложение store - хранить perp(etrator) - нарушитель, преступник vigilant - бдительный guard - охранять master key - отмычка plead - обращаться с просьбой insurance - страховой recruiter - тот, кто набирает (на службу) wallet - кошелек obtain - получать, добиваться fraudulent -обманный, мошеннический purchase - приобретать, покупать goods - товары withdrew* money - снимать сеньги pretender - лже(кто-то) possession - владение grand-theft auto - крупный автоугон pull over - разг.: задержать driving under the influence jail - амер.: тюрьма speeding - превышение скорости get* of the hook - разг.: снять с подозрения plight - здесь: тяжелое положение comfort - утешение dirty - грязный tip - совет, намек protect - защищать floodgate - шлюз(ные ворота) guard - охранять attachment - приложение stranger - незнакомый человек spread - распространять

WORD STUDY.

Ex. Match the phrases with their Russian equivalents:

1. to give little comfort 2. to note smth. suspicious 3. to get off the hook 4. to make smth. easier 5. to seek access (to) 6. to catch a suspect 7. to take roots 8. to cause problems 9. to boast about efficiency 10. to suspect smb. of doing smth. 11. to steel one's identity card

a/ украсть удостоверение личности b/ приносить мало утешения c/ укореняться d/ искать доступ (к) e/ снять с подозрения f/ отмечать нечто подозрительное g/ подозрвать кого-то в совершении h/ вызывать проблемы i/ облегчить что-то j/ схватить подозреваемого k/ восхвалять эффективность

Ex. Match the words and phrases with their Russian equivalents:

1. password 2. no deal 3. under the influence 4. privacy violation 5. driving license 6. alarming prospect 7. unwitting victim 8. increasingly common 9. health care 10. in the event 11. criminal activity 12. alter ego 13. marriage license 14. widely used 15. county courthouse 16. customer's tastes

a/ "второе Я" b/ здравоохранение c/ вкусы клиетов d/ никакой сделки e/ под влиянием/воздействием f/ нарушение конфиденциальности g/ невольная жертва h/ окружной суд i/ пароль j/ в случае k/ водительские права l/ преступная деятельность m/ свидетельство о браке n/ настораживающая перспектива o/ широко используемый p/ все в большей мере присущий

Ex. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Однажды Кеннету Морсу было отказано в проведении сделки по кредитному чеку.

2. И хорошо, потому что настоящий К.Морс находился более чем в 200 милях от данного места.

3. Зная его имя и номер сертификата социального страхования, некто совершал крупные покупки от его имени (on his bahalf).

4. Полицейские, помощь которых была невелика, подозревали Кеннета в том, что он сам дал кому-то свой номер сертификата социального страхования.

5. Подозреваемого (преступника) в конце концов поймали, и имя Морса было "обелено".

6. Но он до сих пор не знает, как все это получилось.

7. К. Морс оказался жертвой наихудшего нарушения частной собственности/тайны (privacy).

8. Чтобы избежать подобных случаев, следует хранить в тайне (keep secret) номера всех ваших документов и никому не давать ваши документы.

Comprehension Check.

Ex. Answer the following questions:

1. Why was Kenneth Morse stopped by the New Jersey Mercedes dealer last spring?

2. What was real Kenneth Morse doing that time?

3. What was he suspected of?

4. Was he guilty (виновен)?

5. Is such theft common nowadays?

6. What can by done with a social security number?

7. What threat (угроза) is brought by the advent of e-commerce?

8. Can you give someone your password?

9. Is it easy to clean your name after your social security number was used by someone?

Topics to discuss.

1. Identity theft.

2. William Bergau's story.

3. Clearing your name.

4. Tips (советы/подсказки) to protect you online

Text IIA

TELLING THE TRUTH

Freedom of information in the USA and UK