Solutions to the global digital divide. The concept of "Information inequality" in the narrow sense. General. Who chooses life in virtual space

S. BONDARENKO, Researcher, Center for Applied Research of Intellectual Property Problems (Rostov-on-Don).

In 1968, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey was released. The future depicted in it seemed then very distant, and most viewers did not even think that many of the fantastic ideas of this film - from handheld electronic devices to supercomputers - would turn into everyday reality during their lifetime. Today this future has arrived. The rapid development of computer technology and communications has become the main engine of progress throughout the world. Humanity enters new era - the era of the global information society, opening up hitherto unseen opportunities. However, are we ready to accept them? Will this transition be painless, or will it lead to new social and political disasters? “Digital inequality” is the problem of the new century.

Science and Life // Illustrations

Science and Life // Illustrations

Distribution of Internet users by region (as a percentage of the total number of users) at the end of autumn 2000. (According to Irish internet company Nua.)

The degree of "internetization" different countries - the share of Internet users (as a percentage) of the total population of the country. (According to Internet company Nua.)

Science and Life // Illustrations

Science and Life // Illustrations

Such data were obtained in the course of a study conducted by the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM).

Science and Life // Illustrations

Forecast of the growth in the number of Internet users in Russia (from the report of the Minister of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatics L. Reiman on December 21, 2000).

WHAT IS A "DIGITAL INEQUALITY" OR "DIGITAL GAP"?

An information society, or a knowledge society, is not just a beautiful image of a bright future that has nothing to do with reality. This is, in fact, the next stage of human development, when the main value that determines the well-being of both individuals and entire states is not material wealth, but timely and easily accessible information. More precisely, the knowledge gained with its help. The elements of the new society already exist today, and they are based on computer and telecommunication technologies.

Four hundred years ago, the English philosopher Francis Bacon said: "Who owns information, owns the world." History shows that in all centuries, regardless of the structure of society, power was based not only on rough physical strength, but also on knowledge available only to the initiated. This was the case in Ancient Egypt, where power was based on religious, astronomical and agrarian knowledge, and in totalitarian societies of the twentieth century, where objective information was dosed out among officials of various levels. Today, when the amount of knowledge on the planet doubles every five years, the words of Francis Bacon are more relevant than ever. So much information has already been accumulated that no one is able to keep it in his head. In the current conditions, "to have knowledge" means to be able to quickly navigate the flow of new information, easily finding the necessary information in the knowledge store. At the same time, it is important that the costs of finding the necessary information do not exceed the economic benefit from its use. Only computers can cope with this task - a kind of "amplifiers" of the human mind and memory. Computer networks, and in particular the Internet, are becoming the main means of storing and transmitting data. Access to, and correct use of, computer technology and telecommunications is the key to success in the information society. Those who realize this in time and master new technologies will find themselves in an advantageous position over other representatives of the human race, as they will have great opportunities for their professional growth and improving welfare. Others run the risk of being left on the sidelines - they will either have to replenish the army of the unemployed, or engage in hard physical labor all their lives.

The phenomenon of the dependence of a person's success on his attitude to the computer and telecommunications revolution has been called the "digital barrier" or "digital divide" (in the English-language literature - Digital Divide). There is also a problem with it " digital divide", which today is much spoken about both at seminars on computer technology and from the rostrum of the United Nations. The essence of the problem is as follows: the opportunities provided by modern digital technologies are truly enormous, but they can only be used to achieve their social and economic goals a small percentage of the world's population.For example, in Russia, according to a sociological survey conducted by VTsIOM at the end of 2000, 59% of residents have never worked at a computer, and 14% have no idea about the Internet.This is due to the insufficient level of human development and with the lack of the necessary hardware and software, as well as access to communications. Not all inhabitants of the planet have at least minimal computer literacy. A huge number of people do not have a home, not only a computer, but also a telephone, without which access to A worldwide network is usually not possible.In addition, in many countries telephone lines They are so outdated that it is impossible to transmit large amounts of information through them without distortion. So far, only a small part of the world's population can buy a computer, a modem and pay for the services of a communications provider. For the widespread use of computers, it is also necessary to adopt appropriate laws governing relationships in this area of \u200b\u200blife, and they are still under development.

In the era of the formation of the information society, "digital inequality" is becoming one of the most important factors in dividing people into rich and poor. Back in 1997, the UN Development Program introduced a new dimension of poverty - the informational one, which determines the possibility of access to the information highway for the general population. The main conflict in the system of industrial relations is the conflict between knowledge and incompetence. In developed countries, the economic and social concept of "Internet Lifestyle" has already appeared, which characterizes the life of people for whom using the Internet is as natural as, for example, making a phone call. The new style of life is distinguished by special dynamism, easy and quick access of a person to the most diverse information that he needs both in everyday life and at work, continuous improvement of professional knowledge. People who use the achievements of the information revolution perceive the world differently than those who do not have access to them. It is easier for an "Internet" person to communicate with other people, no matter how far away they are, it is easier to be aware of everything that is happening. The web is no longer perceived as a newfangled toy - it is a necessary foundation of the information society. It is no coincidence that when applying for a job, preference is given to those applicants who know how to use a computer and the Internet. The more services and services move into the virtual space, the more difficult it becomes for people who do not have access to the Internet to find a job, improve their education, and succeed in business.

"Digital inequality" is a problem not only and not so much for individuals, but for entire countries and regions. In the foreseeable future, instead of talking about " poor country", politicians will begin to talk about" countries with a deficit of knowledge. "States will be forced to prioritize raising the level of education and professional qualifications of their citizens, because today competitiveness is determined to a decisive extent by the availability of highly qualified human resources. will not be able to raise the level of development of science and make full use of the treasury of knowledge, will inevitably lag behind their neighbors, as a result of which the economic and social inequality of nations in the world will further increase.

There are many examples of how information disseminated in the virtual world brings real economic benefits to its owners. However, there is a number of scientific and practical problems that are relevant for the development of all mankind, for the solution of which computers are needed. For example, scientists at the University of Oxford (UK), in collaboration with one of the US technology companies, have created a computer program to view and study billions of chemical compounds in search of those that can be used to treat cancer. The implementation of a new anti-cancer project is possible only with the help of a virtual supercomputer, consisting of tens of thousands of computers connected through the World Wide Web. A single (real, not virtual) computer, no matter how powerful and modern it may be, would have to spend decades on it. "The use of a large number of computers over the Internet allows scientists and organizations to think about projects that were previously simply impossible," says Ed Hubbard of the American company United Devices.

Not only the creation of effective drugs, but scientific and technological progress in general is unthinkable without the use of computer systems. And this is not just a routine slogan of supporters of computerization. In the late nineties of the twentieth century, the number of applications for various inventions increased in developed countries. For example, in the United States in 1997, 124,068 patents were registered, in 1998 - 163,147, and in 1999 - already about 170,000. Thus, in just two years, their number increased by 36%. Since most patents are sold in specific goods and services, it becomes clear that the activity of inventors is one of the main indicators of economic development. modern society... It is simply impossible for individual inventors or transnational corporations to navigate the sea of \u200b\u200bpatent information without computer technology. In addition, the Internet allows talented inventors to find people who are able to transform creative ideas into new products and services. Scientific and technological progress is directly related to the rate of accumulation of knowledge and the ability to use it to solve specific problems.

Thus, doing business can be viewed as the process of converting resources into economic values, and knowledge as one of the most important resources. Today 15% of humanity creates almost all global technological innovations, about half is able to accept and assimilate them, and the remaining third is completely excluded from these processes. If this goes on, then rich and good educated nations will become even richer and more educated, and the poor even poorer and less developed. If humanity does not manage to overcome the "digital divide" in time, new technologies, fraught with tremendous opportunities, will lead to an even greater differentiation of society. There can be no peace on a planet whose inhabitants have such a different level of well-being.

IS THERE A PROBLEM?

One often hears the opinion that the problem of "digital inequality" is far-fetched. Sometimes the complexity of the task confuses the IT leaders themselves. Thus, the head of Microsoft, Bill Gates, speaking in October 2000 at the Creating Digital Dividends conference, dedicated to the development of an action program to bridge the technological gap between developed countries and developing regions, expressed doubt that computerization is one of the primary tasks of mankind. Developed countries simply cannot imagine living on one dollar a day, as is the case in many developing countries. "There is no electricity. There is no heating system. These people do not live, but try to survive. They do not need personal computers," Gates explained his understanding of the situation. In controversy with him, another conference participant, Iqbal Kwadir, founder of the first Bangladesh mobile services company, said: “Ordinary people need to be free and informed. If we create an environment in which people can take care of themselves, they will certainly find a solution to their problems. " The above quotes are quite indicative - the problem is really complicated, but there is simply no other way to solve it than using the achievements of scientific and technological progress. It is possible to raise the level of people's well-being only through new technologies for the production of goods and services, and technologies, as we have already found out, are based on the use of computers.

There are skeptics who argue that the calls to overcome the "digital divide" are just a ploy by firms (mostly Western) wishing to increase sales of computers. It is difficult to argue with people with such "iron" arguments. Indeed, more computers will be sold, but this is not a whim of individual firms, but a development trend human society... For the past 30 years, the computing power of computers has doubled every 18 months. The speed of information transmission in telecommunication networks is constantly increasing, and its cost is constantly decreasing. If in the eighties copper telephone cables had a transmission capacity of one page of information per second, today a fiber-optic cable can "pump" more than 90 thousand volumes per second.

Another objection of non-believers in the reality of the information society is that computers are too expensive for the majority of the population of our Earth. Well, there is a bit of it common sense... But there are other numbers as well. Since 1954, the cost of a new computer has dropped 19% annually. Most likely, this trend will continue in the future.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES - A NEW LIFESTYLE

The gap between those who have access to computer technology and those who are deprived of such an opportunity manifests itself in various spheres of society.

The degree of freedom of citizens who regularly use the Internet is increasing. The uniqueness of the communities of users of the computer network lies, in particular, in the fact that thanks to them new social structures are created, the existence of which in the non-virtual world is impossible or difficult. Instead of an "atomized" structure of society, allowing governments to manipulate easily through the media public opinion, there is new system social connections. Each "netizen" has the opportunity to discuss socially significant problems in real time with a potentially unlimited number of both his supporters and opponents, as well as to double-check information about current events on the websites of various domestic and foreign publications. Thus, the idea of \u200b\u200bforming an effective civil society acquire the necessary material base. In a democratic state universal access to the global network must be recognized as a public good... Moreover, the role of the Internet can be compared with the role of free and open source libraries , and the ability to freely use it becomes a factor allowing to achieve both an increase in the level of "social integration" and the provision of civil liberties. The leaders of some public structures are already aware of this. For example, the Belarusian state association "Beltelecom" since March 2001 on weekends provides free access to the World Wide Web to everyone.

It should also be borne in mind that after a state joins the Internet, disconnecting from the Internet for political or ethical reasons becomes as unrealistic as, for example, the state cancellation of the use of banknotes. This is explained not only by the resonance that such an action can cause, but also by the technical features of connecting to the World Wide Web - it can be made both through a telephone line and through a satellite channel and even through a conventional power grid (the latter method has not yet found wide application, but the experiments carried out indicate its promise). Thus, in the presence of global communications, the spread of information cannot be prevented, people cannot be deprived of new ideas and products.

In the information society, the forms of relations between citizens and state institutions are also changing. Already today, the functions of many government and municipal institutions can be effectively implemented over the Internet. Perhaps, soon the population will not be intimidated by such concepts as "electronic civil servant", "electronic reporting" or "electronic social security system". If you, for example, need to consult with any government organization or get a certificate, then instead of going to an appointment and standing in a long queue, you can use a computer information system. Elements of electronic reporting already exist today. So, taxpayers in Russia can fill out a declaration in in electronic format, which reduces the likelihood of errors and simplifies tax accounting. The communication between citizens and government bodies, which is necessary in a given situation, can be easily organized through chats and e-mails. In addition to the obvious savings of effort, time and nerves, the "online bureaucracy" should give citizens greater opportunities to control the state and development of their affairs. For e-government to become a reality, access to government networks must be provided to all citizens - this will be a critical factor in creating a modern, open and competitive society.

In developed countries, most state and regional structures, as well as some local government bodies, already have their own website. According to the results of surveys conducted, for example, in Germany, the European leader in the use of telecommunication technologies, 69% of its inhabitants are in favor of resolving all bureaucratic formalities via the Internet. It is noteworthy that this number exceeds the number of network users. According to German Interior Minister Otto Schiely: "... today's 13-year-olds in five years simply will not be able to understand why they are not entitled to request a driver's license or ID online for themselves." According to researchers, in Western countries the need for translation public services the Internet will feel stronger and stronger. This is due, in particular, to the fact that representatives of the fastest growing group of Internet users - people aged 55 to 65 - most often turn to various government agencies for services. The German government plans to provide its citizens with the opportunity to settle bureaucratic issues through the Network by 2005 at the latest.

The first steps in creating "electronic government" are being made in Russia. Already existing websites of the president and government Russian Federation, federal ministries and departments will soon merge into one WEB-portal with a powerful search engine.

Modern telecommunication technologies can also help in the fight against corruption, making the relations of the state with commercial structures as transparent as possible. An example of how to involve citizens in solving socially important problems is provided by international organizations. On August 14, 2000, the office of the World Bank in Kiev opened a discussion forum on the Internet (http://www.worldbank.org/ukrainecas), where every citizen of Ukraine can express their suggestions and comments on the bank's activities in this country. The Russian government intends to follow the example of its regional neighbors in the near future by placing offers for sale russian companies foreign investors on the Internet.

The benefits of the information technology revolution can be enumerated for a very long time. Every day there are new directions for using the Internet in solving the most different problems... It is important to understand the following. Before our eyes, a new society is emerging, consisting of two classes: a class of well-educated people who have access to a wide variety of knowledge, creating and consuming new goods and services, and a class of low-skilled, poorly educated and needy people. As the historical experience of mankind testifies, such confrontation very often ends in bloody revolutions. That is why developed countries are trying to find a solution to the problem of "digital inequality" both for their citizens and for those living in countries at lower levels of technological development.

There is a perception that the digital era is approaching too quickly and unpredictably for governments to significantly influence the course of affairs. Therefore, a more mobile private sector should set the tone for the development of the digital economy, and in order to solve the problem of the digital divide, first of all, private investment is needed. However, the role of governments and international organizations cannot be underestimated.

In July 2000, at a meeting in Okinawa (Japan), the leaders of the G8 countries adopted the Okinawa Charter on the Global Information Society, in which they recognized the danger of the digital divide and declared the need to bridge it. The United Nations created working group to overcome the backwardness of developing countries in the information sphere. Under the auspices of the UN, there are already a number of programs in which volunteers train residents of third world countries to use computer technology in everyday life... In addition, at almost any meeting of leading business leaders, the problem of providing citizens with access to world information resources is discussed in one form or another.

How is the problem of bridging the "digital divide" being solved in different countries?

GUIDING BRIDGES OVER THE "DIGITAL GAP" - A EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

The European Economic Community is seriously concerned about the problem of the "digital divide" - of course: in terms of the prevalence of the Internet among the population, European countries lag behind the United States by an average of three times. If citizens, for one reason or another, are in no hurry to master the Internet, the state will help them, the leaders of the European Union believe. The EU Commission has developed a program, the implementation of which should significantly reduce the gap in the field of information technology. So, already in 2001, all schools should be connected to the Internet. The computer must be mastered by all teachers. amount teaching hours in relevant subjects in schools and universities will be increased. It is planned to deploy a network of public Internet access points.

The French Ministry of Education is even introducing a new compulsory discipline in the country's colleges - Information Technology and the Internet. The system will be tested first on third grade students. At the end of the course of study, which will continue until the 12th grade, children will pass an exam and receive a bachelor's degree in this specialty. In the process of studying, schoolchildren will learn to work with floppy disks and CDs, use text and graphic editors, process e-mail, find information on the Internet, post data about themselves on the Web and much more.

In 2001, 12 million French students and one million teachers in kindergartens, schools, colleges and lyceums under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education will receive a free email address for free. The addresses will have the structure "firstname.lastname@net". "These addresses will help people maintain and renew relationships throughout their lives, help them better understand each other," said French Education Minister Jacques Lang. It is possible that soon every Frenchman will be given a personal email address immediately after birth.

The UK government is keeping pace with its neighbors: in 2000, it pledged £ 10 million to provide free internet services to residents of the country's poorest areas. It also provides for the transfer of free computers to low-income families.

The Commission of the European Union proposed to the governments of the EU member states to create special pages on the Internet, where a wide variety of background information about the Network would be posted, for example, the legal framework on e-commerce, links to the pages of various government organizations, etc. Most likely, the EU countries will follow this and other similar recommendations, just to catch up and overtake America. The EU Commission is also making efforts to improve computer literacy - according to analysts, the number of vacancies for information technology professionals in Europe could reach 1.6 million by 2002.

Thus, Europe seeks to keep up with the United States in matters of computerization of its citizens. A legitimate question arises: what about Russia?

WHAT IS IN RUSSIA?

Unfortunately, Russians are not yet too concerned about the problem of the "digital divide". And this is in a country where there are only 7 million computers per 150 million people, half of which are outdated for a long time. According to the research firm KOMKON-2, only 5% of the inhabitants of our country have a personal computer at home. According to the index of technological progress - the aggregate of the presence of a TV, fax machine, personal computer, access to the Internet and mobile phone - Today Russia occupies only 53rd place in the world. (According to other sources, the number of families with home computers has approached 8% - but this, however, does not change the essence of the matter.) It is important to note that the figures presented are the national average. If we compare separately the residents of Moscow and other cities of Russia (not to mention the countryside), the numbers will be strikingly different. The problem is not only the lack of access to the Net. Strata of society far from information technology do not feel the need to bring digital tools into their lives. The consequence of this is an even greater social differentiation of society.

The Russian government, as well as large business structures, in principle recognize the existence of the problem of the "digital divide". Back in May 1999, by the decision of the State Commission on Informatization under the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization, the Concept of Forming an Information Society in Russia was approved. Unfortunately, the implementation of this program is carried out mainly on paper, because such large-scale projects require significant material resources, and the country does not have them in the conditions of the economic crisis. Since the beginning of 2001, several conferences have been held at which the problem of the "digital divide" was raised. At the same time, specialized ministers, with numbers in their hands, convinced the public that there was no money for computerization in the country and was not expected in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, the country's leadership periodically conducts various kinds of propaganda actions. So, in September 2000, the President of Russia promised to allocate money to ensure that at least one computer appears in every rural school (and there are more than 46 thousand of them!).

Today even Moscow cannot boast of universal computerization. However, the city authorities of the capital are not idle. So, according to the decree of the Moscow government, by 2003 the city should be covered by an information and reference network, which, in particular, will offer access to Internet resources. On June 7, 2000, the Moscow Mayor's Office issued Resolution No. 418-PP "On the Priority Tasks for Further Design, Construction and Financing of the City Information and Reference System". According to this document, in the next two years, Moscow should receive 100 information and information desks, 30 information kiosks and 10 information centers. The devices will be equipped with a touch screen, by clicking on which it will be possible to obtain addresses and phone numbers of various metropolitan organizations, search for information via the Internet and print out the received information. Kiosks and hubs will provide more complex information. Internet cafes will also be developed. A similar program is being implemented in St. Petersburg.

However, the problem cannot be solved at the level of individual cities. It is necessary to make the appropriate changes to federal laws. Today in Russia there is practically no legislation designed to regulate many important issues of the development of the Internet (see "Science and Life" No.). And although certain attempts to introduce draft laws are accepted, their quality does not stand up to criticism. IN recent times the network community began to realize its responsibility for creating the legal space. IN The State Duma a real network lobby is born.

The government's recognition of the problem is not yet enough to solve it. It is necessary to create an atmosphere in society in which the acquisition of knowledge will become prestigious. An atmosphere where everyone would strive to create something new, because a creative attitude determines success in business, respect for colleagues and material well-being. Citizens' interest in information technology will contribute to the development of communications, increasing computer literacy and living standards. If you like, this could become a kind of analogue of the national idea. Why not? In America, the boom in telecommunications and computer technologies in the last decade of the twentieth century was based on this. The introduction of e-business technologies into the national economy of Russia can not only facilitate the country's integration into the world economybut also give a powerful boost economic development society, thereby contributing to the country's exit from the crisis.

The measures that the government and city authorities are taking to address the digital divide should not be underestimated. But the main task today is to change the system of training specialists in higher educational institutions. There will be no specialists - there will be no one to operate the technically very complex computer equipment and bring knowledge to the masses.

SPECIALIST DEFICIT AND "BRAIN DRAIN"

The training of qualified personnel is one of the most important tasks of the information society. Despite the fact that more and more funds are allocated for these purposes every year around the world, the shortage of highly qualified Internet specialists on the planet currently exceeds one million people. And in the coming years, the situation will only worsen.

In Russia, this problem is no less acute. Although we are used to considering our secondary and higher education as one of the best in the world, the training of computer specialists still leaves much to be desired. Teaching new information technology requires a fundamental change in nature and methodology educational process... The experience of Western countries shows that specialized training centers should play a leading role in improving computer literacy. In our opinion, Russia should follow the same path.

One of the disadvantages of university education is that it is rather rigidly connected with the curriculum. Although in last years there was an opportunity to make small amendments to it, the Ministry of Education does not allow to radically change the curriculum. As for the Internet in general and e-commerce in particular, they are developing at such a rapid pace that no plan can keep up. Textbooks become outdated before they go out of print - perhaps that is why not a single one has been published in Russia. There is neither time nor energy to retrain teachers. In addition, teaching the basics of e-business requires the educator to have knowledge in such seemingly unrelated areas as software and postal delivery systems, cryptography and marketing, advertising and banking transactions, jurisprudence and telecommunications technology. This list can be continued for a very long time. To our deep regret, we have few such erudite teachers. And, finally, studying e-commerce in one university (and this means a large amount of funding for the acquisition of computer equipment) would put it in a privileged position compared to other educational institutions.

In our opinion, there can be only one solution to the above problems - the creation of interuniversity training centers for telecommunications technologies. They could be trained not only by students, but also by entrepreneurs. In addition to lectures and laboratory studies (as is customary in universities), a significant part of the time would be devoted to self-education - with the help of specialized multimedia training programs. The personal computer itself should become peculiar for the student training center... Of course, the transition to "digital learning" is quite expensive: preparing multimedia materials for one hour of study in Western countries costs up to 60 thousand dollars. On the other hand, the efficiency of knowledge transfer and the ability to replicate manuals increase many times over. Is it realistic today to allocate such amounts from the Russian budget?

At a roundtable meeting "Education and the Internet in Russia" Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Vladimir Filippov said that more than 2 billion rubles will be allocated from the federal and regional budgets for the computerization of the education system in our country in 2001. However, these funds are insufficient. The state is not able to cope with the "Internetization" of education alone - it is necessary to attract private business. "There will be no education in Russia without the Internet," said Vladimir Filippov. The circle is closed ...

Another no less important problem that needs to be addressed in Russia is the "brain drain" abroad. What is the point of training IT professionals if most of them leave to work abroad. In the last decade alone, at least two million highly qualified specialists have left the country, half of which are computer specialists. Unfortunately, there is no reason to expect that the number of emigrants will decline in the near future, as people leave for purely economic reasons. Western giants of the computer industry are interested in hiring computer specialists from abroad. According to the Institute for the Study of International Migration, there are about 420,000 immigrants working in high technology in the United States. It is assumed that in the next ten years this figure will increase to almost 470 thousand people.

The Russian government and the heads of domestic business structures pretend that the problem of "brain drain" does not exist. This position is in stark contrast to the reaction of other countries of Eastern Europe... For example, the Bulgarian Information Technology Association (Bait) actively opposes Germany's intention to grant residence permits to foreign, especially Eastern European, programmers and other information technology specialists.

One can say a lot about the fact that the "brain drain" is bad, but until the country has created real mechanisms that would allow economic methods to retain scientists and specialists, this process will continue. The example of Ireland is appropriate. While its own population is 3.6 million, the Irish diaspora is only North America totals 46 million. And only now, after the change in the economic climate in the country, the Irish began to return to their historical homeland.

According to the vice-president of the Russian Internet company Port.ru Yuri Ammosov, expressed on October 27, 2000 at International conference "Investments in the emerging market of Internet technologies", Russia should not be afraid of a "brain drain" to the West, since this is where our "fifth column" is being formed. Ammosov believes that from the production of technologies for the domestic market it is necessary to move to the Indian-Taiwanese version of offshore programming, when programmers fulfill orders from abroad, while staying at home and coordinating their work on

The Internet. However, it is difficult for Russia to compete with India and Taiwan, which have large and friendly diasporas that allow those who have left for the West to place orders with their friends and relatives at home. Therefore, it is necessary to strive for the next stage - the Israeli-Scandinavian model - export of final technological products to the world market. This again requires experienced, highly qualified managers. If they appear in two or three years, information Technology can become the real salvation of Russia.

"WE ARE WAITING FOR CHANGES..."

In today's world, both individuals and entire societies are subject to tremendous pressures of change. The moral aspect of the introduction of new technologies is that innovations, at least indirectly, should help society become better. But the introduction of technology requires considerable investment.

Paradoxically, the arms race, of which the ARPAnet, the progenitor of the Internet, was a byproduct, has spurred civil society in unexpected ways. This process was also helped by the numerous bankrupt shareholders of Internet companies and many other individuals and commercial associations pursuing their goals far from charity. Thanks to their financial investments, an infrastructure has emerged that has united both supporters and opponents of globalization of society.

Today everyone decides for himself which side of the "digital barrier" he is on. The advantages of the "digital society" listed in this article have already largely become a reality. And if you have not felt them yet, this means only one thing - revolutionary changes in people's lives do not happen instantly.

As we have already seen, the problem of the "digital divide" is quite complex. Its solution requires cardinal actions not only at the level of an individual country, but also on a planetary scale. And the reader, in our opinion, should eliminate the "digital divide" at his personal level: choose a specialty that meets the requirements of the information society, explain to children the importance of computer technology, or maybe do business in this promising area himself. There are a lot of points of application of forces, the main thing is to realize that the world is changing before our eyes. Think of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey that started this article. The year 2001 is on the calendar, which means that the 21st century has already arrived. And if the problem of "digital inequality" still seems abstract to you, it's time to think: what needs to be done so that one, far from perfect day, does not end up in the past?

Details for the curious

THE RICH AND THE POOR IN THE XXI CENTURY

If you have not yet understood what "information inequality" is and whether it threatens you personally, take a look at the statistics published in the US Department of Commerce survey in the fall of 2000.

The probability that a person with higher education has a home computer, 8 times the likelihood of someone with secondary education. The probability of accessing the Internet in the first case is 16 times higher than in the second.

A high-income urban family is 20 times more likely to be online than a poor rural family.

A child from a white American family with a low income is 3 times more likely to access the Internet than his peer from a black family with a similar income, and 4 times more than if he grew up in a Hispanic family.

The proportion of wealthy Asian Americans with Internet access is 34 times higher than that of poor African Americans.

A white child from a family with two parents is 2 times more likely to get Internet access than a child from a single parent. For black families, this ratio is four to one.

People with disabilities, on average, are three times less likely to access the World Wide Web than people without physical disabilities.

And this is in America - one of the most prosperous countries in the world. What to say about poorer countries ...

Inequalities in mathematics play a prominent role. At school, we mainly deal with numerical inequalities, with the definition of which we will begin this article. And then we will list and justify properties of numerical inequalities, on which all the principles of working with inequalities are based.

Note right away that many of the properties of numerical inequalities are similar. Therefore, we will present the material according to the same scheme: we formulate a property, give its justification and examples, and then move on to the next property.

Page navigation.

Numerical inequalities: definition, examples

When we introduced the concept of inequality, we noticed that inequalities are often defined by the way they are written. So inequalities we called meaningful algebraic expressions containing signs not equal to ≠, less<, больше >, less than or equal to ≤ or greater than or equal to ≥. Based on the above definition, it is convenient to give a definition of a numerical inequality:

A meeting with numerical inequalities occurs in mathematics lessons in the first grade immediately after meeting the first natural numbers from 1 to 9, and getting to know the comparison operation. True, there they are simply called inequalities, omitting the definition of "numerical". For clarity, it does not hurt to give a couple of examples of the simplest numerical inequalities from that stage of their study: 1<2 , 5+2>3 .

And further from natural numbers, knowledge is extended to other types of numbers (integers, rational, real numbers), the rules for their comparison are studied, and this significantly expands species diversity numerical inequalities: −5\u003e −72, 3\u003e −0.275 · (7−5.6),.

Properties of numerical inequalities

In practice, the series properties of numerical inequalities... They follow from the concept of inequality introduced by us. In relation to numbers, this concept is defined by the following statement, which can be considered a definition of the relationship "less" and "more" on the set of numbers (it is often called the difference definition of inequality):

Definition.

• number a is greater than b if and only if the difference a - b is a positive number;
• the number a is less than the number b if and only if the difference a - b - a negative number;
• the number a is equal to the number b if and only if the difference a - b is equal to zero.

This definition can be rewritten to define the less than or equal to and greater than or equal relationship. Here is its wording:

Definition.

• number a is greater than or equal to b if and only if a - b is a non-negative number;
• the number a is less than or equal to the number b if and only if a - b is a non-positive number.

We will use these definitions in proving the properties of numerical inequalities, which we now review.

Basic properties

We begin our survey with three main properties of inequalities. Why are they essential? Because they are a reflection of the properties of inequalities in the most general sense, and not just in relation to numerical inequalities.

Numerical inequalities written using signs< и >, typically:

As for the numerical inequalities written using the signs of non-strict inequalities ≤ and ≥, they have the property of reflexivity (and not anti-reflexivity), since the inequalities a≤a and a≥a include the case of equality a \u003d a. They are also characterized by antisymmetry and transitivity.

So, numerical inequalities written using the signs ≤ and ≥ have the following properties:

• reflexivity a≥a and a≤a are true inequalities;
• antisymmetry, if a≤b, then b≥a, and if a≥b, then b≤a.
• transitivity, if a≤b and b≤c, then a≤c, and also, if a≥b and b≥c, then a≥c.

Their proofs are very similar to those already given, so we will not dwell on them, but move on to other important properties of numerical inequalities.

Other important properties of numerical inequalities

Let us supplement the basic properties of numerical inequalities with a series of results that are of great practical importance. Methods for evaluating the values \u200b\u200bof expressions are based on them, the principles are based on them solutions to inequalities etc. Therefore, it is advisable to deal with them well.

In this subsection, we will formulate the properties of inequalities only for one sign of a strict inequality, but it should be borne in mind that similar properties will be valid for the opposite sign, as well as for the signs of non-strict inequalities. Let us explain this with an example. Below we state and prove the following property of inequalities: if a

• if a\u003e b, then a + c\u003e b + c;
• if a≤b, then a + c≤b + c;
• if a≥b, then a + c≥b + c.

For convenience, we will present the properties of numerical inequalities in the form of a list, in this case we will give the corresponding statement, write it down formally using letters, give a proof, and then show examples of use. And at the end of the article, we will summarize all the properties of numerical inequalities in a table. Go!