by Jo Sutton

Many of us have a relationship with the Internet, even if it’s to determinedly ignore the hype and media attention. Whether or not to discover more about the online world is a decision we make - or is made by our job, pocket book or life situation. As everyday users of the Internet we think we’re on the same continuum as offline women, just in a different place. We’ve been talking with some women’s groups about why they decided to stay offline for the moment.

It costs too much

Have you got a telephone? And you’re willing to pay for the phone and long distance calls. You can cut out the long distance charges by sending email. Your phone bill should be reduced substantially.

We’re an organization of volunteers. Every time we have to use a stamp, an envelope, send a fax or make a phone call we moan about others not being online. This is our money we are donating. 45 stamps is the cost of one month online. As an active organization we would send many more than 45 letters a month.

The equipment can be donated. People and organizations are throwing away 286 computers. These can do email (with a modem) - but not the rest of the Internet with ease...

Too techie

Only for us, the women who were not brought up with technology. Us non-programmers of VCRs have a sense of awe and wonder at being able to email so many people all at the same time. We’re the ones who, on finding an unfamiliar telephone area code still have to ask “Where’s that?”. Those who are familiar with the technology tend to be rather more relaxed about things and even seem to learn how to use technology much faster than the rest of us.

Investigate where to find women who are at ease with the new technologies and who will be happy to share their skills with you. They usually know more about computers than we do, and we can share something about our work with them. Everybody gains.

Remember, once they had to make a teaching film about how to use the telephone.

Too much work

Getting everyone in your organization online, thinking about how to use the technology and generally being on board for this adventure could well be a challenge. It will give your organization the chance to Reflect, Rethink and Renew your work. And let’s put it this way:

Can you afford not to get online?

Sometimes putting our work into another framework can change the way we look at what we do and how we see ourselves in relation to each other, the organization and the people we work with. What the Internet and its’ technologies are presenting to you is an opportunity to grow - maybe in new ways you cannot yet see. The change of context means that new light is cast on old habits.

Being online means a much more inclusive way of working. Perhaps you can pick up on the information flow, incoming and outgoing. In fact everyone should be able to have access to the new ways of finding and absorbing information and be able to consider how to apply their renewed attachment to the organization.

New organizations are springing up which include electronic communications in their everyday work as a matter of routine. They have much better access to information than you do, can get that information faster and use it more effectively. When you have to compete with a better informed organization for funding you will be at a disadvantage.

Young people are often at home with the technologies. They are the future of your organization. If you cannot involve them and their skills they will go somewhere where they are appreciated. There are many hours of volunteer work being done online. Listen to them and take suggestions - or ask them to develop the idea themselves.

The women online are elitist

Precisely the opposite. One of the reasons so many women are working online is that it is inclusive and supportive. We make few prejudgments of each other, since what we know is what we write. Race, levels of ability, sexual orientation are not revealed - unless we want to discuss them online, or people wish to reveal them to us, or work together with others with like experiences. Online women are remarkably supportive and helpful to other women, going out of their way to be non-judgmental and encouraging to others.

The women who are online are leaving the rest of us behind

Online discussion can be fast and full of content. Anyone not reading their email daily soon finds a mountain of mail to read when they get to downloading it. Which means that not getting email at all can leave someone feeling they are missing out on discussion.

This is an issue of concern to all women. We need to work together to find ways of getting the hardware and software to groups who are not yet online and who wish to be there. This work can develop at several levels - the first is finding the hardware

Women need ways to learn the software - maybe online lessons, mentoring or tutoring. These lessons can be transmitted by email to the women wishing to learn.

Women need to consider how the Internet can be used to further our work both on and off-line. This is open for discussion experiment and development. It is still possible to develop new ways of working together online as we are in the early days of realizing the potential of the new technologies.

In the meantime we need to be sure to have the present day equivalent of a telephone tree. That is, those who have email send the letters on to those who do not. This necessarily involves time on the part of the group doing the faxing and offline groups should appreciate the efforts being made to include them. As is the nature of working on the Internet, even groups who are offline need to be willing and able to fax material back through the co-operating online group and have their views go out online to other groups. The point is not to hold back the online developments, but to use and enhance them by finding creative ways for offline groups to take part in the exciting new developments.

We also need to ensure that offline groups know where to find public access points to the Internet, so that they can go browse and sample the Internet when they are ready. Informing women of the usefulness of the public libraries and schools as public access points is a way of beginning to ensure all women’s groups have an understanding and openness to the potential of the Internet for organizing and change.

Good luck, and see you Online!

Email: diamond@fox.nstn.ca

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