From the Social to the Virtual - and back again Sonia Liff, Fred Steward & Peter Watts

Gateways to the Virtual Society: Innovation for social inclusion Interest in social places where the real and the virtual interact Social contexts in which people introduced to the virtual How such contexts influence the form of access and for whom Networks of real and virtual relationships

In what context are new forms of participation likely to occur? Traditional Settings where the internet is used Home Work S chools / Colleges Libraries Public Administration Offices e-Gateway Organisations new internet use sites Cyber Cafes Computer Technology Centres (CTCs) Telecottages Electronic Village Halls (EVHs)

Social Places and Real / Social Networks ‘3rd places’ as core settings for an informal public life (Oldenburg,1999) Community networks as virtual ‘3rd places’ (Schuler, 1996) e-gateways as real ‘3rd places’ with access to computers and the internet

Characteristics of 3rd Places Neutral place without ‘host’ or ‘visitor’ connotations socially inclusive membership criteria frequented by, and visited because of, locals stimulates good conversation unpretentious in style and in mood a home away from home

Social Settings and the Shaping of Access Social context and configurational variety Shaping through politics and learning Networks of practice

Communities of Practice Learning is situated within a social context Occurs through participation in a set of social practices ‘Learning implies becoming a different person with respect to the possibilities enabled by these systems of relations’ Lave & Wenger, 1991

Modes of Inclusion User Roles in Relation to the Virtual Consumer Information, product & service acquisition can be instrumental or interactive Communicator Maintain / create friendship networks & communities of interest Citizen New community identities / building, political engagement

Examples of Innovative E-Gateway Organisations UK McNulty’s Internet Café, Newcastle Project Cosmic, Ottery St Mary, Devon Finland Cable Book Library, Helsinki Locality in the Global Net project, Tampere

McNulty’s Café, Newcastle UK View from outside of tables and computers

McNulty’s Café, Newcastle UK Integration of café and computer use

CafeNet Guildford, UK Separate café and computer areas

Cable Book Library, Helsinki Landing linking library to restaurant

Cable Book Library, Helsinki Inside - stylish social setting, helpful staff

Capercaillie Library, Tampere A more conventional computer provision

Shop Front e-Gateways Boundary span between non-users and users by placing IT in a prominent, familiar location. Focusing on users’ interests Can support any of user roles but ‘communicators’ tend to dominate No existing social network of users but may create one based on the e-gateway

Project Cosmic, Devon, UK not likely to draw in those passing by

Project Cosmic, Devon UK Inside hosts a lively youth club

Project Cosmic, Devon UK and runs successful training courses

Rajaportin Sauna, Tampere Meeting place for Pispala web group

Steps of Pispala home page for local web pages

Community E-Gateways Boundary span between non-users and users by strong existing links into the community Successful at attracting the most excluded Can support any user roles but funding for training may lead to focus on ‘consumers’ Some gateways develop ‘citizens’ but need to form new networks and provide on-going support

Conclusions Different social settings are significant for inclusion and use Institutional setting affects but does not determine innovative examples of the provision of public access Citizen mode of engaging in virtual society most difficult to develop - unlikely to occur without specific support both in policy terms and in public access facilities.