Contribution B

1
Contribution B

• Summary of Demographics and Sociographics of the
  Digital City

2
Background and History

• The Digital City began in 1994 as a BBS board
  funded by the local government and made up of
  hackers and cyberspace activists.
• Democratize the internet.
• Experienced Explosive Growth in next 4 years.
• Democratizing the electronic superhighway
  creating an electronic sphere that allows for
  participation, discussion and information
  exchange. In other words, the creation of an
  electronic public domain, freely accessible, and
  with freedom of expression.

3
Background and History

• Innovation development of knowledge, and
  conducting research and development about
  information and communication infrastructures,
  and disseminating this knowledge.
• Supporting small and medium sized firms in using
  the Internet and WWW, and improving the regional
  economic structure.

4
Methods and Tools

• Third in a series of surveys (first in 1994, then
  in 1996)
• Questionnaire with 50 questions about the
  members sex, race, education, age, etc.
• Voluntary contact data which the researchers
  intended to use for longitudinal research and
  interviews

5
Methods and Tools

• The members would answer the questions online and
  click a button to send it to a data file
  accessible to the researchers.
• In analyzing these data files the researchers
  hoped to gather data that would assist in
• describing use and users of the Digital City
• trying to find out whether typical groups of
  users and ways of using the Digital City do
  exist.

6
Demographic Results

• Majority of the members of Digital City were male
  and either had already attained some higher
  education or were working towards it.
• The number of people that had higher educations
  and those in the 18-25 age bracket decreased
  between 1996 and 1998.
• More High School students becoming members.

7
Demographic Results

• Most employed members are employed in the fields
  of education, culture, business services, and
  public administration.
• unemployed, housewives, the undereducated and
  ethnic minorities are all underrepresented (the
  ethnic minorities due mostly to the fact that the
  BBS is entirely in Dutch).

8
Demographic Results

• More like the Digital Campus or the Digital
  Suburbs than the Digital City.

9
Usage Results

• Working members use it more professionally than
  students.
• Members with pages in the community interact more
  than those without pages.
• Younger members have more contact and use the BBS
  much more than older ones.

10
Conclusions

• Are virtual communities are emerging in addition
  to real ones?
• An increasing number of DDS squares are built,
  with social, political, and civic topics, and
  related organizations.
• An increasing number of digital citizens have
  regular contact with fellow citizens.

11
Conclusions

• The DDS as a digital sphere is successful and
  sustainable, with many enthusiastic citizens, a
  rapidly growing population, and potentially a
  viable combination of civic and economic
  activities. Although the survey did not show the
  emergence of more or less stable communities
  within the DDS, it becomes clear from interviews
  that on a smaller scale some active communities
  are existing. Examples are groups of enthusiastic
  users of the MUD (the Metro), around the Chess
  Café and the Literature Café, the Motor Club and
  the Skeeler Club, and around Gay Square.
• Similar to a real city, the DDS attracts a lot
  of people from the entire country.