Peter Zelchenko 2225 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 312-733-2473 pete@printchicago.com
August 23, 2005
Ald. Margaret Laurino
Co-Chair, Municipal Wireless Internet Task Force
4404 W. Lawrence Ave.
Chicago, IL 60630
RE: WIRELESS INTERNET
Fax (773) 736-2333
4 PAGES FOLLOW
Dear Alderman Laurino,
I participated in the public hearing on wireless Internet at the South Shore
Cultural Center and was impressed by the level of thoughtful skepticism among
many, if not most, of the participants.
I strongly feel that you need to weave this healthy skepticism deep into your
discussions. I urged this at the meeting, but I admit it is difficult to
explain my position among a technocratic punditry. It is all well and good
to have a Task Force vested with the duty of studying feasibility, but I
believe you are in danger of going at this from the wrong starting point.
As many at the meeting made clear, we have a serious problem with the Digital
Divide. Yet wiring the city does not in itself solve this long-range problem.
In fact, it does absolutely nothing fundamental. It is like buying the
proverbial batteries before one can afford the appliance. In a few years,
the appliance may need different batteries.
The use and maintenance of computers is, even today, an expensive proposition
for any family. Purchasing the computer and network capacity constitute only
the tiniest step toward its productive use. Next comes the competency — or
money — required to maintain it, keep its software up to date, diagnose it
when something fails. What still remain are the questions of training and
devising appropriate routes to empower users and their communities, to help
them to identify just what the applied advantage is to computers over, say, a
telephone and typewriter. As has been shown countless times in practice,
this does not happen without a strong push, which means $18 million is merely
the snowflake on the iceberg, and, as I said, it does absolutely nothing for
the Digital Divide.
I enclose an article that I wrote in 1999 for Educational Leadership, that
Ald. Lyle requested I forward to her. It criticizes the hype of high
technology in education. It has been widely cited and has long been required
reading in a number of university courses on technology, and it goes some way
in relating my position about the press of technology. Skepticism is not a
bad word, and it can lead to many fruitful and economical results. Step into
this river with extreme caution: this is not a race. In the long-range
scheme, it will take us years to solve the real problem. From that vantage
point, wireless connectivity seems like a trivial pursuit, and it is arguable
that it could end up being a complete waste of money. That may sound
extreme, but I’ve witnessed it before.
As to approving the legal framework to allow cities to publicly deploy, aside
from the broadband companies, nobody can argue about it. As to approving a
budget or feasibility study to carry this out, everyone should argue about
it. Don’t let this debate fall behind closed doors, but please keep skeptics
like me, and the others at these meetings, not only informed but completely
involved in the discussions.
Sincerely,
Peter Zelchenko 2225 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60614 312-733-2473 pete@printchicago.com
Peter Zelchenko
cc: Ald. Edward Burke, Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, Brian Imus (Illinois PIRG)
Ald. Freddrenna Lyle 406 E. 75th 60619 Fax (773) 846-9104
Ald. Margaret Laurino 4404 W. Lawrence 60630 Fax (773) 736-2333
Ald. Edward Burke 2650 W. 51st 60632 Fax (773) 471-1648
Brian Imus Illinois PIRG 180 W. Washington Suite 500 Fax (312) 364-0092