Librarian by Day

It is Get Online Week in the UK! How awesome is this?

Businesses and the government have teamed up in order to persuade Internet virgins to try out and use the World Wide Web.
The UK Get Online Week was launched on Monday and will run from 18th to 24th October 2010. The week-long national drive is being led by UK Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox, who is trying to get the last remaining ten million Brits online. This is despite the fact that Lane Fox has no budget to complete the project.
“There is no money and we don’t need it to make a big stride forward,” Lane Fox said back in August.

The simple idea behind the campaign is to encourage at least some of these estimated 10 million Britons who have never used the Internet, to give it a go.

There are a couple of helpful sites Race to Online 2012 list events, resources and provides a 67 page Manifest for a Networked Nation and research on Digital Inclusion. If you’re interested in broadband access there are a great resources on this site.

Pass it On has a great videos and lists 5 reasons to Pass it On:

1. Money – An estimated £560 can be pocketed over a year by paying bills and shopping online; not to be sniffed at!
2. Time – Time saved for them performing everyday tasks at the click of a button, and time saved for you by not having to be a surrogate surfer.
3. staying in Touch – 3m people in the UK are socially isolated, and the Internet can help them connect with their friends and family.
4. Smash the Barriers – The Internet isn’t scary, it’s fun! Helping someone get over their initial fears can let them into the wonders of the web.
5. Create Opportunities – Having Internet access can increase GCSE performance by two grades for kids and give access to millions more job opportunities for adults.

found via Stephen Fry