This is an investigation of the diffusion of new information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly the Internet, by community broadcasting organisations. In order to understand ICT diffusion processes in community radio stations, this study focuses on a particular project which saw a large scale diffusion of Internet technologies across Australian community radio stations at the beginning of 1998. The Community Access Network (CAN) project was an initiative of the Australian government, and saw funding for the provision of an Internet ready computer to every licensed community radio station in Australia. In approaching this subject, this research employed social constructivist assumptions, expecting that ICT use, and in particular the CAN workstations, would vary from station to station, reflecting the cultural and organisational conditions in each environment. As such the study aimed to understand the ways in which ICT technologies have been used and understood by community ralo station management and their participants. Since community radio stations are organisations, this study employed Everett Rogers' framework for understanding diffusion of innovation processes within organisations, acknowledging that organisational variables act on innovation behaviour in a manner over and above that of the aggregate of individual members of the organisation. This approach provided scope for the investigation and comparison of organisational factors, as well as meaning making on the part of individual participants. The research was based on data collected from two case studies, chosen on the basis of their divergent social, cultural and organisational environments; 4EB in Brisbane, a metropolitan, ethnic community radio station; and 2NCR-FM in Lismore, a regional, generalist community radio station. Ethnographic methods of observation and interviews were employed to collect qualitative data, providing insider accounts of community broadcaster's use, experience, and understanding of the new technologies in their day-to-day broadcast practices. By looking at two different community radio stations, this research acknowledges points of similarity and difference across these organisational situations, identifying factors that contribute to variation in technology take-up in particular station programming emphasis, perception of need, organisational resources, role of innovation champions, training, ICT policy and broadcaster variables. Evidence drawn from these case studies, and the specific ICT investigated, contributes to a general understanding of factors in the diffusion of ICT technologies across the community broadcast sector, providing a frame of reference for anticipating subsequent innovation diffusion. In particular, there are implications for future diffusion projects which plan to deploy new technologies across the community radio sector. It also contextualises community broadcasting and ICT use within the field of new technology uptake by broadcast sectors in general.

Globalization and the rise of the Information Society pose many challenges to developing nations. In adherence to the Millennium Development Goal of digital inclusion, the government of the Dominican Republic established a national program of community technology centers, or telecenters, that aim to promote digital literacy among the poor. This study examined how these telecenters promote the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and tested whether perceived structural factors, individual motivation or demographics predict adoption. Results from a survey conducted in the rural villages of El Seybo, Navarrete, and Oviedo confirm that telecenter users learn how to use information and communication technologies as a resource for information about civic life, entertainment, and professional development. The study concludes that telecenters can succeed in decreasing digital poverty, provided issues of sustainability are addressed with consistent and continued government funding and support. The field of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) is in its infancy and has yet to develop strong methodological or theoretical standards. This study of ICT adoption and telecenter use in rural areas of the Caribbean contributes empirical evidence to the literature of this emerging discipline.

Various challenges can threaten the security of personal relationships, but one of the most difficult problems to manage is geographic distance. As more people live apart from someone about whom they care, the prevalence of long-distance relationships will increase. However, research on how long-distance friendships are characterized and accomplished lags behind. Therefore, the present study was designed to uncover how women define and maintain their long-distance friendships. A total of 34 interviews were conducted with first-year undergraduate students, first-year graduate students, and recently-hired faculty members at a large university. The interview transcripts were analyzed inductively, which resulted in the creation of nine categories. These were eventually reduced to six maintenance behaviors: openness, assurances, positivity, joint activities, personal networks, and mediated communication. Participants also challenged definitions of long-distance friendship based upon geography and replaced them with definitions based upon communication (access to interaction, use of mediated communication, level of closeness, and a commitment to expend the necessary time and energy to make it work). Although long-distance friendships may require more effort and involve more mediated communication, this study demonstrates that long-distance friends rely on similar maintenance behaviors as geographically-close friends. This indicates that long-distance friendships may not be as dramatically different or as perplexing as commonly thought. Overall, the present study reveals that long-distance friendships can be satisfying and maintained successfully, which challenges both cultural assumptions and traditional social science research. Many long-distance friendships are well-equipped to weather both changes and challenges, making them flexible, not fragile.

Are mobile phones the best vehicle for reducing gender inequality in the developing world? ICT experts champion the use of mobile phones to improve women’s lives, and various stakeholders have invested millions of dollars to launch mobile phone programs for women. Yet, given high female illiteracy rates, patriarchal societies, and other structural and cultural barriers in developing countries, many scholars contend that limited access to ICTs can perpetuate gender inequality. Rooted in the theory that women’s empowerment and equality are inseparable and necessary components for the realization of sustainable economic and social development, this paper aims to determine if stakeholders are jumping on the mobile phone bandwagon too soon by using a multivariate regression of cross national data to demonstrate whether or not mobile phones fall short of advancing women at the same rate that men develop.

The role of web 2.0 technologies has become windfall for knowledge building in higher education in the entire modern world. Web 2.0 technologies (Podcasts, Wikis, and Blogs) are being explored for collaboration, innovation, and creative purposes in digital literacy. The ICT based system (Learning Management System, Student Portal, Web mail) of Växjö University lacks web 2.0 technologies (Podcasts, Blogs, and Wikis) that are important for classroom learning for knowledge building. This research intends to investigate and describe the educational importance of web 2.0 (Podcasts, Wikis, and Blogs) as a possible source to facilitate class room learning in higher education in Sweden. In this regard, role of web 2.0 in its current usage in the teaching and learning have been identified and, thereby, possible measures for more improvements have been suggested in this research. Keeping in view the potential of web 2.0 as content development and management technologies and incorporating their role in formative evaluation of students, peer assessment, collaborative content creation, and individual as well as group reflection on learning experiences, the researcher conducted a survey by asking very simple and short questions as to how far has this potential been exploited in Sweden. Based on the findings and the empirical evidences thereof a model has been proposed for maximum utility of web 2.0 technologies.

This thesis emphasizes the importance of software industry within global perspective, in addition, aims to study the economic, social and structural dimensions of Indian, Irish and Turkish software industries. Because of coming from developing countries scale and attaining to significant software export achievements in global software industry, India and Ireland will be in center of this study. In this context, the determination of India and Ireland&rsquo / s industrial and national software strategies and the results and achievement evaluations in application case are accomplished. In consequence of related assessments, Turkish software industry is analyzed and future oriented suggestions are presented via taking into account country dynamics. In theoretical perspective, Indian, Irish and Turkish software industries are analyzed on the basis of Richard Heeks&rsquo / &ldquo / Software Strategies in Developing Countries&rdquo / model with appropriate approaches. Beyond, in this study, which is commenced on the basis of three countries, division of labor of global software industry will be analyzed in &ldquo / core and periphery&rdquo / framework and the suggestions will be presented to developing countries on their national software industries. The findings of the study indicate that, countries which have advanced national software industries keep high value added phases in their home countries, however outsource low value added phases of software development projects to developing countries because of workforce cost, qualified human resources, tax incentives, geographical market position etc. advantages.

This study aimed to provide a general picture of ICT education in primary schools. Through this aim, students&rsquo / perceived ICT competencies, their attitudes towards the ICT course, the characteristics of the teaching-learning process in the ICT course, the deficiencies of the IT classrooms and the effectiveness of the ICT Student Workbook were analyzed. This study was designed as a cross-sectional survey study. In order to collect the data, a self-reported questionnaire consisted of 63 items was developed by the researcher. The sample consisted of 442 Grade 8 students in 11 primary schools located in the metropolitan area of Izmit. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the data. Multivariate Analysis of Variances with Pillai&rsquo / s Trace test was employed to investigate whether the significant differences among dependent variables across independent variables existed. Results of the study indicated that primary school students generally perceived themselves competent in ICT tasks and they had favorable attitudes towards the ICT course. Significant differences were found in students&rsquo / perceived ICT competencies and attitudes with respect to gender, educational background of parents, computer ownership and availability of home assistance related to the ICT course. This study also revealed several obstacles which prevent taking full benefits of IT classrooms, and problems with the implementation of the new ICT program.

One of the aims of thesis is to examine and describe current trademark law in Turkey and point out the fact that an excessive trademark protection is being implemented and that this kind of a protection does not automatically bring wealth to Turkey. Main aim of this thesis is to point out the fact that new circumstances of unfair usage of trademarks occured with the introduction of the internet and that important problems between the trademark law, which is of national character, and the internet, which does not have any limits arised in settlement of disputes. Another aim is to point out that, currently, there is no agreed legal text regulating in detail the circumstances of unfair use of mark via Internet both at international and national levels. In this context, basic concepts of current trademark law, birth and development of information and communications technologies and in this respect, the Internet, effect of Internet to current social structure and changes caused therein, national and international steps taken in this context, the question whether unfair usage of trademarks could be examined within current legal framework, problems arising from the differences between Internet and Trademark Law also discussed.

In the current study, it was aimed to explore young adults&rsquo / communication technology preferences in friendships. With this aim, two survey studies were conducted on university students. In the first study 178 students and in the second study 343 students were surveyed. The findings of both studies demonstrated that (a) face-to-face communication was the most preferred communication,(b) preference for face-to-face communication was positively associated to preference for auditory communication, and negatively associated to preference for written communication, (c) several individual difference variables contributed to relative preferences for face-to-face over mediated communication in negative situations. General &lsquo / ndividual difference variables in relation to Relative Preferences were found to fit into a two-factor higher-order structure. The higher order constructs were Social Openness (the factors tapping to individuals&rsquo / motivation to engage in interpersonal interactions even when those interactions are challenging) and Individuated Functioning (the factors tapping to individuals&rsquo / motivation for personal growth). Relative Preference increased with increases in Social Openness and in Individuated Functioning. Communicaiton-specific individual difference factors underling the associations among Social Openness, Individauted Functioning and Relative Preferences were explored. Results suggested that Social Openness &ndash / but not Individuated Functioning- was indirectly linked to Relative Preferences via Perceived Difficulty of Communication Situations (Study1) / Social Openness was indirectly, and Individuated Functioning was both directly and indirectly linked to Relative Preferences via Difficulty in Handling Negative Situations (Study 2). Theoretical and practical implications of studies were discussed considering the previous literature.

The purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting the information and communication technologies. integration in the basic education schools. Mixed Model Research Design was utilized to find out the factors directly affecting integration of ICT integration in schools of K-8. Three different research methods were use sequentially. In the first step, new curricula used for Math, Social Studies and Science and Technology courses were examined to draw the pattern of ICT use defined by these curricula. In the light of the information gained through examination of curricula, 20 teachers were interviewed to understand whether they can put ICT based activities defined by curricula into practice or not. Simultaneously, they also identified common problems preventing them to integrate educational technology in their lessons and possible solutions to have a better ICT and education relationship. The literature and the information gained through first two step of the study suggested computer self-efficacy of teachers is very important factor within the integration of ICT. To assess teachers&#039 / computer self-efficacy, a questionnaire was designed by the researcher and necessary pilot studies were completed to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Final form of the questionnaire was distributed to K-8 schools&#039 / teachers from 12 predefined cities of Turkey according to statistical information provided by EUROSTAT (Statistical Office of European Union). 1025 correctly filled questionnaire forms were returned and the data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics techniques. Result of the study suggested that, Internet is the most vital technology to successfully apply the curricula. Use of Office programs and different educational software also constitute considerable part of the curricula. But teachers indicated that they cannot apply curricular ICT based activities in school setting because of lack of access to technology, literacy, training, time and confidence/self-efficacy. It is also found that, teachers&#039 / age/ and teaching experience negatively contributed to their level of computer self-efficacy when their personal or home computer use was contributing very positively. On the other hand, existing computer training programs were found less effective than expected in terms of ICT integration. Based on these results, some basic improvements and modifications in curricula, training programs, and technology infrastructure of schools were suggested.