In his dissertation thesis, the author elaborates on a new position from which both information society theory and digital divide research could be analyzed as active participants in a large-scale societal reconstruction. The text begins with the reconstruction of the argumentation core of information society theories, which is then utilized when choosing their latest, most respected, and most elaborated version. In the following chapter, the author presents the composition of Manuel Castells' information society theory and its tight relationship with the digital divide issue. In the final parts of this chapter, the author reveals the key position of the digital divide issue in solving the contradictions and negative aspects of informatization. The chapter is concluded by finding out the absence of the link between digital divide and information society theory in the preceding criticism of Castells' work. In the fourth part, the development, arguments, and empirical evidence of the digital divide research are presented, followed by identification of the limits of contemporary academic digital divide discourse. In the sixth chapter, the author tries to overcome these limits by proposing a new empirical evidence better fitting model of the digital divide. The thesis is concluded by thinking over the...

This thesis deals with the introduction of new technologies in the information society, which cause acceleration of aspects of everyday life. The consequence of this situation is the increased level of alienation and anonymity among people in cities. The thesis compares the view of two authors. The first one is a French writer and philosopher Paul Virilio, the other is an American director Godfrey Reggio. Both authors perceive the transformation of today's society negatively and describe the consequences arising from the introduction of new technologies. Each of them uses a different form of expression - Paul Virilio, writing and text, Godfrey Reggio, documentary films. Nevertheless, they have the same opinion on the relevant issues and come to similar conclusions. The aim of this thesis is to compare the two authors and their ideas and propose possible solutions to prevent negative consequences of acceleration of aspects of everyday life. Key words Virilio, Reggio, acceleration, technology, information society, media, communication

This thesis reviews trends and developments concerning national information policy both internationally and nationally and inform the understanding of the situation in South Africa. Three research questions are investigated in this study, namely: (a) what are the main trends relevant to national information policy development worldwide, based on relevant literature, (b) what are the main trends and developments in other countries, and (c) what are the implications of the current global and national developments regarding national information policy for South Africa, based on the findings of the study? The methodology for this study involved a qualitative textual analysis, addressing these three research questions, and the selection of theoretical frameworks to define the scope of the research. The study discussed the main aspects of concern regarding the following information-related issues: access to information; access to government information; literacy levels; computer literacy levels; levels of education and skills; information society development; the North-South Divide (including the digital divide); information content and industrial competitiveness; other issues such as e-commerce; telecommunication issues; copyright issues; industrial property rights; freedom of speech; censorship; information ownership; library services and archives; the value of information and the flow of information in the public domain in South Africa. The multiplicity of issues reviewed demonstrated the complexity regarding access to information and related issues in the country. The study concludes with a situational analysis of developments relevant to national information policy for South Africa. The findings indicate that the South African government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. The Government needs to develop a national information policy to address and balance two realities, namely: (a) the technocratic and capitalist values of globalisation pushing global information policy development from outside the country, and (b) national economic, social and cultural developmental needs inside the country. Both these realities are relevant and need to be addressed in a national information policy, as the Government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Thesis title: Liability of information society services provider for the storage of information provided by a recipient of the service This paper deals with a special liability rules for service providers that play a key role in the Internet environment and provide hosting services. Objectives of this paper are to specify the concept of the ISP, describe related current issues and above all to present and analyse the drafted legislation, which was presented by the European Commission at the end of 2016 and which has the potential to significantly influence the elaborated issues. In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the thesis identifies the legislation dealing with this issue and describes the relationship between the European and Czech regulations. It also further specifies the essential conditions for the attainment and subsequent preservation of a Safe Harbour, which excludes the application of general liability rules. It also deals with the ISP's no obligation to monitor the information they store. In connection with the above-mentioned matter, this thesis analyses important decision- making practice, which presents advanced interpretation of the issue and the development of SDEU's approach to the status of ISP in general. In its practical part, this paper focuses on the...

Tang, Li. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-137). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Public Sphere: Liberal Model --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Criticism on Unitary Public Sphere --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.12 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Criteria for Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- External Parties --- p.16 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Public Sphere in the Cyberspace --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Public Sphere in Contemporary China --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Application of the Concept of Public Sphere in China --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Dominant Public Sphere in China --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Subaltern Groups in China --- p.23 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Subaltern Public Spheres in Chinese Cyberspace --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- HBV Carriers Group and the Forum --- p.28 / Chapter 3 --- Research Design --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1 --- Overall Conceptual Framework --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2 --- Research Questions --- p.33 / Chapter 3.3 --- Research Methods --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Textual Analysis --- p.36 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Interviews --- p.39 / Chapter 4 --- Brief Overview of the Forum --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1 --- Overall Development --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Structure --- p.46 / Chapter 4.3 --- Users --- p.50 / Chapter 5 --- Empowerment on the Discursive Level --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1 --- Characteristics of the Forum --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- Alternative Topic --- p.53 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Alternative Information of HBV --- p.54 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Discourse of Self-Narrative --- p.59 / Chapter 5.1.4 --- Forum Accessibility --- p.61 / Chapter 5.1.5 --- Relative Equality --- p.62 / Chapter 5.2 --- Rhetoric of Innocence --- p.64 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Attribution of the Spread of HBV --- p.65 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Attribution of Discrimination --- p.68 / Chapter 5.3 --- Summary --- p.70 / Chapter 6 --- Empowerment and Collective Action --- p.73 / Chapter 6.1 --- The State --- p.73 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- State's Impact on HBV Carriers --- p.75 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Resistance Enabled by the Internet --- p.76 / Chapter 6.1.3 --- Challenges from the State --- p.84 / Chapter 6.1.4 --- Compromise with the State --- p.86 / Chapter 6.2 --- The Market --- p.88 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Market Domination --- p.89 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Resistance against the Market --- p.91 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Challenges from the market --- p.99 / Chapter 6.3 --- The Mass Media --- p.101 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Mass Media's Domination --- p.102 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Forum's Efforts to Get Favourably Represented --- p.106 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Mass Media's Influence over the Forum --- p.111 / Chapter 6.4 --- Summary --- p.113 / Chapter 7 --- Conclusion and Discussion --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1 --- Assessing Empowerment Capacity --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Formation of a Subaltern Public Sphere --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Discursive Empowerment --- p.117 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Transformed Relationships with External Parties --- p.118 / Chapter 7.2 --- Internet and Empowerment --- p.123 / Chapter 7.3 --- Limitations of the study --- p.127 / Bibliography --- p.130

„Informacinės visuomenės kūrimo kliūtys ir perspektyvos Afrikos šalyse“ Darbo objektas – Afrikos šalys lokalios, regioninės ir pasaulinės Informacinės visuomenės kontekste. Darbo tikslas – atskleisti Informacinės visuomenės kūrimo kliūtis bei perspektyvas Afrikos šalyse. Darbo uždaviniai: atskleisti Globalios Informacinės visuomenės apibrėžimą, vystymo kryptis ir kūrimo prioritetus; pateikti Afrikos šalių IV kūrimo ištakas ir iniciatyvas; įvertinti dabartinę Afrikos kontinento padėtį Informacinės visuomenės sudedamųjų dalių kontekste; atlikti Afrikos šalių IV lyginamąjį tyrimą. Naudojantis duomenų analizės ir lyginamuoju šalių sugretinimo metodais prieita prie išvados, kad Informacinės visuomenės kūrimas Afrikos šalyse taps evoliuciniu judėjimu pirmyn, jei šalys įveiks Tūkstantmečio plėtros tikslais konstatuotas vystimosi kliūtis ar bent jau pradės produktyviai dirbti jų įveikimo link. Informacinės visuomenės sąvoka yra kompleksiška, ji paima demokratinius principus, žmogiškuosius išteklius ir Informacijos Komunikacijos technologijų situaciją bei naudojimą šalyje. Jei vienos iš šių sudedamųjų dalių nėra, nepavyks sukurti pilnavertės Informacinės visuomenės. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad Afrikai trūksta harmoningo vystimosi, nes daugelyje šalių stinga vieno, dviejų ar net visų Informacinės visuomenės sudedamųjų dalių. Viena pagrindinių kliūčių harmoningam vystimuisi – lokaliniai karai ir konfliktai. Šalys, kurios per paskutinius dešimtmečius patyrė lokalinius karus ar konfliktus... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Towards Information society in Africa: obstacles and prospects (summary) One of the main strategic goals for every country in Information age, or probably the main – is building Information society, as achievements in this area are the main, which separate one state from another. Depending on it, all states are divided as most developed, developing and least developed. Therefore underlying goal for every state is not only to catch developing speed, but more – to seek for its own contribution in the work of creating new value society. Recently, Global community initiated building “Information society for all”. It means, for all states, regions and individuals. These goals invite to eliminate Digital Divide, helping “information poor” to take advantages of “Digital opportunity”. Main purpose of this work is to look at the situation of “information poor” in Africa continent as building of Information society is seen as opportunity to foster their development. Work theme is “Towards Information society in Africa countries: obstacles and prospects”. Main goal is to highlight obstacles and prospects of building Information Society in Africa. Tasks: to highlight definition, development trends and priorities of Global Information society; to present Information society building origins and initiatives of Africa countries; to measure present status of Information society in Africa regarding complex Information society concept; to carry a comparative research of Africa Information... [to full text]

This thesis reviews trends and developments concerning national information policy both internationally and nationally and inform the understanding of the situation in South Africa. Three research questions are investigated in this study, namely: (a) what are the main trends relevant to national information policy development worldwide, based on relevant literature, (b) what are the main trends and developments in other countries, and (c) what are the implications of the current global and national developments regarding national information policy for South Africa, based on the findings of the study? The methodology for this study involved a qualitative textual analysis, addressing these three research questions, and the selection of theoretical frameworks to define the scope of the research. The study discussed the main aspects of concern regarding the following information-related issues: access to information; access to government information; literacy levels; computer literacy levels; levels of education and skills; information society development; the North-South Divide (including the digital divide); information content and industrial competitiveness; other issues such as e-commerce; telecommunication issues; copyright issues; industrial property rights; freedom of speech; censorship; information ownership; library services and archives; the value of information and the flow of information in the public domain in South Africa. The multiplicity of issues reviewed demonstrated the complexity regarding access to information and related issues in the country. The study concludes with a situational analysis of developments relevant to national information policy for South Africa. The findings indicate that the South African government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. The Government needs to develop a national information policy to address and balance two realities, namely: (a) the technocratic and capitalist values of globalisation pushing global information policy development from outside the country, and (b) national economic, social and cultural developmental needs inside the country. Both these realities are relevant and need to be addressed in a national information policy, as the Government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

On the topic of development of information society in Europe with emphases on activities performed by the European Union. A short remark on origin and development of the concept of information society and general economic impact of using information and communication technologies. It brings together a summary of policies and strategies encouraging the development of information society carried out in between the years 2000-2010. A note on preparation of strategy on information society for 2011-2015. Financing programmes using assets of the budget of the European Union for financial period 2007-2013. European Commission and the Information Society and Media Directorate General provide the administrative process support and the background of the preparation for information society policies. An overview of the European statistical data on information society. A list of the European legislation concerning information society with an aim to support use of information and communication technologies.

Le Sommet mondial sur la société de l’information (Genève 2003 et Tunis 2005) a préconisé la solidarité numérique comme solution pour mettre fin aux inégalités d’accès aux technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) entre les pays industrialisés et les pays en développement. A l’issue de ce Sommet, deux mécanismes institutionnels, à savoir le Fonds mondial et l’Agence mondiale de solidarité numérique, ont vu le jour. Ces institutions s’étaient fixées pour objectif de contribuer à la réduction de la fracture numérique en promouvant l’accès généralisé aux TIC à travers des programmes et des projets internationaux ciblant en particulier les pays africains. Cette thèse analyse les effets des politiques et actions internationales menées dans le domaine de la solidarité numérique. Elle étudie notamment les conditions de la mobilisation des ressources humaines, financières et technologiques nécessaires pour que la solidarité numérique institutionnelle soit un instrument au service de la participation du continent africain dans la société de l’information. Il s’agit également de montrer que cette nouvelle approche de coopération Nord-Sud dans le domaine des TIC n’est pas véritablement en rupture avec les schémas traditionnels d’assistanat et d’aide publique au développement. La thèse révèle également l’existence des écarts et des décalages entre les objectifs annoncés par les politiques internationales de solidarité numérique et les actions qui ont concrètement été réalisées sur le terrain, aux niveaux national et local, dans les pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest. / The World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005) advocated the digital solidarity as a solution to end inequalities in access to information and communication technologies (ICT) between developed and developing countries. Following the Summit, two institutional mechanisms (the World Digital Solidarity Fund and the World Digital Solidarity Agency) have been created. These institutions were designed to contribute to reducing the digital divide by promoting widespread access to ICT through international programs specifically targeting African countries. This thesis analyzes the effects of international digital solidarity policies and programs in Africa. It examines specifically the conditions for mobilizing human, financial and technological resources for the participation of African countries in the information society. It also argues that this new approach of North-South cooperation in the field of ICT does not really break with traditional technical assistance projects. The thesis also reveals gaps between the objectives announced by international policies and the actions that have been carried out in West Africa countries in bridging the digital divide.

In spite of the fact that contemporary society is called information or knowledge society, the meaning of terms information and knowledge is often out of our attention. The author seeks, bearing in mind the seriousness of discussed topics in the text, to present a systemic view with emphasis on the interrelationship between ideas and phenomena, based on a thorough definition of the theoretical foundations. The main aim of this work is to (from several different perspectives) point out selected important consequences of knowledge "objectification". It turns out that theme of education plays a major role in response to the question which modern society faces in the context of informatization.