Changing Expectations of Inclusion, Toward Community Self-Discovery

Abstract: This paper suggests that communities are at a relative disadvantage in the emerging information society. The rules of information access and privacy that apply to governmental jurisdictions, corporations and individuals often do not recognize the real needs of communities and their members. Several definitions of community are presented, suggesting that participation and diversity of interests are essential community characteristics. Focus on communities in terms of information access and use implies that attention must be paid to the condition of our information polity, beyond that given to our information economy. Three rules, or expectations, are offered that aim toward a unified set of information access practices across all sectors of society. On this base a process of "community self-discovery" and the emergence of information sharing networks may be fostered. The paper is the result of a review of literature about the role of technology in the emerging information society, combined with the author’s reflections on information uses in community-based organizations.