[atlarge-discuss] Outreach, Incorporation and Latest statistics on Net use...

[espresso@e-scape.net]

From the article quoted below, it seems to me that one high-priority task under the heading of outreach is to find the means for translating all our materials into the Scandinavian languages and Chinese. I.e., either translators into those languages (and others, of course) who might be interested in volunteering, or else a substantial translation budget. 

Within our group are native speakers of several languages who might not be translators but could do rough translation at a pinch. However, when it comes to things like a Constitution and bylaws, not to mention good public relations materials or committee reports, I suspect rough isn't good enough.

As for the text of documents for incorporation, it can't be prepared without knowing the jurisdiction of incorporation -- most places have compulsory clauses and what's legal in one country may not be acceptable in another.
Having had some experience with charters and bylaws for other organizations, I'd gladly translate into French when the time comes but would hesitate to do it for multiple versions.

Regards,

Judyth

--Fwd---

Europe may lead in Net access 
By JACK KAPICA 
Globe and Mail [Toronto, Canada] 
Tuesday, August  13

Re: http://www.nua.net/surveys/?f=VS&art_id=905358259&rel=true  

The number of Europeans with access to the Internet may have surpassed        the number of North Americans, a survey company says.

The latest report from Nua Internet Surveys, an Internet consultancy        based in Dublin, also says that just under 10 per cent of the world's        population has Internet access. The statistics, compiled from data        collected in May, reported that 580.78 million people are on-line, as        opposed to 407.1 million in December 2001.

There are now 185.8 million Europeans on-line, Nua reported, and 182.3        million in the United States and Canada combined. A further 167.9 million        are on-line in the Asia-Pacific region. 

[snip]
That would still leave the United States well ahead in terms of the        rate of access to the Internet as a percentage of the population.

Nua, however, is calling these figures "guesstimates."

"Given that Nua relies on figures from reputable research firms around        the world who don't all use the same methodology to arrive at their        conclusions, the best we can offer is an aggregate total which we believe        comes close to the actual numbers of people with Internet access," the        survey company said in reporting the statistics Monday.

[snip]

Still, the "digital divide" - the economic gap between developed and        developing countries - continues to exist as Latin America, the Middle        East and Africa lag behind other geographic regions in technological        terms.

Europeans, Nua reported, make up 32 per cent of the world that can go        on-line, while 6 per cent of the global Internet audience is based in        Latin America. The Middle East and Africa combined account for just 2 per        cent.

...France, the survey company noted, has more Internet users than in 
the whole of Africa and the Middle East. 

According to Nua's survey, the country with the highest rate of        Internet penetration was Iceland, where 69.8 per cent of it's the        population is on-line.

Sweden is next with 64.7 per cent, followed by Denmark (60.4 per cent),        Hong Kong (59.6 per cent), and the United States (59.1 per cent). 

Completing the top 10 are the Netherlands (58.1 per cent), Britain        (56.9 per cent), Norway (54.4 per cent), Australia (54.4 per cent), and        Canada (52.79 per cent). 

The figures, Nua added, suggest that "without a conscious worldwide        effort to help developing nations get on-line, the Internet will remain a        privileged communications tool for a minority of people."

The company estimates that the number of people with access to the        Internet will reach one billion by 2005.

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Judyth Mermelstein     "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC           <espresso@e-scape.net>
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"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once 
they have exhausted all other alternatives." (Abba Eban)
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See the UNESCO OBSERVATORY ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY!
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/observatory  



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