The comparable UK figure for Internet (including WWW) use is already 7%
and is confidently expected to increase by 50% or more in the next few
weeks; (also the latest UK figures show that over 40% of adults now have
regular hands-on access to an advanced computer either at work, home or
both).  New and uprated (eg. modem) multi-media computers are expected to
be among the most popular Christmas `buys'.  Also, after a very slow
start cable systems are now being installed very rapidly across the
country.  (Work is going on today just outside my house in a
stand-alone village community of less than 4,000 people for example.)
Most cable operators are selling themselves and their services more in
respect of very low cost Or even free local call and connection ) telephone
and internet connections than for extra TV channels (at least in wealthier
districts - may be different in lower cost housing areas where satellite
dishes are noticeable more common.)

All the signs are that there will be an explosion of use in the very
near future.  After all it took the `traditional' Internet about 25
years to get to 30 million users worldwide; the Web has gone from
virtually zero to at least 10 million in about two years.

Many of these issues were discussed at last week's conference on
museums and the social implications of the `Internetworked' Society
at the University of Uppsala, and if anyone is interested my
presentation to that - with all the visuals being projected from my
London files and the various links from Sweden to New Zealand - is
on:

    http://www.city.ac.uk/artspol/uppsala.html

Patrick Boylan

================================

On Wed, 29 Nov 1995, Craig Rosa wrote:

> |>Harry Needham recently posted:
> |>
> |>>We were disappointed to find that only 27% of respondents had an Internet
> |>>connection either at home or at work. Of that fraction, 78% reported
> |that they
> |>>did NOT visit museum sites on the WWW and only 4% (a disappointing 1% of
> |>the total >respondents) had "visited" the CMC WWW site before visiting. Only
> |>1 respondent in >503 reported that the visit to the CMC WWW site had
> |>influenced his decision to >make a physical visit.
>
> Great to see some numbers. But Don't Panic. Try this survey in a year, and
> then again in 5. I am willing to bet the farm that your numbers will rise
> exponentially.
>
> The WWW, as we know it is a nascent technology.... I'm sure a similar
> survey about TV ads in 1948 would have yielded similar results.
>
>  Up from nothing, 4% of Internet-ready  visitors seems great. Of your
> visitors that have access to other media- radio, TV, newspaper- how does it
> compare? That would be interesting to know.
>
> Also, I concur with a previous post saying that getting new  visitors in
> the door is not the sole reason museums are on the net. As your results
> indicate, it is just too early to tell.
>
> ***     Craig M. Rosa
> ***     Exhibit Developer, The Tech Museum of Innovation
> ***     email> [log in to unmask]   vox> (408) 279-7133
> ***     WWW> http://www.thetech.org/    fax> (408) 279-7197
>