Taking accessibility or affordability out of the equation, these are people who still use the phone book, paper maps, and read the daily newspaper when it's tossed on the driveway.
I think the difference is that these people don't see the internet as especially useful or more convenient. In 1997, I found my car, my apartment, and my job online. My car - I did all the research, located who had the color and options I wanted. My job - I found an out-of-state job online. Went to the interview, then did negotiations over the phone and email. Had the offer letter faxed to me. My apartment - searched for places close to our jobs/the city, by size, price and even floor plans.
I haven't used a phone book since probably around the same time. I get all of my news online (though I'd rather read it than watch videos). If I'm looking for a new restaurant to try, or looking for a plumber, I'll bypass places that don't have websites. Sure, I can call to get the information, but a lot of places don't have receptionists to field calls, but rather have an answering machine (maybe voicemail) to leave a message and they'll get back to you. Most of the time, they never call you back, even when you're calling to get a service like lawn care or plumbing. These companies lose business before they even had it.
My mother refuses to "learn the internet". We've all spent hours trying to show her how to access/read/send an email, how to search online, that shopping online with reputable companies with secure websites is safe, etc. She just out and out refuses, yet complains that no one ever shows her pictures (which I store on a photo sharing site as well and also send to her via email) or tells her what's going on in their lives (she thinks that joining Facebook lets the whole world know what she's doing).
And yes, she has a computer (that we gave her) and she has free broadband access. She just doesn't think that there is any benefit from being online.
Hybrid Mode
