DECONSTRUCTING THE DIGITAL KID - In its recently released "Deconstructing the Digital Kid" study, Jupiter Communications predicts that the number of teens (ages 13 to 18) online will rise from 4.5 million today to 11 million by 2002, and the number of children (ages 12 and under) will skyrocket from 3 million today to 20 million during the same period. That increase will mark one of the single biggest demographic shifts seen on the Web so far. The study also found that 68% of parents surveyed were concerned about their children's Internet usage, and that more than 25% said they would be willing to pay for services to restrict their children's access to adult or undesirable sites. Two-thirds prohibit their children from giving out personal information over the Web and 62% don't allow online shopping. According to the results, boys tended to surf for gaming opportunities and sports content, and girls were more likely to focus on email and instant messaging. (TechWeb 25 Jun 98)

INFORMATION ECOLOGY - Information "is data endowed with relevance and purpose." (Peter Drucker) In other words, it takes *us,* not machines machines or networks, to do something with the information. In a recent and important book, 'Information Ecology: Mastering the Information and Knowledge Environment,' Thomas Davenport, Director of Information Management at the University of Texas-Austin argues that it's time to "put humans back at the center of the information world, banishing technology to its rightful place on the periphery." He is emphatic in saying that we need to stop modeling an information environment based on machines and buildings, and begin to think in terms of "information ecology." We need to switch our attention from systems and architectures to the behavioral and cultural changes needed to engender an environment where knowledge is created and freely shared with others. The core of his message "is that people now matter *more* than ever!" If you read the book, pay particular attention to the chapter titled "Information Staff," where he discusses the type of people that are needed to help shape and support information activities. (Training, April 98, pp. 93-94)