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The US community technology movement 323find that not much changes. IT on its own does not function as a ladder out ofpoverty. This chapter defines the digital divide in a broader and more complexway, and suggests similarly broad solutions to deal with the problem. Morecomprehensive responses, based on a more finely textured and nuanced understandingof the problem, can be employed to enable disadvantaged groups toparticipate in today’s economy and society, in effect providing the kind ofboost necessary to exit poverty. To redefine the problem, we need to shift theprimary question from “who has access?” to “what are people doing, and whatare they able to do, when they go online?” (DiMaggio and Hargittai, 2001).If the digital divide is not simply a problem of access, what is the appropriatedefinition? Access is one dimension of the issue. Clearly, people needthe basic IT tools – computers and Internet access – at their disposal. Butaccess is only the first component. The second dimension of the digital divideconcerns training or IT literacy: the ability to use IT for a range of purposes,and the knowledge of how and why IT can be used as a key resource. Thetraining issue extends from schools to disadvantaged workers who cannot findwork that pays a living wage because they do not have the appropriate skillsto work in the information economy. As with any tool, users of IT must understandit and have the facility to fully exploit its potential in order to benefitcompletely from it.The third dimension of the digital divide has to do with content, bothcontent that meets the needs and demands of disenfranchised groups andcontent that is created by them. The Internet, like most media, is shaped by thefirst people to occupy its territory, in this case middle- and upper-income whitemales. When disadvantaged groups do log on, they often find that there is nocontent there for them. The kind of information they seek – information that isdirectly related to their lives and communities and cultures – does not exist. Ifand when it does, they often lack the skills to find it. Language and literacyissues create additional barriers for these groups (Lazarus and Mora, 2000).This content dimension is clearly related to the training dimension; IT skillsare needed in order to access and create content.Redefining the digital divide, then, requires broadening the concept beyondaccess to include training and content issues. Access is a necessary preconditionbut this engenders a need for training in order to use the tools. Oncepeople have facility with the tools, they demand content that serves their interestsand meets their needs.THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY MOVEMENT: A BRIEFOVERVIEWThe community technology movement has been instrumental in closing the