how is it that public access computing has become almost synonymous with proprietary software?
Where both the FSF and the CI movement privilege the social identity of citizen and the concept of civil society, within Gates and his Foundation s discourses, these terms are rarely used. Further, when the former is inferred, it appears in relation to the consumption of e government services. As recounted in one highly cited report: In Florida, people rely on library computers to apply for public assistance including food stamps, temporary cash assistance, and Medicaid (BMGF, 2006b). These uses are presented as part of a standard list of how people use PAC services with no attempt to distinguish between worker, citizen or consumer identities: Some 14 million people regularly use these services to find information about health, jobs, and government services; to communicate with friends and family; and to fulfill life long training goals. They can also find training on how to effectively use these tools (BMGF, n.d. c). Perhaps the greatest difference between Gates solution to the digita
