It�s the 21st century, everyone�s online. Well, everyone except the 21 percent of U.S
adults who aren�t. That�s about 48 million people, a pack of quaint individuals the size of
South Korea, which, if it knew that, would probably say, thanks, we can handle the DMZ
on our own; you need to go work on your luddites.
I�m B.C. and in this episode of Top 5 we�re going to run down the reasons 48M people
don�t get why you�re sitting there in your underwear watching some guy on your
computer.
OK, here we go, according to the Pew Research Center�s latest survey, #5 is: �It�s a
waste of time.� Fools. That� so dismissive. Clearly these folks are biased by just
YouTube. Or Twitter. . Or FourSquare. Or Foodspotter. Oh, hell, this always
happens, let�s move on.
#4: �Too difficult or frustrating.� I actually hear the Neanderthals on this one. I mean did
you really think 10 years ago that in 10 years you�d still be screwing with all the cryptic
weird stuff that computers do to make the internet gag and you waste hours debugging
stuff?
#3 �Too expensive.� This is a serious issue and a lot of folks like you and me forget that
a $600 or $700 computer and a $50 a month broadband account or a $200 smartphone
and a $100 a month 2 year commitment IS A LOT OF MONEY.
#2 �Don�t have a computer.� Yep, that�ll hang you up. Some of that derives from #3
(too expensive), some from #4 (too difficult) but, you know, some of it comes from �too
damned stubborn to try anything newfangled.� OK, look, this internet thing isn�t
newfangled any more. If you�ve upgraded your outhouse to glass windows, you�re
modern enough for the internet.
BTW, before we get to the #1 reason people who don�t use the internet don�t use the
internet, I want to point out that soon we won�t be talking much about lack of a PC being
a reason: Estimates are that by sometime in 2011 smartphone sales will exceed those
of PC�s. So, mom, some interweb is on the way. Call you this weekend. Remember to
pull on the can to get the string nice & tight, I could barely hear you last time.
OK, the #1 reason people who don�t use the internet don�t use the internet is: �Just Not
interested�. What do you do with that? I got nothing.
Thanks for watching me on the internet. And to do more crazy, newfangled stuff like
this, point your expensive, complicated, time-wasting computer to the CNET Top5 blog.
I�m Brian Cooley. See you next time.
