The last edition of Internet day, which fell on the weekend, was disappointing for the most enthusiastic of the Internet. Lots of tents and many gifts in the form of cakes with "at", key chains, souvenirs, but little substance. It seems that the organization of the event has taken good note of the criticism and plans to recover the essence of this day: to teach literacy and show the benefits of the Internet to improve the economic situation.
On May 17, telecenters, talks and gatherings will once again take center stage to show the many possibilities of the Internet.
"In this V Edition we have set ourselves the objective of making known the opportunities that the Internet offers for employment. Looking for a job, starting a new business, or simply improving the one you already have is something in which the Internet has a lot to say. The virtual congress, the success stories or the awards for the best initiatives will stimulate and help, between now and May 17, many people who are currently experiencing difficulties and must be proactive to improve their current situation," explained Luis Arroyo, one of the pioneers of the Internet in Spain and coordinator of Internet Day 2009.
Something very common in the business world is the display of success stories to exemplify. Along these lines, they intend to disseminate success stories in which a business achievement has been achieved through the innovative use of the Internet.
"We want to show society how in difficult times business, family and personal achievements can be achieved using New Technologies as an element of innovation," in the words of Miguel Pérez Subías, president of the Promotion Committee.
The "just online" Congress and the Internet awards approach companies so that they do more and more actions on the Internet. In total, 42 social organizations, 723 companies and all Public Administrations will participate, all to "promote the generation of new jobs and opportunities through the use of the Internet".
The novelty of this edition, in addition to the business world, is in social networks. Miguel Pérez Subías was very enthusiastic about their use "the rise of these will facilitate access to new technologies, since they have been invited to participate in concerts, races, design and composition contests on the Internet."
Along these same lines, which is committed to web 2.0 and user participation, Eusabio Bautista spoke on behalf of Telefónica: "Users are increasingly demanding greater bandwidth. We promote social networks from a business point of view, but we also celebrate that the user is increasingly active: they make content, create information, develop their creativity with videos. That is good for everyone's development."
Luis Arroyo, soul of this day since his birth, sought the help of the media when it came to spreading the possibilities of the Internet: "I pray that the morbid part of the Internet and its side effects be left aside. Until now this type of information that the media has capitalized on when talking about the Internet, I understand that it can be journalistically interesting, but it has been given more weight than it deserves. May 17 must be a day for disseminating the advantages of the Internet."