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Titus Moody, Yankee from Connecticut, a character of a Fred Allan's (a pseudonym of an actor, a producer and a writer John Sullivan) comic radio show of the 20s 'Allan's Alley' responded to a question 'What do you think about radio' with the words: 'I don' now why would I need talking furniture'. [4, p.73].

As you, dear reader, have already guessed, we are starting to study the following issue: a necessity of serious social and psychological adaptation of an individual to accepting innovations. It is not enough to give people new technical equipment, even if it is the most intelligent and the most convenient. Useful as this facilities may be to make life easier, until everyone accepts technology as a part of their own life, not of a foreign environment, there will not be considerable social improvement.

An ostrich principle works here: until everyone opens their eyes and wants to see the changes - they may be deemed as practically non-existent. Right, it is possible to introduce e-mail, virtual employment centre or the cheapest on-line store, but all these will be only external changes, complying just with the new technologies, not with the new way of life.

So, Petronious Arbiter (a Roman satirists of Nero times) was quite right when said that a man wants to start rearrangements every time new conditions spring up. But while it may seem advanced, in reality it causes confusion, futility and depression.

New technology must cease to be new in terms of 'unworn dress' for a stylish woman from a village - the dress was bought, but no one would put it on until 'a special occasion'. The only pity is that 'a special occasion' most likely would be a dress owner funeral.

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When things using information technologies become as ordinary as jeans - worn for holidays, to work, on vacation, to repair a car - it will mean that people's inner world has changed. And then we will find out that 'a new civilization' has come. We just live in it without even noticing since when. So, 'how to make people use technologies after they get access to them? This is one more educational task to be solved by governments'. Guess, who is it, who relies so much on official decisions? You would not believe it: it is Bill Gates, who always blamed government for its desire to pry into everything and regulate practically every corporate activity.

Furthermore, the most inspiring model for Gates in this respect is China. There, 'an older brother' noses into every slot and attempts to censor even content of hyperspace communication of its citizens. Despite this, a PC market is flourishing there, and the government still aims at developing a habit to new technology usage among its citizens. Bureaucrats realise, that people's computer literacy would improve China's economic competitiveness. This is why Chinese government has contracted with Beijing TV and RXL Pulitzer firm (from Seattle, Washington) to produce weekly TV program promoting personal computers.

A situation comedy 'My computer family' of Chjao family life became one of the most popular TV show in China. A series broadcasts for 20 largest national TV stations. Whatever politics dictate, a market would dictate on its own. So, sponsors of 'the state computer education' in China People's Republic are 'Microsoft' and 'Compaq Computer' [38].

But what does it mean 'To start using' available technology? What skills will it require, and is it not possible to dispense with learning 'information' habits? How and where to learn 'to live digitally'? How much time and efforts will it require? What 'portion' of learning will be enough for our life span?

Having arrived to electronic society, one becomes not only knowledge worker but a consumer of knowledge work. But in order for this work to be efficient, you have to learn every hour.

Education in the new society is an important part of everyday life It is too important to be given just to schools and universities. Knowledge becomes an integral part of goods, manufacturing, services and entertainment. Therefore, a plant, an office, a home turn to school. More and more often interactive training means are imbedded into goods, and using the goods provides for training.

Regular views on career and expertise change even more. Forget career. Should there be really no expectations for stability and predictability of professional life?

With regard to this, Louis Ross, 'Ford Motors' chief engineer, instructs polytechnic students: 'Knowledge in your career is like a box of milk. Expiry date is printed out on the package. The term of an engineer's diploma is about three years. Unless you improve your knowledge from university with something new by that time, your career will curdle' [4, p.240-246].

Even worse, by the time you finish four years of scientific or technical education, 50% of what you were taught has already become outdated. Now an expert is not the one who once in a lifetime learned how to do something properly. An expert is the one gaining knowledge whose volume doubles every 18 months. And it is not just putting a makeup on a few spots: technologies employed and work content change frequently and seriously.

Some people think they may afford to stay aside all these novelties - since their flow never stops anyway. But in this case they have to be prepared to after-effects, that is break-away from the rest of the society and conservation in one's own world rejecting changes. Robertson Davis, a Canadian writer, an author of 'Deptfort trilogy', said in 1993: ' The world I live in now is so different from the world I was born to, that unless I took it into consideration I would turn into a fossil man' [4, p.241].

In connection to this, there is one not very comforting nuance: these are 'fossil men' we educate in our education system; the system whose main principles were laid out as long ago as at the beginning of the industrial age. This age had been formed, developed and ended; but domestic school still prepares cadres for it. Let us agree: there is little logic here.

'In transition from the agrarian society to the industrial one, rural school is replaced by a brick building of municipal school. Transition to the Information Society began as far back as forty years ago, but new education principles have not yet been developed not to mention creating school of the future, which may be completely different from a school we accustomed to' [39].

The same relates to universities. There is a lack of an education system, where student would be taught not to memorise information but rather learn and use creative approach. Requirements and suggestions of the new time are just ignored. Says Jeffrey Banister, Buttler University president: 'A system of university education is left from pre-Guttenberg times, since professors write synopsis by hand, afterwards putting it on the blackboard with a piece of chalk. Which means, that a printing-machine is not yet included in teachers' lists of daily used things'.

But even Guttenberg method of information distribution is gone. A binary code replaced a set type It is time for it to gain recognition; recognition in the education system in the first place. Says Tim Stonir: 'Using computers in education is the most important pedagogic achievement since invention of grannies. Because grannies are the world oldest system of information accumulation'.

However, it is not reliable to depend on a granny's tales with today's development pace. At least after you turn three years old. PC assisted education, besides all other advantages, is economical. And it is economical from all points of view: a volume of education may be increased by 30% with 30% cost decrease and with spending 40% less time. More effective, fast and cheap education is an opportunity that leadership of declining education system may not afford to lose. And taxpayers fed up with the system may not lose this opportunity either.

We agreed upon information technologies to be new opportunities, new horizons for personal development. But many are afraid that they will just spoil young people, deprive them of incentives for personal progress. Advocates of such views say that there is a danger to upbringing illiterate generation, considering a character of today's technology - a tide of information moving towards one direction and excluding reading or writing.

But they do not take in account interactivity of modern information technology, based on a user's active participation. Considering implications of new media for users, Don Tapscott in 1994 predicted quite optimistic developments, referring to studies, showing that the users would be spending less time for watching TV (in today's meaning of the words) [40].

A little later, Andersen Consulting Report, based on polls, confirmed his point of view. The Report states, that respondents prefer interactive education and training programs much more than movies on request, TV show and games. [41].

As for the general trend, Dick Notburt, 'Ameritech' executive director, agrees with the informatization apologists, saying, that the role of television will change when people stop 'watching' it and begin to 'use' it.

This regards not only television itself. Likewise, the role of computer should reach out beyond the margins of sophisticated typewriter or game-tool. And this process advances quite successfully. The US Trade Department research has shown: it took 30 years for radio to reach 50 million audience, 13 years for television, and just 4 years for Internet [42].

Perhaps, people have really changed somehow, considering that new information technologies managed to win such a base within a short time. But changes sufficient to include information innovations to living environment in no case will provide an efficient work in this new environment.

A good wording for this was provided by Elena Vartanova, an assistant professor of Journalism Department in Moscow Lomonosov University and a director of Finnish-Russian Studies Centre. According to Vartanova, new media requires not only modifying something already available, but also developing completely new qualities. Such as high level of abstract thinking, fast response, preparedness to improve education level continuously [43]. Above mentioned requirements relate not only to individuals, but to groups of all levels as well as the ways of their interaction. It means that a new culture of organization is needed, as well as a new management and work culture, new accepted norms of information reception and usage [44].

Even the best society's model can not provide customers with a better life than they deserve with their knowledge and culture. Therefore, it is as much important to teach a customer to approach new technologies and new social relations with requirements of an educated person, as to simply satisfy his(her) needs [45]. This is a sphere of common interests of companies and governments; non-government organizations are also interested in improving general cultural and educational level of citizenship. Besides everything else, it will provide social consensus during a period of global transformation.

As it is stated in the Recommendations of the European Council, all revolutions, including the information revolution, are the source of uncertainty and heterogeneity in a society. And although endless wonderful opportunities are being created, there is still a high likelihood that individuals will reject both new information culture per se and its tools.

Governments, accordingly, should launch a campaign to promote comprehension and acceptance of new circumstances, stipulating our life from now on. The ultimate objects for the campaign include public services, mass media and education [15].

The state should encourage commercial companies in their activity promoting information technology. This includes advertising and promoting an attractive modern lifestyle. After all, e-mail, e-commerce and e-banking, travel booking, school homework and students' studies, Internet and other services are available only to those who has a PC.

A sector, most annoying parents and teachers - computer games - is indeed a thoughtful strategic step, that should be encouraged by the state. Time passes quickly. Kids who do not want to divert from a monitor today, tomorrow will promote opportunities provided by the information technology and telecommunications.

There will be an increasing share of education computerization in accomplishment of a social role of information and telecommunication technology. Although it does not have a strong influence today, tomorrow's competition, improvement of computer literacy of parents and student requirements will get its way; so, a scheme 'one pupil - one computerized learning place' will be introduced everywhere.

It will also reflect in an amount of self-education. It takes just access of school computers to a Global Network, and staying in a class late at night will be a means of reward instead of detention for pupils [46]. Thus, in Lisbon summit in April 2000, it was decided necessary to connect all schools with Internet by the end of 2001[35].

Educational potential of Internet, both for children and for adults has already found its way in many countries. Thus, in Egypt, a web-site for children, 'Little Horus', was organised. This site contains more than 300 pages of illustrated information about Egypt civilization, which is seven thousand years old. In addition, there are photos of modern Egypt, portraying economic, cultural and social life of the country. A 'Tour' Chapter contains links and references to other popular sites for children.

Australian programme, financed by NGO Duke Street Community House of Melbourne, is aimed at providing information technology training for adults from low-income groups. Those people who, in fact, did not have a chance to access information technology, can get five hours of training for free plus ten hours of free technical support.

A special project 'Real Time Captioning Law' acting in Honolulu, Hawaii, provides deaf residents of the city with access to the information about their local government. Due to this project, more than 75 thousand deaf people or people with low hearing have got opportunities, equal to those of other citizens, to get access to the information about the City Council and its committees' proceedings. The information is transmitted either through TV or through the Internet.

Distance learning is used broadly in the USA. It is the way advanced math is taught in schools, which do not have their own high school classes. Distance learning provides communication means for students, who can not attend school because of sickness; such students can use a computer network to contact their teachers. This technology allowed to reach parity between levels of instruction in different schools It also made possible to run joint projects among the same grades of different schools or to conduct special lessons [38].

'Informational lifestyle' for households is expanding largely due to increasing volume of e-commerce. People will always spend money for things providing comfort and convenience at home, in an office or in a car. Electronic guards and other means of personal security and protection have already been used broadly by increasing number of customers. Moreover, experts predict further decrease in prices for different goods employing information and telecommunication technology; it will encourage even more customers from different population groups.

As to the present opportunities of on-line commerce, nearly fifty percent of all PC users in Germany attend web-sites expecting to get advice before making purchase. Nevertheless, only 12% really buy through the Internet. The rest heads to the stores, and later brings goods home. The trend is opposite on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean. Customers choose goods in the store, and later order the best items from the Internet [1].

Informatization proponents get new members almost everyday from rural population. With information and telecommunication technology residents of rural areas get better chances to take more active part in economic and social life.

Now in CIS countries, residents in settlements where there is no telephone connection have already started using satellite telecommunications. Local government or residents' councils often buy one mobile telephone for all. This telephone becomes a means of communication of remote settlements (completely detached from modern civilization in the past) with 'the great land'.

Expanding of 'virtual living space' holds true with regard to metropolitan areas [47]. Information and telecommunication technology are the tools aimed to strengthen social unity and harmonization of personal living in society. For instance, new goods and services provide older people with opportunity of longer autonomous yet secure and protected life [48].

New paradigm in health care promotes such living where a person consciously cares about one's own health; it provides for continuous monitoring, personal system of health care, etc. The same holds true for the environment (sustainable development paradigm emerge) and transportation ('mobile society' and 'global connection').

As to social life, informatization means direct access of citizenship and businesses to information, to the service systems of administrative agencies of the nation, region, city, town, district, to the democratic institutions of society. It is 'on-line democracy', that is creating a kind of 'on-line government'. In fact, the Information Society is one of the few social systems, where social justice and economic interests can exist shoulder-to-shoulder [49].

Generally, there is an innumerable quantity of ways to employ information technologies to bring about benefits both to society, individuals and businesses. New business opportunities are open to entrepreneurs, who is able to approach their undertaking with creativity. For example, one of the first mobile telephones in Taganrog (Russian Federation) was bought by a self-employed plumber. He saved money for the purchase with confidence that it will pay back. And his expectations have come true. Now he says: 'Today I don't lose any commission, one can always reach me. Soon, I will by an electronic diary' [50].

Business culture changes are indeed the toughest requirement for implementation of hyperspace economy. Because it is impossible just to issue a 'Directive' to introduce an 'entrepreneurial spirit', that would have to emerge as an immediate result of such a directive and would launch the process of business informatization . What we can do is to act the other way round: we can make interests of business people the base for general economic policy-making [35].

As a general conclusion let us say the following : a level of user requirements to information system keeps within stereotypes, produced as a result of interaction with a certain information channel. In order to implement a new information technology, it is necessary to transform user's settled views about information system's capabilities into a new qualitative state.

In this regard it's important to keep in mind, that, first of all, information need is not what is satisfied with existing information system; it is rather what requires satisfaction. Secondly, information need can disappear without being satisfied. Third, the fact of emerging information need is not always and not necessarily understood [51].

So, in order to satisfy new social requirements, it is necessary to provide visible demonstration that the Society does have these requirements and demands their satisfaction It should be done the way Julius Reuter did it. (The news agency, launched by Reuter, is still one of the world's most popular). On 28 April 1850, Julius Reuter started his career as an information broker with 45 carrier pigeons. Reuter's pigeons, which he had hired from a brewer, could cover only the 200 km stretch, no further than two hour fly from Brussels. However, the Reuters agency demonstrated, that information is a commodity like any other. The faster it can be transported from A to B, the more valuable it is to the recipient [37].

Later, this realization transformed into 'the information boom', that reached exchanges, press, governments, manufacturers and trade. Knowing more, knowing earlier became the main principle of existence for many and many organizations.

Now, society's information need moves from quantitative characteristics to qualitative ones. And this renewal should beget in everyone's brain, from a prime-minister to a house-wife. They know what exactly they need; how, when and what exactly they want to get from what is suggested by the Information Society. And this, in turn, will shape both market and educational supply infrastructure.