Online-only survey leaves some opinions out

Education, income, age and location – these are all factors that effect the likelihood that a person knows how to use the internet well.

That's according to a study done by Western University using Statistics Canada's Canadian Internet Use Survey 2010 data.

People at Canada's highest income levels were noted to be using the internet more than those at the lowest income levels. Those who reported having even some post-secondary education were using the internet more than those with just a high-school diploma, and far more than those without.

Those who said they lived in rural areas also used the internet far less than those in urban areas.

And although the study reinforced it, anyone who has tried to help a grandparent use The Googler can appreciate how age can factor into the ability to use a computer.

As the municipal inspection progresses, we appreciate that the inspectors are looking for public input.

And although we appreciate how thorough the online survey is and how easy it is to transfer that data to an electronic form, we also recognize that for some people, online-only is an impediment to participating in the democratic process.

According to census data from 2011, the average age of the Town of Athabasca is 38.8, two years older than the average age of Alberta.

A total of 14 per cent of people said that English was not their mother tongue – another factor in digital literacy.

The town is seen as an urban area, the internet here is still slow compared to many larger towns and cities in Canada and not everyone has access to the web.

We would suggest that there are easy ways to get around this issue and get a more representative response – perhaps offering a print survey that could be filled out and dropped off at the town office, or offering the Athabasca Public Library's services in helping people fill out the survey.

This is 2017. The internet is an incredibly important tool to reach out to people – but it still isn't the only one.