According to a study called “Digi:Nation” conducted by the Harris polling institute along with the Guardian newspaper’s online edition, over a quarter of Web users in Britain have created their own blogs or Web sites. This is seen as a strong indication of the growing “online revolution” that is taking place in Britain.
In addition, almost three quarters of British Web users have downloaded music. This could be distressing for record companies, since most of these downloaders have opted to use illegal file-sharing platforms.
Eight percent (or about 3 million users) of the online population in Britain have downloaded a podcast. However, sites looking to require payment will find a hard time garnering the favor of Brits, since 71% say they will not pay for podcasts.
Almost four in ten Web users in Britain have read a blog, and nearly a quarter have downloaded at least one movie, according to the study.
The study estimates that about 68% of the total population has access to the Internet, while 84% of these households have broadband access.
The survey was conducted with 2,012 adult participants during the days spanning from May 2nd to May 22nd.
In related news, any interested Web savvy Britons were called upon to contribute to a digital time capsule on Tuesday, when the “One Day in History” project took place.
The project was described as a “blog for the national record,” and invited any Britons to contribute by submitting a short piece about their day on Tuesday, and submitting it to the project’s Web site.
British celebrities were slated to take part in the event, as were students at the Dubai British School, who were invited to write about their day living as an expatriate in the Middle East.
All submissions will be stored permanently at the British Library and other locations.
“We want this day to have its own place in history and be a snapshot of everyday life at the beginning of the 21st Century,” said Director General Fiona Reynolds. “It would be fantastic if hundreds of thousands of people take up this opportunity for mass online participation...and make it the biggest blog ever.”
Historian Dan Snow said, “We want to give people in the future a sense of what it was actually like to live at the beginning of the 21st Century in Britain. We should include as much banal normal stuff as possible.”
Sources:
http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/News/Articlex/
fcee0d4cb3f34212bd83697037fe836e/Public-picking
-up-on-podcasts.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6048392.stm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061014/tc_afp/
britainhistoryinternet;_ylt=Aumu.Mry7fRc0ZKvKTMu.
076VbIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061016/tc_afp/
internetbritainbloggers;_ylt=AmYJfBWxrdFRRxGajxx_
1qj6VbIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA
Digg 
