Flickr Photo: reway2007How long has it been since you heard the term "digital divide"?

We don't talk about it like we used to. Back in 2000, dozens of foundations and many more nonprofits were focused on making sure that everyone had access to a computer and the Internet. Mainstream media coverage came fast and furious.

Somewhere along the way, the digital divide fell out of vogue. Still, in every community across this country, there are children and adults who do not have a computer or cannot access the Internet.

As recently as 2006, 28% of Chicago schoolchildren could not access the Internet at home, even though school curriculum increasingly requires Internet access to complete homework assignments.

By the same token, more cities are moving services online, requiring individuals to use the Internet to pay tickets, file for permits, etc. Yet, the folks that can least afford to take the time and resources to deal with city services in person are the very same people who can't access them online. From a Chicago Tribune story:

While the disparity between owning a computer and not getting on the Net might seem incongruous, consider Rosalind Smith.

Two years ago, Smith's daughter gave her a used computer with the hope it would improve her life. High-speed Internet service is available in the West Woodlawn neighborhood where Smith, 53, has lived for 15 years. But the computer sits idle because Smith, a security guard, can't afford the charges that can add from $20 to $33 or more to monthly phone bills.

What's going on here? Why have we stopped talking about the digital divide? And why aren't more people talking about the social impact of municipal access programs?