Who uses communications gadgets? The Pew Internet and American Life Project has categorized the “technology elite” based on a study of who owns communications gadgets. (For someone who is always suspect of such research findings, I’m linking to a lot of them today.)

Here’s who they say are the “technologically elite” and other users. (Gee, I wonder which group I’m in. Surely not one with the word “older” in it?):

Older Wired Baby Boomers: This group is 6% of the population, is mostly male, and has an average age of 52 years. These people spend the most money per month of any group (an average of $175), 100% have Internet access, and most (82%) have cell phones. They are very active information gatherers online.

Wired Generation Xers: This group comprises 18% of the U.S. population and a member of this cohort is as likely to be female as male. Relative to the other two groups in the tech elite, Wired GenXers have less online experience, but they have quickly embraced a wide range of information goods and services. All use the Internet and 82% have cell phones. They are the second most active group (behind the Young Tech Elites) in pursuing the Net’s interactive features. They spend an average of $169 per month on information goods and services. The average age in this group is 36.

Wired Senior Men: This is a very highly educated small cluster (1% of the sample) of mostly older men (average age is 70) who have a wealth of online experience, having been online for about 10 years.

Young Marrieds: This group is 15% of the population, with an average age of 24 years and evenly split between men and women. Two-thirds (66%) use the Internet and more than half (56%) have cell phones. Their average monthly spending on information goods is $124.

Low-Tech Older Baby Boomers: This other group of aging baby boomers has an average age of 54 years, is tilted toward women, makes up 21% of the population, and has a cell phone penetration rate that exceeds Internet penetration (60% to 51%). This group has lower-than-average educational and income levels and only a few years of Internet experience. Their average monthly spending on information goods is $124.

Unwired Young Baby Boomers: This group makes up 16% of the population. Members of this group are slightly more likely to be women than men and the average age is 39 years. Internet penetration is modest (45%), but 69% have cell phones, which exceeds the national average.

Low-Tech Elderly: Making up 16% of the population, more than half (58%) of this group is women and the average age is 73 years. Only 12% use the Internet, 39% have a cell phone, and much of their technology use is oriented to “old” media. Fully 68% subscribe to cable, 57% read the newspaper daily, and 78% watch TV news on the average day.

You’ve been outed: I know that you’ve wanted people to think you are an antisocial geek, but now research of Internet users (and you know how I love research) shows that you actually enjoy interacting with real, live people. Shockingly, you may even have relationships with non-online acquaintances!

Which reminds me of something. At the request of Joi Ito, (who I only know as a regular reader of his weblog, but who, in one of those strange real-live people ways, has a business partner with whom I have a off-line social networking relationship), I participated in a survey of webloggers being conducted by an MIT graduate student.

One of the questions stopped me in my tracks:

Are you surprised when
someone you meet in person says
they have read your blog?

Surprised? I’m flabbergasted. I’m even surprised when a magazine industry person tells me they read my weblog as my “in person” magazine friends tend to be of the “suit” variety and aren’t really into that “whole blogging thing.” What really shocks me, however, is when I’ll be doing one of those “in person” social networking activities like attending church or a Rotary meeting or a kids sporting event and someone will say, “Oh, I read your weblog.” Now, THAT’s creepy.

Magazine blogs: Because the rexblog shows up when someone searches for “weblogs” and “magazines,” I’ve been asked several times if I can provide a list of magazines with “official” or “sanctioned” weblogs. My standard response is, “No, I try not to blog about blogging, but rather focus on important things like whether or not teenage boys like magazines featuring bikini models.” I’m sure there is a list of official magazine blogs somewhere. Any suggestions?

I know that Fast Company got lots of blogosphere PR when they lanched theirs. Today, Rafat Ali of PaidContent.Org points to the blog recently launched by Business 2.0 and wonders if it is the first from a Time Inc. magazine. (I wonder how it got out from behind the cost-walls they’re throwing up.)

Here’s my review of the Business 2.0 weblog: I like its clean design and the intuitive (and minimal) architecture. Their bloggers are great writers but may need to learn (or practice) the art of linking a little more. All in all, a great weblog. Surprisingly, it has no ads, no subscription offers and no hype of any sort. I will hang onto a screen-grab of today’s weblog and compare it to how it looks after the Time Inc. marketing folks discover that it has been launched.