At our local public library we have banks of computers and most of them are being used by older people. Most of them are women, some men. Every now and then I bring my computer because they have free wireless and there are many older people with their laptops, many use gmail or yahoo accounts to go online for free. I do it so I'm right there with the books and I prefer to have a real book than to read it on a screen.
V
Under those circumstances, my parents would be battening down the hatches, bringing all the plants and yard furniture in from the yard, putting plywood over the windows, not sitting in front of the computer arguing that the statistic "22% of seniors are online" means "a vast majority of seniors are online".
I knew that I had seen statistics somewhere, but didn't offer any exact numbers, other than "Statistically, over-65s are LEAST likely to have computers, or want one". You went looking for statistics, found 22%, and now don't like the number that you yourself threw into the debate because it supports my statement that the over-65 age group is "LEAST likely" to be online.
You don't like the statistic, you go argue with the NYT and the researchers who published it. I loooooove the statistic you provided because it proves that I'm right. It is absolutely on target with my personal observations that only 1-in-5 seniors are online. (OK, my small sample is 20% online, their larger sample is 22%, but most polls have a 2-3% margin of error.)
Just back down, Lucille, and admit that your own statistic proves your observations are atypical and my observations are more the norm. Or, having put the statement out there, can you now not accept any statistic, including your own, that doesn't agree with what you want it to be?
Ours seem to be mostly used by youth and young adults, not that I've done a proper survey.
I'm baffled by the turn that this debate has taken - the only actual data (as opposed to anecdotes) that has been posted shows that overall, computer use by the 65+ age group tends to be in the 20-30% range, although it is rising. Clearly, some people belong to groups in which there is a much higher rate of computer usage among that age group (which is really not surprising, since we are discussing this using computers, so by definition all of us are computer users, and people often associate with others of similar interests). Somehow, this has morphed into some kind of morality test, with all kinds of accusations and insults being tossed around about people based on their computer use/non-use.
Of course, this is Usenet, so perhaps I shouldn't have been as baffled as all this. I do still find it a bit surprising to discover that a perfectly reasonable statment that some people (or even some elderly people) don't use computers should be fighting words, even among a bunch of computer users.
Cheryl
Don't feel too bad about that. I've been an active part of this mess and I too have lost the plot. lol
p.s. My first computer was an IBM pc with a 64k hard drive and a 4" floppy disk. That was way back when there wasn't even an internet for me, I think around 1990. Wow, that was a long time ago, wasn't it?
That's why I conceded defeat. It started to sound like gibberish to me.
Karen, I already said that article was from 2004 and not really up to date. I'm tired of arguing with a bullheaded person like you. Give it up. If you're waiting for me to say I was wrong, don't hold your breath because I'm still not convinced I am wrong. Nor have I read anything that convinces me that someone else is right so we seem to be arguing over nothing.
Your mother and father are wonderful and I'm delighted that they're happy nurturing their plants and eating out. Great for them and even better for you because you can be assured that their world is fine and you can relax a little and not worry. They're lucky that they have each other to entertain themselves and I hope it remains that way forever. If your aunt is happy going to the VA and that keeps her busy, wonderful for her too.
We all choose who we want to be with and how we want to spend our time.
There's also the fact that most of us we don't post our private lives and health the way you do and you know nothing about me or how I live.
Amen to that.
I left law school a few weeks before the computer research stuff was up and running, so I hadn't learned to use it, and had always maintained that I didn't need it. My last boss undertook to teach me, and I said I could find it faster manually. He laughed -- there was a flight of stairs between me and the library -- you're on.
Since the computer with the modem was only turned on when we needed to do online research, I suggested an equal starting point would be the steps each of us would take after he said "I need to find...", i.e., he'd have to walk over and boot up the computer. OK, later that day, he found something he needed to look up, and the race was on. I called him from the library with the exact quote while he was looking at 2468 results and wondering what added search term would narrow it down to a number he could actually stand to look through.
A few weeks later, he had a question about a Will. Um, the human beings who did the legal indexes differentiate between the "Will" you probate and the verb "will" ... the computer program did not. He got
1,234,567,890 results -- essentially every case ever published -- I was back in 5 minutes, having spent most of that time making photocopies of the 3 cases that were really what he needed. Could've been back faster if I'd felt like filling in check-out slips and lugging the 3 books up the stairs.Westlaw has its uses, like when you're in a hotel room at midnight and there's no law library available, but under normal law office working conditions where the library is right there, I still say the books are more efficient.
Plus, you can never take a computer/eBook into the bathtub to read!
Oh for f^^^ks sake ! What makes you think we sit in front of a computer wishing for companionship ? Are you judging us by yourself? I have more than enough real people to talk on, online and off.
What you seemingly do not understand is we do those things too!
Because that is what you suggested she had to do, appts. doctors, gardening, housework argggghhhh!
When I looked at the info for webkinz.com, a substantial chunk of their traffic came from major cities (20.7 percent from NYC, LA, Boston, Philly, Chicago and Washington). That seems to be a fair chunk from top urban areas.
Best wishes, Ericka
Lol our first computer was a Commodore 64 - recently one of my USB memory sticks was lying on the desk and as I looked at it I suddenly realized it had a 2gb memory, light years more than the big ole Commodore, and was cigarette sized.
lol, it ain't easy being green !
I am not namecalling or insulting anyone that I know of. The public library where we live does not allow anyone under the age of 17 to use the computers which have Internet access without an adult. Then again, when I go to the library it is usually during the week during the day when many kids are still in school. Fortunately, we have an old fashioned library where the adult section is upstairs and is a silent room. You can hear a pin drop and if that is breeched, the person is asked to leave or go to the lower level where the childrens library is.
I think tensions may be high due in part to the impending Cat One looming. Everyone calm the F down! That's an order LOL.
Too true because although my stats might be anecdotal, the bridge club is a hell of a whack of onliners all in one place and growing.
Where's our Joan !
Yes, it was a long time ago. I was online since '87. I have a Tandy with a floppy drive, no hard drive. Prodigy was the first bulletin board which looked good to the eye, but there was online chat earlier than that. Genie was a text only chatline.
V
I shall try and summon the energy (I've had a busy day) to search out the stats for CAP sites in NS. That was the idea that the government should provide easy, online access for all at centre points. Mostly so kids who did not have the benefit of a computer at home could access but I know (from the Terence Bay one) that it proved to be the great pot for seniors. Much to their surprise perhaps.
You're old, you doddering old senior with so little to do you squander your life away on the computer looking for friends. I was horrified recently to find my first post to a group (not this one) was way back in 1998.
Perhaps the difference for me is that I hate television so I use the computer in place of television. I really see nothing wrong with that.
No, but I do take my computer in there to listen to Dharma (Buddhist studies) or watch a good movie while I soak.
Since I can't see anything any more without glasses and since my bath is so hot it melts my flesh off rendering the glasses fogged up, I now just listen to Dharma or watch a good, shmoozy movie.
V
This is true and personally, I have the greatest admiration for Lucille, a true conqueror !
Mark and I are NASA and Space buffs and the first computer they had at NASA took up an entire room and couldn't store 1/1000th of what my current computer can do!
Hahaha, I sing that song to Mika Bird Johnson all the time. She loves Kermit's voice.
It's not that easy being green Having to spend each day the color of the leaves When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold Or something much more colorful like that
It's not easy being green It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water Or stars in the sky
But green's the color of Spring And green can be cool and friendly-like And green can be big like an ocean, or important Like a mountain, or tall like a tree
When green is all there is to be It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful And I think it's what I want to be
And, Mika is green! A cute, little, snoopy, shmoopy sweet little birdie girl!
You're not in court, you're in a social group and as much as you'd like to control the rest of us, you can't.
Elizabeth
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