This post is for her.
Mom says, "I don’t think there are too many [senior citizens] out there who are 'hip' to the wide range of fabulous things you can do on a computer."
Perhaps not too many, but there are some. I conducted a universal blog search, knowing if I could find one good blog by an older person, all I would have to do is scan the blogroll to find more. (Rule #1 for blog newbies: start small, scan blogrolls, and slowly build out your network. A "blogroll" is simply a list of favorite blogs, typically located in a sidebar.)
As I suspected, there are some "hip" seniors out there:
- "Elderblogger" Ronni Bennett is a retired news producer who now writes the nationally recognized Time Goes By blog about all things related to aging.
- On Bennett's blogroll I found My Mom's Blog, the virtual home of "Thoroughly Modern" Millie
GardnerGarfield, one of the oldest blog authors in the United States. My Mom's Blog is a repository of remembrances and reflections with occasional discussion about the impact of technology on life, written from the distinct vantage point of an octogenarian. In her Oct. 20 post, for example, she ponders Communication Yesterday and Today. As a public service (of sorts) Millie and her videographer son have archived a collection of I Can't Open It home videos, billed as "ethnographic research into the problematic design of consumer products from an elder video blogger's point of view." Delightful. - How do I trust Millie
Gardner'sGarfield's claim to be one of the oldest blog authors in the United States? Well, her blog links to The Ageless Project, a fascinating site that aims to prove the diversity and agelessness of the social and participatory web. From the home page: "If you have a personal, non-commercial website (that's original) and don't mind sharing your date of birth, you might help us prove the point." Anyone may submit their site to be considered for inclusion. - For more ideas about seniors and the blogosphere, read Senior citizen bloggers defy stereotypes from USA Today. The article quotes the Oldest Living Blogger as well as
GardnerGarfield and Joe Jennett, creator of the Ageless Project.
To sum up, this week I welcome Millie
Millie is "82 years young," and Arthus (a pseudonym) is a 14-year-old in New England who is making a splash in edtech circles with his blog, Newly Ancient.
The Internet is truly ageless. What do you think?
Well this is great news. As i said in my last response I know there are "elder statesmen(women) out there who are "hip" to today's blog and computer world. I really think that the computer is ageless and gender defying. However, I think you will also find that not as many seniors know how to tap into all its potentials as those who are younger. I am looking forward to checking out these sites. If I sounded curmudgenoly perhaps I was playing the devil's advocate (without knowing it) because now we know there are older folks out there who are keyed into the endless wonders of this cyber world. Thank you for discovering this information.
ReplyDeleteThis is an added response to my last response. I just checked out Millie's site and will go back and read it more carefully later. It occured to me while browsing it that all of the seniors I know, and I know a lot being in that age bracket (and living in a town that has a lot of seniors), are so darn busy with volunteer work, book discussion groups, working full or part-time, working out at the gym, taking trips, going to classes, belonging to various social clubs, involved in various charitable organizations and community activism that they don't have time to spend on the computer except to get messages and pass messages, etc. It also occurred to me that many seniors don't own a computer. I also know five that don't have internet capability because they consider it frivolous and a waste of time, or an "invasion of privacy" to quote one friend. For them the computer is strictly a tool to write letters and in one case run their accounting business.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great big plug for my blog. I love doing it and get a great of satisfaction from feed back like what I got from you.
ReplyDeleteJust one thing, my last name is "Garfield" like the cat.
Once your mom starts reading blogs like Ronni Bennett's "Times Goes By" she could get hooked!! And reading mine too, she could have some interesting reads!!
Thanks again.
Millie,
ReplyDeleteSo glad you stopped by! In my rush to counter my mother's apprehension about the relevance of blogs to the senior community, I got your name wrong. My apologies! At least the link to your blog works! I hope it generates some hits for you and perhaps some new followers. I know I'll be peeking in on occasion, as you are now in my aggregator.
Thanks again for the heads up on your correct name.
There will always appear to be fewer seniors using the net than there actually are. Many of us don't spend our time reminiscing or talking about our health or aging, or acting in ways that alert other to our age. I recently started a blog called Seniors on the Net, but most of my participation on the net has nothing to do with age. I've been blogging for over a year about giftedness and I'm currently building a website to expand that topic. I'm an active netizen, but I doubt that many of the people I come into contact with have any idea that I'm a senior citizen.
ReplyDeleteThis won't even be a subject for discussion in a few years. Eventually, computers and the net will be a part of everyone's lives, regardless of age.