Older Web Surfers Are Finding A Vital New Life Online

[John Walker <jwalker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Web Ain't Just For Kids Any more
Older Web Surfers Are Finding A Vital New Life Online

Links at end of article.

http://www3.zdnet.com/yil/content/mag/9708/furlong.html
by Elisabeth Holzer

While demographers and gerontologists battle to decide whether the sun
belt or the big city is the best place to nest, many older Americans
are finding that the Net is a place where they can find a friendly
home. Even the hipsters at HotWired have taken notice. Netizen Jon
Katz wrote, "Invisible to the mainstream media and often written off
by the rest of society, the elderly are pouring online to create one
of the most powerful groups yet seen in this ostensibly youth-oriented
medium."=20

It's true: Web users are older than you might think. Georgia Tech's
Graphics, Visualization & Usability Center sees the age of the average
(international) user increasing in each of its surveys; the latest
average age is 33. FIND/SVP has an average age of 36.5 for U.S.
surfers. And look at the breakdown: According to the Baruch
College-Harris Poll (1997), 45 percent of those now surfing the Web
are over 40. In fact, 19 percent of them are 50 and over.=20

Who are these people? Well, from what we have seen, they are hardly
the stereotypical retirees sitting around baking cookies and waiting
for their tee time. Take MargieLyn, who has written children's
stories and would like to see them published, or KennyBoy, who wants
to learn how to program Macs.=20

Full-bodied meeting places for this crowd are proliferating rapidly,
from SeniorCom to SeniorNet, which both feature active chats and
message boards as well as news, site reviews, and lots of articles and
advice on understanding and navigating legal, financial, and medical
issues. Those looking primarily for chat can head for Sixty + and
65plus, whose members schedule real-time get-togethers.=20

The latest debut is ThirdAge.com, founded by Mary Furlong
(mary@xxxxxxxxxxxx). Last time we checked in with her, ("Seniors Got
It Going On," Oct. '96), she had just left SeniorNet-which she also
founded-and its AOL forum with 100,000-plus monthly visitors. Inspired
by the times she spent hanging around her grandmother's porch as a
steady stream of neighbors and friends dropped by and talked about
their lives, she has created an environment that goes well beyond chat
rooms-ThirdAge is a valuable exchange of thoughts and feelings of
particular interest to mature Americans. "ThirdAge grew out of the
technical and social experimentation of SeniorNet, but the focus and
the sense of place is very different," she says. "ThirdAge is
attracting younger users, and we're providing much more content and
context for advice, experts, and information than SeniorNet ever
did." She considers ThirdAge "a 'front porch' where we can meet and
chat, share and connect."=20

On a recent Saturday night at the ThirdAge Caf=E9, everyone had
something on his or her mind in the midst of rapid-fire jawboning. So
far, the Caf=E9 feels very much like forums on The Well: users are
breezy and familiar with each other, and are willing to discuss very
personal matters at great length. There is casual chatter, too: BobO
was hitting a brick wall in his search for an old Army buddy, while
JoanM wanted to talk about the Paula Jones scandal. It was hard to get
a word in edgewise, but participants say the conversation is always
friendly.=20

ThirdAge is calling itself "the Web for grown-ups" (though a contest
among users ultimately will determine its official tagline), and it
includes site reviews-but the main focus is on building community. All
content is based around interests such as travel, health, and
grandparenting. Visit the Healthy Living area, for example, to find an
article on the best way to select an age-savvy doctor, and find
threaded forum discussions. If the forums don't uncover any
interesting characters, search the membership pages. From a form on
the site, users can create their own "personal portraits"-home pages
that detail their dreams, aspirations, passions, pet peeves, and
e-mail address. Sort of a built-in introduction service.=20

Sprinkled throughout the site are the seeds of contentious debate.
One poll asked what folks think of "granddad dads" like Tony Randall,
who become fathers past 60. (Early results said that some things are
better left for the young.) Another is calling for a vote on the
sexiest actor/actress. (Early winners: Sophia Loren and Harrison
Ford.)=20

Registration is free, and unlike the majority of today's
name-and-address-collecting Web sites, ThirdAge offers actual
benefits. Members are offered discounts and special offers on products
and services from companies such as INVESTools, Match.com, and Virtual
Vineyards.=20

Incredibly useful sites aside, is there a better use for the Web than
creating sites that feel like home? Says Furlong, "My biggest dream
for ThirdAge is that it becomes a place people drop in every day for a
sense of serendipity, fun, and attitude. And because it will help them
live smarter."=20

Links:

Age of Reason: http://www.ageofreason.com

The Resource Directory for Older People:
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa/resource.html

SeniorLaw: http://www.seniorlaw.com

Seniors-Site: http://seniors-site.com/home/sitemap.html

Social Security Administration: http://www.ssa.gov

Widow Net: http://www.fortnet.org/WidowNet

SeniorCom: http://www.senior.com

SeniorNet: http://www.seniornet.org

Sixty +:
http://pages.wbs.net/webchat3.so?cmd=3Dcmd_doorway:sixty_plus_chat

65plus: http://www.fyi.net/~goldngal/65plushp.htm

ThirdAge.com: http://www.thirdage.com

INVESTools: http://www.investools.com

Match.com: http://www.match.com

Virtual Vineyards: http://www.virtualvin.com

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_/                                                        _/
_/        John S. Walker                                  _/
_/        Publisher, CSS Internet News (tm)               _/
_/        (Internet Training and Research)                _/
_/        PO Box 57247, Jackson Stn.,                     _/
_/        Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8P 4X1              _/
_/  Email jwalker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx                          _/
_/                                                        _/
_/        "To Teach is to touch a life forever"           _/
_/         On the Web one touch can reach so far!         _/
_/                                                        _/
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