SeniorNet.org: Bridging the Gap
by Jeff Mellen
SeniorNet.org, a collaborative education site for seniors, aims to
open the door for seniors to explore all facets of the digital world.
Through its heart-- the SeniorNet RoundTables and associated message
boards on America Online, SeniorNet brings seniors together to teach,
discuss, and debate-- often with great results.
Although there is additional content, such as links to external senior
sites, a collaborative World War II exhibit, and special offers--
most of the content flows through the message boards, especially the
educational content. For example, one of the biggest and best
discussion groups is the Introduction to HTML, in which moderators
and members alike discuss tips and tricks, web page design issues,
and bugs. One of the most pragmatic discussion topics revolves
around AOL problems-- something I can relate to by troubleshooting
with my grandparents' computers. In technical matters, even
in such normally hot-button issues as how to pick a digital camera,
or Linux vs. Mac vs. Windows, the community seems supportive of each
other and generally helpful to each other. I was pleased by
the decorum of the discussion and the friendliness of its users in
this respect.
In addition, there are more general message boards, similar to those
found on WebMD or general chat sites. For example, there is
an extensive discussion folder on health issues, even including a
"Grumbles & Gripes" thread for those musing about their
general aches and pains. In these folders, the SeniorNet moderators,
primary volunteers over 50 themselves, do a great job with advice
and suggesting referrals or solutions. Another board brings
together World War II stories, and is often a place where veterans
attempt to locate other members of their division or find someone
who served in the same post during the war.
Finally, SeniorNet's hundreds of volunteers make their own contributions
to the site, with interviews, general tips & tricks, news postings,
and more. This is where SeniorNet seems a little thin.
The organization has an impressive infrastructure; 39,000 members,
and 210 learning centers across North America. It would be neat
if this community as a whole might be able to construct more collaborative
projects or develop content that has input from many of its users--
the World War II Memories Board is a good example, but it seems a
little light. I know that my grandmother has taken it upon herself,
at her living community, to help others with their problems and encourage
others to use e-mail and the Web. Perhaps it would be a good
idea for SeniorNet to amass strategies for teaching other seniors
how to get started-- how to bridge that critical gap from not being
able to use a computer to using SeniorNet.
But as is, SeniorNet is a great site for seniors to find out more
info about gadgets and computers, to share experiences, to find out
general information, and just to chat. With its learning centers,
it is at the forefront of bridging the narrowing senior digital divide.
Its greatest asset is its people, and this will only get stronger
with time.