The Next 50 Years
By Jessica Scott
Next50 is a portal site for senior citizens. The site itself contains
very little content, but it is a good place for seniors to get started
on the web. Much like any portal site, there are several different
topics to choose from, such as traveling, health care, technology
and retirement. The key here is that they are all targeted at those
over fifty. For instance, the technology section focuses on understanding
technology, and learning to use computers, which is a very important
issue for many seniors.
There are links to many outside pages, many of them community web
sites, which also appears to be an important issue for seniors. Also,
there is a section about relationships, which contains links to romance
advice rather than trying to hook people up, which seems to be the
main function of the community sites.
In addition to the portal, Next50 offers other services as well.
They are an Internet service provider, so they can take care of Internet
access for seniors as well. They also offer free email and personalized
start pages.
All in all, however, there isn't much that separates this site from
your average portal site. There isn't much in the way of original
contact, and the site also uses some annoying javascript pop-ups which
might make it harder for seniors to navigate.