Why "older people"?

We had a BBC Micro Model A when they first appeared in 1981, and have never been without a comoputer since. We had a BBC model B, and later an Archimedes (which is still in the attic) The first ones had no graphics or sophisticated user interface - you used them by typing in commands in the computer language Basic, so you got used to understanding just what you were asking the machine to do. I remember the excitement when the first GUI (Graphic User Interface) came out, it was even greater than the impact that touch screens has had.

But I can understand how people feel who have never come into contact with computers until they reach retirement age or beyond. It is a new world, and there are so many scary stories of crashes and viruses and trolling. It is like learning to drive a car for the first time in your old age! rthere is controlling the thing itself, there is knowing where you are going to and why, and obeying the Highway Code and watching out for all the other traffic on the road.

I found it very hard to persuade my parents to have a computer (ipad). But since they have been online it has made their lives much better and easier. Now in their 90's they have remained fairly independent by using online shopping, banking etc. My experience was that the first hurdle was motivation rather than ability.

I wouldn't have the faintest idea what number to ring for directory enquiries - and I'm sure my older relatives wouldn't either. The really elderly don't tend to need to find a number as they usually have them written down or a family member has programmed numbers into the handset.

Always used one, work and personal stuff. Still use one but I find it's not a matter of 'can't' when something new comes out it's a matter of 'don't want to'. I operate on a need to know basis now, if I don't need it then I don't need to know. Guess that makes me old!

Well the way I see it, if an "older person" can't use a computer, unless they have dementia or a learning disability it's their fault they didn't decide whether to bother to learn or not, no one else's. They've had at least 10 years of the trend to online services to adjust, and it doesn't take 10 years to learn to use it. So why should things be put in place specially to pander to their laziness? Naturally, any person of any age with dementia or learning disabilities should have access to support, so that someone can do their online form filling for them. All the others can just quit moaning and exercise their brain cells.

I only know what I want/need to do and that's good enough for me.

mrsjones and that's good enough for all of us. It means that if you find you need to fill in forms online you'll learn how to fill in forms online, and so on, which to me sounds like a good healthy attitude. You don't sound like the sort of person who will sit there helplessly complaining you don't know something and expecting it to be all changed back to suit what you already know.