Here you go: this is what was in The Times. It was attached to a rather nice interview with Martha Lane-Fox:
How to start silver surfing, by Geraldine Bedell, Gransnet editor
1 Ask someone over 50 to show you around the internet. Young people are fantastic teachers but sometimes they go too fast for beginners — the time to learn from hotshot youngsters is when you’re a digital native too and can work out why they’re pressing all those keys so quickly.
2 Try a tablet rather than a laptop or desktop computer. Tablets run apps (don’t worry: just a name for a type of software) that are often easier to use than the operating systems of computers. You can have one for the weather, another for when the next bus is due, another for listening to radio on the move. The list of things apps can do is nearly endless and an enormous number are free.
3 Make friends with someone who knows what’s fun and interesting on the internet and can tell you, for example, not only why you should be on Twitter but little tricks for how to get the most out of it.
4 Think about what you’re passionate about and explore it online. The internet is for anyone who has an interest in anything at all. The fact you’ve managed without it so far isn’t a reason not to get online — we once managed without books and television.
5 Don’t think for a minute that being online will make you isolated. The chances are you’ll find a whole variety of new ways to talk to people you already know.
6 Don’t worry too much about fraud and scams — these days it’s unlikely to be a problem, especially if you exercise the same caution you would at a cashpoint, for example.
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