tips for helping people to get online?

I went to a Council run Class for Older Computer Learners. I think it might make things a lot easier if the teacher had realised that Computerese is a foreign language to most older people.and also that things like Spread Sheets etc are beyond our necessities and also to explain what a computer is for. Most elderly people regard them as something far too complex and to do with offices and Young People.

There were 8 in my class. One man was still working and so he was pretty keen. Otherwise we were all women who just wantted to pass the time on a Wednesday afternoon. Several of us were deaf (self included) and our Teacher had switched from being a Primary School Teacher to us old folk because she thought we would be `easier`. Poor disillusioned lady.

Yes, I think it iis an excellent idea for those who want to learn (I quit the class and found a private teacher and paid and can now get along) and now love being able to check things out and to communicate wiith people but I very much doubt that it is an`Every Home Should Have One` thing. Only people who actually want one and feel the need to see broader horizons may actually want to learn. I am not against it but neither am I for it!

In reply to getmehrt. A lot of work is going on in my local university to encourage older people to get online. In the longer term they hope to have input into the development of new technology to ensure that that easy accessiblity for older people is inbuilt. Often the technolgy develops without reference to this aspect and so potentially valuable resources are effectively lost. After more research they hope their ideas will be taken on board in industry and will be of benefit in all sorts of practical ways.
I am happy to be taking part in the research as a 63-year-old 'guinea pig'.
Their pool of volunteers includes a very wide range of age and computer literacy.

We've got just the thing here on Gransnet in our Helping others get online feature