Seniors and the Internet
Charlotte County is
unique in many ways, one being the relatively high
number of retired and elderly citizens. Ready for a surprise?
According to the consulting firm, Agelight, more than 23 percent of
people ages 60 to 69 already own a computer! Another source states
that more than 22 percent of adults over 50 are online.
Why?
Because e-mail is a great way to communicate! It is faster than
letters and cards, and a lot cheaper than the telephone. If you have
local Internet access, and most users in Charlotte County now have
toll-free access, the "calls" are free, the charge being
the monthly service fee to access the Internet.
With
both speed and cost advantage, hunt and peck typing at the keyboard
becomes meaningless. Sometimes it takes a while to find all the right
keys, but most e-mailers don't check each others messages for
spelling or grammar. Chatting with old friends and family up north
now becomes almost a daily ritual for some.
Many retirees do well
from old skills at keyboards, while newcomers try to master the
keyboard and mouse as well. In fact. several PC vendors are now
including "one button" Internet access keys as special
buttons, right on the keyboard. Of course, the
initial expense for a PC has usually been a lot of money for most
retirees. However, the price of PCs has come
down drastically in the last few years. Several Internet companies
have bundled the now famous "$400 rebate" if you'll sign up
with their Internet service for three years.
Even
without the rebate, the average PC for Internet use is well within
the budget of most people. And where do you learn to “drive”
your new PC? There are many sources available in Charlotte County
for the new PC and Internet user. There are computer classes taught
at the Charlotte County Cultural Center, (941) 625-4175. Charlotte
Vo-Tech, (941) 255-7500 or
www.ccps.k12.fl.us/TechCenter/TechCenter.htm and
the Charlotte County Public Schools Community Education Program at
the Port Charlotte Town Center, (941) 255-7430, that are excellent
for newcomers and experienced users alike.
More surprises? How about
Web sites for seniors? Try the Senior Net at:
http://www.seniornet.com or http://www.thegeezerbrigade.com. both are
excellent sites with different approaches to seniors on the Internet.
There are many sites geared for the retiree and senior citizen'
alike.
Another one is
http://www.go60.com, Helping Seniors
Improve With Age.
More than just e-mail,
Internet users become more and more accustomed to what the Internet
can do.
Charlotte
County is on the Internet. with many government agencies on line with
up-to-date, modem Web sites. There are people who check the online
tax records daily, just to search for information on lots and
properties: http://www.cctaxcol.com/record.asp is the address for tax
record searches, if you, too, are interested.
George
Mindling
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