Sr. Citizens: Were you reluctant to use the Internet or did you dive in with both feet?

Question

My more mature friends are really avoiding getting online or doing anything with the Internet...so I was really pleased that we have this section...and do you find that it enhances your life?

Answer 1

I jumped in on Day 1 and never regretted it. When I read "The Internet is like the world's biggest library, just with the books jumbled up and no index" I just knew I had to become involved with it. It certainly has enhanced my life in many ways.



I do have several older friends who will state (with some pride) "Oh no, I have not got a computer and I have no interest in this Internet fad" or some such derogatory comment. I just think "Poor you ! You don't know what you are missing !"

Answer 2

Hello D'jango's Woman,



As a baby boomer I find it great. Its like a coffee house at your neighborhood pub to a certain degree and not only can I have my cheaper beer or wine at home but I can get very sassy or cheeky with people... mind you at a safe distance and not worry about getting a fist in the face or knife through my ribs!



As for diving in I had no choice. Internet communication and computers are the be all and end all in the oil patch where I work and about 20 years back they told a bunch of us to learn this or go the way of the dinosaurs. Good enough incentive for me!



Finally, I can see though how some people are avoiding these social networking sites. There are just too many scammers out there. When nice looking ladies half my age show an interest in my profile it flattering to say the least but then they want you to go on chat or especially get YAHOO messenger there is the red flag I'm afraid. Looks like one will be safer going back and meeting others the old way with introductions, references, smoke signals et al.



Good to see your posts again, Michael.

Answer 3

I was extremely suspicious of the internet when it finally came to my little town. There were several very good reasons that I didn't want to get a computer.



1) No matter what computer people want you to believe, the machines and the systems are badly designed, much too complicated, and NOT user friendly.



2) There is no guarantee of privacy, either from overzealous government snoops, or from outlaw hackers. If anyone ever wants to find out whether you have ever visited the "Biker Beach Mamas in Wet T-Shirts" website--or whatever--they WILL be able to find out. And tell everyone.



3) I was worried that some virus would wreck my equipment and destroy my files.



So for years I only used the computers at the public library. Then, when I finally felt that I was competent enough to have my own machine, I bought a very nice one. Big investment. And within months, my worst fears came true. Well, I wasn't hacked. And my taste in low-brow eroticism wasn't outed. But my equipment and files WERE hit with a virus, which was so bad that it destroyed everything. The nice expensive machine was unsalvageable, and a substantial amount of my writing was gone forever.



It took me years to recover from the emotional trauma of that episode. And really the only reason that I feel confident around computers again is that I now have a "cloud back-up" service from a reliable provider, which I have tested repeatedly and found works like a charm.



But considering all the maddening frustration of keeping up with this technology, and also considering the highly addictive nature of certain really, really dumb websites (I'm not mentioning any in particular), I actually think the internet may be more trouble for me than it's worth.



I'm so pleased to learn that the NUMBER FOUR Y/A MEMBER IN THE WORLD (see "NOSTRADUMBASS": above) agrees with me!



EDIT: Can't resist mentioning this: I am now "BLOCKED" from answering questions from no less than THREE Yahoo Seniors little-old-lady regulars, ALL of whom have asked questions in the past couple of days on the same whining theme: i.e. "What's WRONG with our beloved Seniors category???" There you have it. The crabby little ladies should maybe have a look in the mirror.

Answer 4

I was eager to jump in, took a course on how to use HTML and a BASIC course (lot of good that did me) because back then a lot of the computer/ internet you had to write in HTML and BASIC. It was a simpler time, not so much advertising and spam and all that. Yahoo didn't have YA yet. There were lots of "news" groups. And I don't think you could buy things off the web yet, they had some websites but not a secure means of paying (and businesses hadn't organized how to get the goods out regularly and all that yet). For some reason, I thought the very air outside was just a little less crowded. I must admit that I feel in love with computers the first time I played with one (you needed floppy diskettes to boot it up and there was some REAL limited amount of memory but I love it).

Answer 5

My children were the first to use it and could not wait. I was reluctant for a long time believing it to be something which would cause more harm than good. I still actually believe that it can cause a great deal of harm but accept that this is no reason for me not to use it. If others choose to MISuse it that is their choice.



I have been using it for 7 years so was 63 when one of my children first showed me what to do. My grandchildren have grown up not knowing life without it and do incredible things via the internet. I restrict my use to mainly emailing, Google, Amazon and Yahoo Answers.

Answer 6

I waded in.

Late '98 or early '99 I started with a Microsoft Web-tv box. Just a netsurfing box, connected to TV. All I (thought) I wanted was the printing capabilities to print the next days' dog racing programs, saving a trip to the newstand in the 'hood.



Didn't take me long to discover multitudes of other things I'd want a real computer for. Within a few months I bought a pre-owned Dell bizz pc from a Dell tech on eBay. Today I have a new laptop, plus a 3-year old Dell bizz-grade laptop, plus an older desktop.



It's been a real time saver, plus it's enhanced my life in so many ways; I'm so much smarter, younger-looking, handsomer, soon-to-be richer, (my internet psychic sez to get ready to win the lotto)

Answer 7

yeah it enhances my life some, it is like eating an apple you cant take one bite, I am sorry I took the first bite, (I use it to communicate with people I know) I think if those people were not in my life I would not use the internet. although it is a fabulous tool I am too old to mess with it properly I don't have the patience to learn about it.



I learned to type before it was around and that is what I use it for, it is one of the greatest inventions you have a nice day be blessed be well be lucky

Answer 8

I did not care about the internet when it first came out in the mid 1980 s.

In the 1990s when I were in college is when I learned to use the computer and were amazed at how much information I could learn or research on the computer'

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In the year 2009 is when I really learn to interconnect with friends and family as well as learn foreign languages and use other amazing websites and search engines.

Answer 9

I was around 55 when I began using the computer, got into the chatrooms and they thought I was 28 so got bullied a lot. everyone in my profession had a computer at home, I couldn't afford one, but I did get on-the-job training for several word processors so that helped some. I was unable to get anyone to explain about the computer (where is what or let me sit down at theirs and couldn't afford my own). Up north had no computers on the job at all, but the south was already using lots of computers so I was stuck and had to teach myself, lots of mistakes, lots of viruses and a few trojans I had to get rid of, lost lots of pictures (cd didn't hold that much), lots of mean people in emails (cause they didn't know how to use it), lots of frustration, I put up 5 websites and all the programs were closed down so I lost them all but one, then someone stole my domain name, and I've heard a lot of bad words on here, ebay was suky, but wikipedia was great, YA was great (that's why I'm still here), ancestry.com and familysearch.org were great, the zynga games were great. So due to all the time and frustration it took to get and keep something I'd say it didn't enhance my life. Today there is skype though and if you have distant family (and you buy the equipment and have someone set it up for you) then you can talk to family and see family, and maybe even talk to your doctor on the net, so those may be helpful to your friends.

Answer 10

No, I worked on computer since the late 60's on various brands. Since the internet didn't come out in our area until the mid 80's I was ready to learn something new. The only think that I did not like was how they have to change things around just about every year. Once you learn something new they start something else up!

Answer 11

Dove in. With a commodore 64 computer and K Mart's Blue Light free internet service.

Answer 12

I was doing tech support when I was told to access the company email and I got access to the internet. We paid by the minute so I really couldn't use it much and I was at work. I mostly was using a 2400 baud modem because it was more reliable than the 9600 baud. I was an expert in VMS and I believe I used VMS to access the internet. I was using programs like PC anywhere logging on to company computers all over the country so the internet didn't seem strange.



I didn't get dial up internet at home until 1997 when AOL had a monthly charge instead of by the minute. I jumped in with both feet and was soon a message board monitor on a couple of message boards and loved chatrooms.



My nephew was using a commador 64 to access bulitin boards but I waited to get a computer until they were faster since I was a system manager on a UNIX system and knew I would hate a commador 64. I avoided buying a computer until they had 386 but by then was using a 286 at work in a CPA firm.



Now retired I use it all the time mostly games, message boards and Facebook but research and shopping too. Today I used it to remember a name of a governor, research security cameras, played games, found the hours and wait time for the emission place and found one of my great nephews landed a new job and was promoted to Private first class and learned to make strawberry margarita jello shots on facebook. I also found out I can't renew my drivers license on line since I did last time and bought license tabs for my truck and my boat trailer.



I am lost without instant access in information and entertainment. Yesterday I learned everything I ever wanted to know about Nutria since we have some in our river according to the neighbor they aren't muskrats like we thought. Today I read the names of all the governors we ever had and read about one who was voted out then won the office back 4 years later in 1946.



I also use Facebook to keep in touch with all my nieces, nephews and their children, two great nieces got yellow belts yesterday, they are more than 3000 miles away so if I didn't seem them on facebook I wouldn't know them at all.

Answer 13

I dove in with both feet. I went to college much later in life and computers were just becoming popular and easy to use. I so wish I had had a lap top to take notes for those classes instead of having to write them all out by hand and all those papers...it would have been so much easier to have a computer to edit papers.

Answer 14

I have used office machines since I was 18, but I saw no real reason to get a computer. Then someone gave me an old one for free. After amusing myself with games, I decided to connect to the net after much nagging from my nephew. I love it.

After getting myself in trouble a few times, I've learned how to handle viruses and such myself.



Someone on here needs to look in the mirror about chronic complaining. And no, I didn't block.....yet. I don't need that kind of negativity in my questions, either.

Answer 15

Not at all! My first DOS class was 22 years ago, my first graphics class was 20 years ago. But I was a printer so it was easy for me to do adapt to something technical just difficult to adjust to the virtual world. I have to say, it felt very unnatural looking at a computer screen in DOS before Windows came out in 1995. I took a class in internet marketing about 15 years ago. I have since switched to a Linux O.S. If I crash it restores itself to the same settings and desktop. It is a wonderful open source system. I never had a job where I used a computer, so getting practice every day would have helped to become more proficient with business applications like Excel and Word, which I had to take classes in. Excel was very difficult and boring.



Old School Hero: What do you sell?

Answer 16

I'm not *Quite* a senior yet, but yes, I had no interest in computers or the internet at all until I was 48 and got enticed by my sister to play around on her computer - mostly playing inane games.

I find it both a source of pleasure now, but an excuse for procrastinating and wasting time with several silly, frivolous pursuits.

I am, as I speak, playing poker for FAKE money, and answering questions on Y!A for utterly useless points.

My status as # 4 Y!A member in the world baffles my friends and family - as in, what's the point?

While computers and the internet have many valid uses, I seldom avail myself of them..

Answer 17

I got tired of going to the library every time I wanted to use the internet, so when we were finally able to get a home connection, I not only dove in, but cannonballed it. It is the most valuable tool I have ever owned.

Answer 18

Sure. I took classes in college and technical college to learn more. Dove in with both feet long ago, before the internet had pictures.

Answer 19

I jumped in full force, running. I have used computers since the early '70's. I was helping networking them in the late'70's, so we had an internal net. Like YGG said, things changed a lot in the earlier years, and we had to learn some things over.

Answer 20

My three children helped me get comfortable and were available (and still are) to help whenever I get stuck. The first time I got on and hit a wrong button, I thought I had ordered something that I didn't want. My kids assured me it was a lot more to ordering than that. Also, those pop-ups use to scare me to death! I still have so much to learn, but I enjoy it.

Answer 21

When my daughter got her first computer, I never even knew where to turn it on. I am illiterate with any fangdangle thing. Any thing I know, learned from her and know only very basics... she is a whiz and does amazing stuff that boggles my mind, I don't even try. Coming here, with you fine people and youtube and stuff is good enough for me. My hubby surprised me with a convectional oven that could bake and microwave, hated it, never could figure it out, still don't know how to take pictures on a phone either.

Answer 22

I was scared of it, I had email accounts, but under false names. I'll never forget how shocked I was when I first went to facebook and was asked for my real name! Holy cow! lol And yet, I love fb, it allows me to keep up with family and friends who are far away. And nothing bad has happened to me so far from posting my real name there. Although I still refuse to post my birthday or other stats, and I don't post pix of my grandchildren. Probably silly but oh well.

Answer 23

I just got it and started using it. Still don't know how to use it to the fullest, but keep trying. I wanted to get rid of it once, but the wife said I shouldn't. She doesn't use it. I can't say that it has enhanced my life though.

Answer 24

I was not sure about it back in 97 but my Niece brought me up to speed and took me into the chat rooms. But after 2000 I never went into a chat room again.



Best decision I have ever made.



Now I just come on the answer boards it is safer.



watch out for the trolls on this answer category the trolls report everyone

Answer 25

I dove in once past dial-up. I always warned my kids about chatting with strangers ... then when I did it they were shocked. I now have some of the best friends in the world right at my fingertips! They have helped me with any problems I have encountered ... web friends are awesome!

Answer 26

I've been on the internet for about 20 years now.

I find that YA is very addicting and it disturbs me that I'm hooked! When i'm bored or lonely, I'm on it which you can see by the points I have, is a LOT. :-)

I also discovered a mahjong game on the computer and now i'm hooked on that.

Answer 27

Love the internet. Keeps us in touch instantly with family and friends. Got a question?.....here's the answer....just like that!

Answer 28

After a lot of cajoling and assurance that I couldn't launch anything untoward I decided to give it a go.

With a lot of help from eldest son I've managed to come this far without doing any damage....yet.

Answer 29

I am going to be 65 and I jumped in the internet as soon as I could get it available.

Answer 30

Reluctant. I still don't know how to do basic stuff like "cut and paste."

I do like YA and usually check in with the Seniors first. I find I have more in common with you folks.

Answer 31

I dove into it headlong in ... ummm, around 1994 or 5. Now I'm retired, and making more money from my website than ever before in my life.

Answer 32

it took me a little bit of time to jump in just like it does the cold lake water.



I learn a lot here and I value the answers I get when I ask a question.

Answer 33

I dove in with both feet, I am never reluctant to use anything for the first time.

Answer 34

I dove in. My brother took me to a place where they made computers and we order me one. Then he helped for a bit and I was on my way.

Answer 35

Dove in with both hands and my brain,toes too short and feet can be stinky.

Answer 36

I just jumped in but quickly learned not to accept email from people I don,t know.

Answer 37

I pretty much dove into it with no reservations and without hesitation .



So far, I can't say I'm sorry I did so .

Answer 38

I didn't dive in, I went in at the speed of a laser.

Answer 39

It was introduced at my place of employment so it wasn't a big deal.

Answer 40

I dove right in.

Answer 41

I dove right in.