It would be great if there was a government run
initiative on TV to help older people use computers.
In addition to that it would be great of young people
who volunteer to and help the oldies set up technology
and teach them to use it properly. it's vital today to
have some technology in everyday life.

If you're not computer literate you are excluded from modern
life and thereby disenfranchised.

When my parents were in their 80s, I decided to teach them how to use email and the fundamentals of Facebook so that they could be more integrated into the goings on of their grandkids and other family members.

But the technology was beyond them. It was alien to their way of thinking and they couldn't absorb it. Whereas I could teach my 2yr old grandson the fundamentals of using a mouse and have him proficient within a few minutes, even after 6 months effort it remained a mystery to my parents.

And not just them. When others in their retirement village heard that I was giving training they formed a study group. Overall we had 15 people join but of that only three 'got it'.

And that was just mouse usage. Typing was another problem entirely, even for those women who'd been pool-typists in their day.

In the end, I reached the conclusion that we needed to by-pass all that technology and move to voice recognition. So I introduced the group to the wonders of Siri and Alexa and taught them how to use voice commands to communicate with the technology and through it with their family. That was far more successful although it still took a long time to get them to ask the technology appropriate questions and frame commands in ways the technology would understand.

Still, it was a partial success.

mhaze,

You did well.

At least you tried.

It is vital to have some technology for everyday life and
it is bad that those big, rich tech giants haven't started
something for older people. I'm still new to a lot of
technology, but I'm not bad.

I still feel that there's fun to be had.

Dear "Indyvidual",

Xi Jinping announced that Hong Kong will be ruled by patriots.

Patriotism means "my country, right or wrong" - especially "wrong".

You seem to attach positive connotations to patriotism, so go for it then, show us your true colours.

Why call yourself "Indyvidual" when you despise individualism, when you believe that everyone alive on this continent should obey your orders, that it is not OK for people to live their lives peacefully without having a relationship with your government?

You believe that it is OK to forcibly take children away from whatever they are happily doing in their lives, instead to suffer for your own purposes: they could perhaps be studying in university, or working in health-care, helping in their parent's business or keeping their farm going, they could be monks and sages silently devoting their life to prayer and meditation, or they could be outstanding musicians with a promising international career, whatever - you feel that it is fine for you and your gang which you call "nation" to trample over them, shatter their lives and send these innocent souls to camps where they are forced to live helplessly among ruffians and punished further for not following your orders. You believe that it is OK to round them up, hunt them down if they try to escape the buses that would take them away, OK even to shoot them if they resist their arrest. OK even to separate young parents from their babies and these babies from their parents... thereby creating a new "lost-generation".

Well China and Russia do all that already, but at least they are honest, at least they don't pretend that it is "for our benefit".

---

Dear Foxy,

«If you're not computer literate you are excluded from modern
life and thereby disenfranchised.»

Indeed, but there are also older people who remember the good days before computers and disagree with their proliferation and usage even while they would technically be able to use them if they wanted.

"Surveys during the Vietnam War on conscription found elderly women were most in favour, followed by elderly men. The least in favour were young men aged 20 or younger. I wonder why."

Yes Paul, that rings true.

As I recall, in the 1966 election, which was effectively a referendum on participating in Vietnam, female support for the coalition was much greater than male support. Indeed, overall males voted for the ALP and therefore against the war while women, overall, voted for the coalition and therefore the war. The coalition won handsomely.

In general, through the 20th century both here and in Britain, women have supported the war party which is less surprising given who actually fights the war.

As you say, those who weren't likely to have to fight supported conscription and the war (at least in 1966, less so in 1969). This included the elderly and women

My bet is that they didn't do any surveys BEFORE that war ! As always, everything is done AFTER with the benefit of hindsight just as it is being done these days !

Why not do a survey NOW & tell them that the War with China is imminent ? My guess is the surveys would drastically differ !