Helping a friend get online

[KatieMumsnet]

Just flagging in case any of you haven't seen that Age UK are encouraging us all to take the myfriends online pledge to help an older person get online to discover the social side of the internet. And of course, do let them know about our Gransnet section

I've managed to get my mum on line recently (she's in her late 70s) although she is very apprehensive of the Internet. I struggle with the patience required to show her the same stuff umpteen times. My 6 yr old Ds however has been absolutely fab at helping her!

my mother on line u got no chance lmao,can only just work mobile fone she users pencil to press the answer key

What a great idea MollieO, oh to have the patience of a 6 year old!

My Mum is online, as is my Dad, which is great as we live abroad so they are able to chat on Skype with the DC.

Mum did try out Gransnet for a while but defected to Sagazone. She said that it was a bit busier then Gransnet.

My mum & dad are both online, but although grandparents are both in their mid 60s and so were computer users in their working lives, so it's nothing new to them.

My mum did try getting my grandmother online a few years ago when she was in her late 80s but unfortunately she wasn't interested. A real shame as she was an audio touch typist so should have found the keyboard no problem and could have emailed her cousins in the US. She's not got the manual dexterity or concentration to learn now

Actually, one of her cousins is pushing 90 and regularly sends my mum email updates and photos of her great-grandchildren.

Great idea.

What PC would folks recommend for not-very-confident 65+ers? Didn't Valerie Singleton bring something out? Is it worth it?

My dad got his first computer at the age of 82. His XP computer died recently and and he has really missed it - he is really looking forward to getting his new Windows 7 PC this weekend so he can get back online

He will be 101 in a fortnight.

My mum will be 80 next month - she's been online for about a year and it's great - she's not over competent (hope she's not avidly secretly MNetting!!!) but she can do enough, and she enjoys emails etc. Someone here very kindly sent me a link to a basic tutorial - eg how to use the mouse, how to open links etc, and we worked through it together.

She has a fairly creaky second hand (but good at the time) PC - a Dell I think. Next time I'm there I'm getting the speakers plumbed in, as she's complaining that there's no sound to the vids she wants to see. I think it's great - much better than texting, and we're going to get a Skype camera (if there is such a thing, you know what I mean) so she can chat to DS.

Tigerdriver, can you post that link?

Try this: I'm not good at links (so shouldn't be laughing at Mum's technical skills....)

tech.tln.lib.mi.us/tutor/welcome.htm

It was wubblybubbly who helped me out with that link BTW