Comments on: “I’m 70… I’m not interested in whatever.com.” http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/ curious by nature, journalist by trade Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:35:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Meranda http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/#comment-697 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:25:32 +0000 http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/#comment-697 Howard — I don't disagree with you at all. My grandparents are 80 and 85. They own a computer and use it to access the Internet, send e-mail and get photos of their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids who are spread out from sea to sea. (Granted they use dial-up, but they also don't pay for cable or use the net enough to warrant high speed prices.) I've never talked to them about their news consuming habits except to hear everytime I stop by what shambles the Beacon is in, how it's not what it used to be and how I should go save it. But I digress. Judging by the stacks of newspapers always on their table and the half-dozen magazine subscriptions that bear my grandma's name, I'd say they're still pretty much on the print side. That is expected. Still, they "get it" and realize that it's not about them. It's not that I think the woman wanted to punish everyone else, and it's not like it matters if she did — she's holding staunchly to the losing side. She knew her complaint was essentially like, I don't know, peeing in the ocean. I just thought it was an interesting counter-argument I'd never come across or thought about before. Howard —
I don’t disagree with you at all. My grandparents are 80 and 85. They own a computer and use it to access the Internet, send e-mail and get photos of their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids who are spread out from sea to sea. (Granted they use dial-up, but they also don’t pay for cable or use the net enough to warrant high speed prices.) I’ve never talked to them about their news consuming habits except to hear everytime I stop by what shambles the Beacon is in, how it’s not what it used to be and how I should go save it. But I digress. Judging by the stacks of newspapers always on their table and the half-dozen magazine subscriptions that bear my grandma’s name, I’d say they’re still pretty much on the print side. That is expected. Still, they “get it” and realize that it’s not about them. It’s not that I think the woman wanted to punish everyone else, and it’s not like it matters if she did — she’s holding staunchly to the losing side. She knew her complaint was essentially like, I don’t know, peeing in the ocean. I just thought it was an interesting counter-argument I’d never come across or thought about before.

]]> by: Dana http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/#comment-696 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:15:37 +0000 http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/#comment-696 As you said, it's supplemental--at least for now. This woman probably wouldn't understand, but the print edition can't have interactive maps and video clips and online polls and room for additional photos. If the 70-year-old woman is not interested in these things, than she isn't on the losing side of anything. She still gets her newspaper, and as you pointed out, more news than before. She'd have a point if you were taking away her newspaper in favor of the Web. But because she doesn't own a computer and doesn't WANT a computer she wants others to not want one either? Right now this is a win-win time period for everyone who consumes media--visual, verbal and graphic learners are all getting gobs of options for consuming media. People who want to deny those opportunities to others because they don't want them baffle me. How would she feel if (or potentially when) the day comes that the 20-somethings (or progressive 70-somethings =) say "Hey, I only read the online version and I don't WANT a print version. It bothers me that it even exists and I think anyone who reads it should have it taken away even though it isn't hurting my news intake at all." Perhaps she senses that day coming and is trying to do her part to squash it early. *shrugs* As you said, it’s supplemental–at least for now. This woman probably wouldn’t understand, but the print edition can’t have interactive maps and video clips and online polls and room for additional photos.
If the 70-year-old woman is not interested in these things, than she isn’t on the losing side of anything. She still gets her newspaper, and as you pointed out, more news than before. She’d have a point if you were taking away her newspaper in favor of the Web. But because she doesn’t own a computer and doesn’t WANT a computer she wants others to not want one either?
Right now this is a win-win time period for everyone who consumes media–visual, verbal and graphic learners are all getting gobs of options for consuming media. People who want to deny those opportunities to others because they don’t want them baffle me. How would she feel if (or potentially when) the day comes that the 20-somethings (or progressive 70-somethings =) say “Hey, I only read the online version and I don’t WANT a print version. It bothers me that it even exists and I think anyone who reads it should have it taken away even though it isn’t hurting my news intake at all.”
Perhaps she senses that day coming and is trying to do her part to squash it early. *shrugs*

]]> by: Howard Owens http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/#comment-694 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 05:19:19 +0000 http://merandawrites.com/2007/03/26/im-70-im-not-interested-in-whatevercom/#comment-694 My dad is 70. He's had a computer for close to 10 years. He digitizes old 78 records and does digital photography. He keeps all his finances and watches his stocks on his computer. He follows home town news on his computer. He uses e-mail to communicate with many members of the family, including some who are older than him. Last week, my dad asked me to set up a blog for him. Your old lady wants the world to conform to her version of what it should be, but part of maturity is accepting that not everybody sees the world as you do, and that you have to accept the differences, even if that means sometimes those differences are right in your face. Your old lady doesn't get to deny other readers the opportunity to know what's on the web just because she doesn't like it. Would she get to dictate to the rest of the readers if she didn't want to see any more stories about Iraq? My dad is 70. He’s had a computer for close to 10 years. He digitizes old 78 records and does digital photography. He keeps all his finances and watches his stocks on his computer. He follows home town news on his computer. He uses e-mail to communicate with many members of the family, including some who are older than him.

Last week, my dad asked me to set up a blog for him.

Your old lady wants the world to conform to her version of what it should be, but part of maturity is accepting that not everybody sees the world as you do, and that you have to accept the differences, even if that means sometimes those differences are right in your face. Your old lady doesn’t get to deny other readers the opportunity to know what’s on the web just because she doesn’t like it. Would she get to dictate to the rest of the readers if she didn’t want to see any more stories about Iraq?

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