Direction Without Destination

This column started out being addressed primarily to persons tutoring seniors in computer usage, but it has grown a bit in that many on the letters I get are from students who have been surfing for sites and articles dealing with senior issues.

Since neither seniors nor senior issues are well-defined categories, the issues discussed here often stray into territory that surprises even me. Among the biggest surprises have been the responses I’ve received from software developers. Although I’m not in the business of reviewing and recommending specific software, when something is definitely relevant to a topic, I feature it. And surprisingly, I have heard from the authors of some of the software featured in this column.

For instance, I am now a faithful user of WinPatrol after having exchanged several informative e-mails with BillP himself. And while he is a nice guy, I wouldn’t mention his product if I hadn’t tried it myself and decided it truly does what it is supposed to do. BTW, I am using the plus version, but the free version is quite powerful also. Similarly, I heard about Iconoid from several readers who independently recommended it. After it was featured, the author wrote and gave me some hints on the next iteration. I’m looking forward to its release.

However, neither of these programs are specific to seniors, or even directed toward any special senior needs. The one comes under the general heading of security or privacy and the other is a universal desktop accessory of the type anyone might want to use. Both generated a lot of interest, but ultimately they are accessories

Contrast this with the senior-specific topics such as using a pointing device with arthritis. Topics like that can make the difference between a senior being able to comfortably use a computer or not. The article I did on visual aids such a movable magnifying glass software resulted in many requests for further information from both tutors and students.

On the other hand, when I have discussed other sites devoted to senior issues, neither tutors, who might be able to pick up teaching hints, nor students, who might find items of interest, show any enthusiasm.

The bottom line is that I am never sure just what topic will be of the most interest to either the target group of senior tutors or their students. So I plod along and generally write about issues I have had in my own practice. However, my experience in necessarily limited. So again I am soliciting input from readers. If there is any topic you feel I have slighted, or that you would like to see expanded, let me know. The topics need not be only those that apply exclusively to teaching seniors, but should be relevant to them.

I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you want in future articles.

For more in-depth tips on tutoring seniors, see the complete tutorial here. I also have posted a tutorial on elementary decision theory for those who might question a physician’s diagnosis (important for seniors) or anti-terrorist activities (important for everyone) but haven’t had the framework to analyze the data. That tutorial can be found here.