prohibit iconization?

[Neil Winchurst]

On 05/08/13 20:21, houghi wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 05, 2013 at 01:42:16PM -0400, Renaud OLGIATI wrote:
>> Some years back, I installed a Linux PC for an 80-years-old lady who wanted web-browsing, email (MUA, not the abomination known as web-mail) and Skype.
>>
>> After it was complete, I clonezilla'ed the / partition, and told her to go happily, as I could restore her install in 15 minutes.
>>
>> With this, she started using happily, without fear, and never buggered her system nor lost her data !
>
> OTOH my parents asked me what computer they should buy. I asked them why
> they would want a computer and their answer was "Because everybody has
> one."
>
> Seriously. That was their answer. So my answer was the 'If everybody would
> jump of a bridge ...' answer. I then explained them that they live in
> Spain and speak Spanish, so if they have any questions they can not call
> me for, to go into a pub and ask somebody.
>
> This means they have social contact AND the information. Also most likely
> they will get some free wine out of it, because if they give one wine as a
> thank you, they will get (at least) two back.
>
> Mind you, my parents are afraid of the ATM machine and the cellphone I
> bought that was designed to be easy to use lies in a drawer unused because
> it is too complicated.
>
> Computers are not always the answer.
>
> houghi
>
Some interesting comments about age. I wrote what I did because the 
email concerned seemed to suggest that older people would not get on 
with computers very well because of their age. I put myself forward as 
an example of an older person who is fine with them. I did not mean to 
suggest that therefore all older people would be fine too.

As ever it all depends on the individual. I do however find that, if I 
talk to older people about learning to use computers, they seem happy to 
listen to me as 'one of them'. I get the impression that they would not 
be happy being taught by a 'spotty teenager who thinks he knows it all'.

Neil