Facebook and Twitter For Seniors For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Introduction

I’ve been working and playing online since the mid-’80s. I started out using CompuServe from my old Kaypro II with a 300-baud modem. I’d log on to my computer in the evenings when I had some quiet time after work, after my daughter was asleep.

The online world I found through CompuServe had no fancy pages, videos, or even photos. Just phosphor-green text on a tiny screen. The early onliners didn’t know any better technology, so we communicated with people by sending words across the country and across the world. We chatted with each other and joined groups to discuss our hobbies and our families.

Drawing an analogy here, there have been related social communities online for as long as there have been connected computers. Even though the kids today may think they invented the current online world, today’s social media are just the 21st-century continuation of a community we’ve known for quite a while.

Many people who were online then (in the early ’80s) are still online now. People of a certain age may also (after a long career) want to jump back into the family feeling of an online community. So, even though this book title says For Seniors, you should know I don’t like that term. This book is for those with experience.

Although a persistent rumor claims that only the youngsters go online, actually online participation is growing faster in people over 50. There are more online users over 40 than under 25. Perhaps these people were so busy living their lives and bringing ...