By editorial@silicon.com, 9 May 2002 17:00
COMMENT Honor Blackman is probably best remembered among a certain age group for rolling around in the hay, clad in breeches, with Sean Connery in Goldfinger. This morning Ms Blackman was dressed more conservatively but still managed to send a flutter through the male members of the audience gathered in a cold Covent Garden. The reason was the launch of Age Concern's campaign to encourage the over 55s to get online. There are whole swathes of the community for whom the internet is still something used by 'those young computer types'. Many of the older generation are unaware of the possibilities the internet presents. At the risk of sounding like a Microsoft ad, for one thing it offers daily access to grandchildren and distant relatives that otherwise would not be possible, or at least affordable. Also, the housebound can bank, shop, meet new people and even view the latest Tate Gallery art exhibition. Barclays and the UK government have dipped into their pockets and managed to pull out around £1.5m to fund the effort. That's to be commended, though the mystery is why others haven't been more publicly involved. Each year companies spend millions trying to offer the latest and greatest way to spend over the internet. The adverts encourage the young and trendy to shop till they drop or bank from their beds. But those with the greatest disposable income are often the over 55s and they aren't all computer literate. Perhaps a few more companies ought to dig deep and help educate those who often wield heavy purses.
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