To say that those of us over 50, as a whole, suffer from a malady known as The Gap, may be stating the case kindly. Those over 60 labor against The Chasm. Those over 70 are afflicted with The Gulf. The brush fire pace of technology's growth can leave us feeling distinctly out of place in a world we thought we had come to know.
I, like the majority in these categories, have lived through calamity and calm, good times and bad, joys and sorrows, and come out the other side - changed. Hopefully wiser. Often uncertain. Uncertain regarding what day it is, where the damn keys are, the last place the glasses were used, and the list goes on. It is my opinion that this uncertainty should apply to a greater extent than it does to 'how things are' or, 'the way things are' or maybe it would be better to say; The older we get and the more experience we have the more humble we should be about what we think we know. I never wish to become so brash as to think that I've learned enough, or so arrogant that my curiosity suffocates in air too thin because of an enormous ego.
Having said all that, I hope that the technically literate population will find ways to communicate across this gap. In this regard, I submit that merely having a 'noob' section on a forum, or a FAQ page is not enough. It is my opinion that there must be some sort of outreach. That is the sort of thing that marketing people love to hear but; Perhaps, it might boil down to one of the lessons of growing older - patience. One learns to be patient with oneself and achieves a sense of calm. One learns to be patient with others and achieves the joy of connection.
In our very technological world, we sometimes may boast that we are more connected than ever before. I submit that is not true unless we take the time to be patient enough to achieve understanding. That is not to say that we must all agree. I would never sacrifice what I think is right and true just to establish a connection. I can understand another's personal positions without having to change my own. In fact, some of the most enjoyable interactions I have are with those who are on the opposing side. The Gap makes this type of interaction even harder. Twitter, for instance, is often very frustrating for me. I do not understand hashtags. If it is a way to aggregate information then I need a way to dig through the muck to find any salient points of argument. That is only one example.
The takeaway? I hope that any one who reads this will take a moment, or several, to help those of us who are struggling to understand how to use these new communications tools. And I hope that it is a positive experience.
Crabbysob