Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

See Chapter 8 for more about social networking and

blogs.

One of the most popular companies offering this

functionality are Twitter (elite users are called the

Twitterati). Nearly a thousand entries were received for

Twitter’s first haiku writing contest in November 2008.

On average, most people have about 10 people follow-

ing their comments, and they follow about 10 other

people’s comments themselves.

Send and Receive Instant Messages (IMs)

Instant messaging(often called just IMing)used to be referred to as real-

time e-mail. It used to onlybe synchronous,meaning that two (or more)

parties could communicate in real time, without any delay. It still offers

synchronous communication, but now you can also leave a message

that the recipient can pick up later.

Instant messaging is a great way to stay in touch with the younger gen-

erations, who rarely use e-mail. IM is ideal for quick little messages

where you just want an answer without forming a formal e-mail, as

well as for touching base and saying hi. Text messaging on cell phones

is largely the same phenomena: This isn’t a tool you’d typically use for

a long, meaningful conversation, but it’s great for quick exchanges.

Depending on the IM service you use, you can do the following:

➟ Write notes to friends, grandchildren, or whoever, as

long as they use the same IM service that you’re using.

➟ Talk as if you were on the phone.

➟ Send photos, videos, and other files.

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Chapter 7: Sharing Your Information with Others