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Thread ID: 14136	2001-12-30 07:44:00	To Susan B - Re your Dad.	Guest (0)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
29149	2001-12-30 07:44:00	Thank you for your kind words.If you want to get your dad hooked on computers you must use the right bait. Assuming he is another 'Fossil' there will be something that he used to love doing (other than that) when he was younger and is now unable to do. There is almost certainly a programme available that is connected with that. Buy it and get him to try it- you may be surprised. That is how I got hooked. My wife - who had used computers at work wanted one, to write the occasional letter,do the bill paying, and e-mail family scattered from the far north to Dunedin and Aus. We bought a proprietary make Xmas 1999. I had no interest until I picked up a copy of Flight Sim 2000 Professional and turned it over. There I saw a picture of a Mooney aircraft doing what it does best - climbing like a homesick angel. I had a Private pilots License and flying was my second great love. A heart attack 17 years ago brought my flying to an abrupt halt. I have many Mooney hours in my log book and that picture really grabbed me. I bought the Sim plus a joystick and took them home.That was it, I was hooked. it wasn't long before the limitations of the proprietary became obvious but replacement was difficult. To get what I needed in a proprietary comp. meant paying big bickies for features I didn't need. I did some research on the net and put my own unit together. This is not as clever as it may sound as I built my first crystal set at the age of 6 and have been in and out of electronics ever since - computers were just something new. I hope this may be of some help and let us all know how you get on.	Guest (0)
29150	2001-12-30 08:39:00	Hi Susan & Tom Good on older people using computors. My Dad was 81 when I showed him how to use one. He had no interest in anything like computors before. He had several strokes, very little movement in his right arm, partial speech etc. and very cranky not being able to do much. He loved cards especially Poker, so I found a very good poker game (old 51/2discs) and taught him to use the mouse with his left hand, how to get to the game etc. He had 3 years of great pleasure using this every day for hours. His speech improved (especially having a swear now and then)and Mum was delighted he had found something stimulating to do. So everyone please don't write off the old 'fossils' you're never to old to learn! By the way I'm no chicken either!	Guest (0)
29151	2001-12-31 04:26:00	Hi Tom, Well I thought I could bait my Dad with all the world newspapers available at the click of a mouse, as he's a real newspaper addict. Not to mention all the crossword puzzles he could do to his heart's content. But no, for some reason he's not interested. It frustrates me that I live in ChCh and he is in Tauranga, otherwise I would have installed a modem in the old PC and given it to him, and be around to keep prodding with the big stick. He could also have free weekly lessons, too, LOL. It's pretty hard to force him when I'm not on the same island as him though. I would LOVE to be able to keep in touch daily by email, but it would take him all day just to write a couple of paragraphs, so he says. He's probably right, but you soon pick it up, don't you, especially if you WANT to. That's the way it is I'm afraid, but never mind. I'm going to tell him about you, and the other 'fossils' on here, and the one I write to in the USA. Who knows, he just might make a New Year's resolution to give it a go! Anyway, keep it up Tom, you can be really proud of yourself for not only 'keeping up with the times' but showing a lot of us 'younger ones' how to do it! Susan	Guest (0)
29152	2001-12-31 10:40:00	JC, was glad to hear that your Dad enjoyed his PC -- I had a good laugh at his speech improvement: 'especially having a swear now and then'. LOL I think a lot of 'fossils' are a bit afraid of PCs until they are plonked down in front of one and told to give it a go. Once they find out that they don't bite and can be such good fun, then they're away. I think that what mostly puts them off trying is the thought of getting stuck. We can't lie and say that won't happen, can we?!	Guest (0)
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