(Disclaimer: I wrote the article Creating Online Environments That Work Well For Older Users but suspect that many Soylentils will find it useful.)
A significant part of the Internet-using population is aged 50 or older — including the people who invented it. Web designers need to understand what older users need and why it's not enough to just say, "I can read it, so what's the problem?"
If you're my age you have no doubt run into more than a few web sites that are just plain useless, either because you can't read the text, or because they were designed using assumptions that those of us over forty years of age don't find useful. Whether it's our need for high contrast text, or our preference for actual words and paragraphs over video, the needs of older users often get ignored.
We are the generation that invented and grew up with personal computers. It's absurd to suggest that we are less capable of using technology. In other words, you can't complain about old people not understanding tech, and then also complain that they've taken over Facebook and Twitter. Besides, we also usually have lots more disposable income, so catering to our needs is good for business.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 23 2019, @04:47AM (2 children)
I think low contrast text, video, "emojis"^W pictograms is more an effect of the masses of functionally illiterate morons that use the internet these days.
I can think of plenty of older people who need video, not because they can't read the text, but because their reading comprehension is shit. It was shit when they were younger, and it's still shit now that they're getting on in years.
But please continue your crusade to save written language from the video apocalypse! :-)
(Score: 4, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Saturday November 23 2019, @04:57AM (1 child)
Of course our generation had it's illiterates. But, we didn't put them in positions where they made meaningful decisions, like, designing a publicly facing website. Such people are meant to dig ditches for a living, or sponge off of society by way of welfare.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Sunday November 24 2019, @11:48AM
sudo mod me up