The senior generation poses an interesting quandary for the Internet. The Web is in some ways is ideal to help this demographic in a variety of ways - from managing tasks and keeping in touch with the latest news - both national and the family.
However, a combination of various factors has conspired to make it difficult and our recent Geonetric Webinar addressed the complex aspects of this issue and how we can develop a Web presence to make it easier for seniors to not only use the Web but also make them feel more welcome.
While it may seem overdue, even technology suppliers are taking notice and Microsoft is positioning its new SeniorPCs product line to encourage seniors to use computers and move online.
As we were in the middle of developing the newest version of our VitalSite product last fall, we weren’t making the progress we wanted-even though the whole team was running full tilt and putting in its best efforts. We had always been a bit informal about how we developed software-somewhere between draconian rigid requirements and completely freeform cowboy (and cowgirl!) coding practices. The problem was that being in the middle wasn’t working. So, we looked at some of the newest practices in the industry.
Scrum is like Lean for software development-how do you simplify a complicated process and focus on the stuff that delivers the most value? We decided we’d bring in a certified trainer and Pete Behrens of Trail Ridge Consultingtook up the challenge and made his way to Iowa repeatedly over the wintery months to immerse us in Scrum.
A four day work week? A huge raise? Are these the things that a “dream job” is made of?
To some individuals in the workforce, receiving more time off and more pay are two of the biggest incentives to having a “successful” job. Is money alone enough of a factor to take a new job or stay at an existing job? The management team at Geonetric is exploring such a question, as we dive into our next reading experience for our management book club.
Matthew Kelly’s newest book, “The Dream Manager” brings a new idea to the workplace. Employees understand a company’s purpose is to become “the-best-version-of-itself.” Kelly poses the question, “What is an employee’s purpose?” He challenges the conventional thinking that employees exist to promote the greater purpose and vision of the company, but instead perhaps the employee’s primary purpose is to become “the-best-version of himself or herself.”
I love getting my hair done. Yes, that’s a “girl” thing to say, but hey.
The salon I frequent is kind of out of my way. And I have to book my stylist on a rolling four-month basis; lest I lose my spot to The Woman Who Dares Be On The Same Schedule As Me (is she crazy? I get very cranky those last few days before my appointment).
The reason I’m sharing this is simple. Despite inconveniences and requirements of extra effort, I still love the place. You might call me loyal (I’ve gone there exclusively for years). You might even say I have affinity (I can’t imagine going anywhere else. I give my stylist small gifts at Christmas to thank her for managing my vanity). And I’m certainly a steward - I was just telling a gal the other day that I knew someone who could fix that Cheap Cuts disaster of hers. And get this - they recently had to switch my appointment - twice! - because of some training. Hey, no problem. I love these guys. No bother.
I’m blogging from the NACCDO-PAN Conference (a meeting of cancer institute marketing, PR and development professionals) in a session by Amy Siegler, Managing Director at The Advisory Board Company, Inside the Mind of the Cancer Patient.
Do you spend too much time and attention on your homepage?
I hear the backlash: ”No, it’s not possible to spend too much time on the homepage! It’s the single most visited page on the site! I’m fielding half a dozen requests for homepage space at this very moment…”
True, the homepage is the focal point of the Web site, the front door, the first impression that we try to make. But “try” is the operative word here. While we are meticulously fussing over the entryway, the door, the curb appeal, hordes of people are hopping the fence, crawling through a second story window and seeing the mess that we’ve heaped in the bedroom.
In a recent Webiscope blog post, our client Katrina Griffin, Web coordinator at Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, asked “Do you think it would be worth it to do a [marketing] campaign on features of the Web site?” Her question was submitted only two weeks before her Web site became the talk of the town.
No doubt, slogging through documentation, review, approvals, and committees to gain acceptance and funding of a proposed initiative (investment!) is a big undertaking. To survive that trial and then later discover you are no longer aligned with your chosen partner can be overwhelming. Apprehension. Fear of exposure. Performance anxiety. How do you admit that the decision you made three years ago is no longer a fit?
I just read a good piece by Kathy Divis from Greystone about Net Neutrality.
I think it’s particularly important that members of the healthcare community share their thoughts with legislators as many of the examples that are bantered about opposing Net Neutrality relate to healthcare along the lines of “should your MRI need to compete with YouTube for bandwidth.”
Kathy is encouraging us to fill out the “Save the Internet” petition . I encourage you to take a moment to read her thoughts on the issue and let your opinions be known.
In late March, some malicious internet users attacked an Epilepsy Foundation forum. This forum is aimed at helping people affected by epilepsy, a condition that can cause seizures and headaches when the brain is presented with a number of brief, strong surges of electrical activity; such as flashing lights and colors.
This was possibly the first attack on a Web site that caused actual physical suffering, according to the news article on Wired.com.
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Industry Trends | Tagged: Microsoft SeniorPCs, Seniors on the Web | 
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Posted by Devendra Shrikhande
