Computers,  The Internet – and You

                          (A CAADE Special Report)

f the two million or so adults who take up the computer every year, some 20% give up at an early stage, claiming that ‘it’ is too hard.  Of the majority who go on to look into the Internet, a further 50% will give up serious intent and satisfy themselves with a restricted relationship with this Service.  I make this an initial failure rate of probably 60%.  That is hardly a satisfactory result, particularly from a political point of view, now is it?  It’s not very good from a personal point of view either. We really have to make a better effort as adults.  It is my belief that the majority of people come into contact with a computer through a relative, workmate or friend.  As with learning how to drive a car this is not the best way. No wonder so many give up so quickly.  It is so easy to frighten someone off giving it a try if you make it look so easy.  It can be overwhelming!  It is a fact that we need structure.  Fortunately CAADE is here to provide that structure for you.

Why bring politics into it you might say?  Well in this humble person’s opinion, it won’t be long before a qualification in ‘computer operation’ will be a compulsory subject in a list of employer’s requirements. From an employer’s point of view, If we can’t fulfil the need in our schools and colleges, the need will quickly be filled by employees coming in from abroad, where they take it more seriously.

For the millions of people who left school before computers were ever on the curriculum at all, there are no dedicated Government Training Schemes.  It is left to individuals to guess what is required of them and try to fill the gap in their knowledge.  The results, however as our opening paragraph implied, are simply not good enough.

CAADE believes that without a Standard Bearer in the training of adults, we will quickly fall behind the rest of the world.  It is a little like the English Language itself; English users, as a foreign language are often better at it than we are. The ability to basically manipulate a computer as a tool is now as important as the three ‘R’s.

CAADE has always been known for its campaigning stances.  Perhaps it is about time to start campaigning to have ‘Computer Operating’, like reading, writing and arithmetic, fixed as a vital part of the National Curriculum throughout society.  That to me means it must be made available to everyone.

As is often the case, organisations from the Voluntary sector, are usually the ones to take a lead. Others, from the Private Sector are a rare commodity indeed. Typically from the Voluntary Sector a group called ‘Digital Unite’ emerged who are doing a magnificent job at getting the over 45’s started. (Read more about them below.)

Now! With the politics out of the way (CAADE will be keeping its eye on this), how do we make it easier for ‘young seniors’ to come to terms with computer training?  How did you fare when you first engaged with a computer?  Did you have the advantage of having someone sat at your shoulder until you got on your feet?  Or were you one of those like me, who struggled along trying, and trying until one ‘sort of’ got it right?  It might be a good idea if we made this one of our first ‘Forum’ topics using our new Forum Software on this site. (read more of that later).

45-65.com has its own agenda in this respect and as a Computer and Internet based organisation, we practice what we preach and realise that people must learn the ‘computer ropes’ sequentially in a pre-determined manner.

Properly organised, it doesn’t take too long to grasp the basics, if it is taken seriously.  Speaking from experience it is in fact quite satisfying to be taught the ‘lingo’ by someone who is computer literate.  Overcoming the lack of understanding of the ‘jargon’ is one of the biggest problems in sustaining our failure rate.

Learning to walk, sequentially, as any baby would tell you if it could, means starting with the basics.  First you have to sit up.  Think about it and don’t make too many mistakes. Diving straight onto the Internet by taking a sophisticated ‘Internet Marketing coaching programme’ is inevitably a route to failure as a starter project.  You are likely to finish up disillusioned and suffer a severe flattening of the wallet in the process.

Dare I say that there is probably nothing wrong with the high level courses. As a ‘Newbie’ you are just not ready for it.  Again it has happened to most of us. You, like the rest of us, babies included, need to walk before we can run (gets me out of breath thinking about it). 

We need to learn how to use emails properly, how to protect our ‘space’ and how to behave professionally when dealing on the Internet.  We need to know the basics of website developing and the use of autoresponders, Social Media Optimisation and if in business, the importance of ‘traffic’.  If you have no idea what on earth I am talking about then you might understand the necessity of learning the basics.  It can be a bit like living in a foreign country; you have to learn the language to get the best out of your life there. The ‘jargon’, the ‘lingo’ are all part of a still growing world of the Internet.  It’s fun, it’s exciting but enjoyed much more when we are better equipped to understand it.  The sheer size of the Internet is mind blowing.  Something we don’t usually appreciate at first.

Most people know of the Internet as a means of making money – a shady area!  It is true that there are many people out there who have made millions of dollars out of the Internet.  If you bear in mind the young age of the Internet, most of these millionaires are still young people.  What you will learn quickly is that most of these millionaires have become so at the expense of all those disillusioned early learners.  These silver tongued Gurus know perfectly well that the majority of their students will fail to hit their targets.  It doesn’t stop them from putting out these ‘Courses’ over and over again.  From their point of view it is not their fault that we have fallen for their ‘line’.  We should be more wary – and better prepared. In every other involvement in our lives we apply the synonym ‘Let the buyer beware’ it applies here too.

If being better prepared is up to ourselves then take all the help you can get.  I mentioned ‘Digital Unite’ earlier on. They bring specialist advice to organisations, communities and individuals who need IT skills.  Their ‘modus-operendii is to teach IT skills on a ‘one-to-one’ basis (more cost-effective than you think).  The trainers are specially recruited, trained and monitored.  For over ten years now they have sharpened their tools and proved their need.  The company was started by two enterprising young ladies, Caroline Lambie and Emma Soloman and it was known as ‘Hairnet Ltd’ until 2006 when it took its new title. To contact them get a colleague to help you point your browser at  http://www.digitalunite.net .  (and don’t worry about the jargon just yet)

Having taken the initiative and gained your first tentering steps in your quest to master a computer you need to acquire your knowledge and understanding of the Internet by finding a sympathetic organisation, capable of teaching you in a non-jargonistic way, whilst recognising that you need to be fed, to gain strength to satisfy your newly found hunger. Two organisations immediately come to mind easily, who were founded, like Digital Unite to teach, using simple language. The Newbie Club and Internettips have been around and successfully so for many years.  You can learn all you need from these two organisations and be confident that they will stay with you until you are full and satisfied and ready to progress beyond them. 

You can contact The Newbie Club at

http://www.newbieclub.com/?caadester   Created and Run by Joe Robson who lives in Yorkshire but does most of his business in the States.  Joe is a rarity as a recognised Guru from the UK. The Newbie Club is a fantastic organisation which you will warm to immediately.  Internettips was also created in Yorkshire by Brian Austin, a writer and publisher who is also an international best seller of Computer and Internet books.  Brian is now based in a remote part of Northern Scotland. His plain language and straight talking warms you to his style of training which is both thorough and bang up to date.  As an internationally renowned website builder he practices what he preaches. You can reach him and Internettips at http://www.internettips.com .  You will find both of these organisations to be patient and helpful.

I have no hesitation in recommending these two home-grown Gurus as the best coaches you could possibly hope for.  If you eventually feel you have outgrown these two and I find that hard to believe; the best American Super-Guru is without doubt Jim Daniels.  Jim’s many websites are legend but most know him from his company JDD Publishing and his website Bizweb2000.com.  Jim Daniels is the bee’s knees when it comes to the creative and inventive side of the Internet.  He is not the sort to brag about the millions he has made on the Internet but he certainly knows what he is talking about.  His ability to fill you with confidence and his enormous generosity of soul and spirit is world renowned.  I must say that he stands head and shoulders above any other Guru in the States.  You can’t go wron and certainly won’t commit yourself if you get his ‘New Age Work at Home Plan’ – special report FREE at:

http://www.webbusinesswizard.com/app/?af=675902  (just click this link with your left mouse button) 

Most of us who are involved with computers and the Internet, take a magazine on the subject.  There are many to choose from these days. Principally, for its stance on its ‘Simple Clear Advice’ sections and its brag to be ‘The ONLY Plain English Computer Magazine’, ‘Computer Active’ is worthy of your attention.  Aside from its commercial bias its forums and advice columns are excellent.  It is excellent in its down to earth ‘How To’ advice and for those who like a bargain it is not short of free downloads.  The UK’s Best Selling Computer Magazine – ‘Computer Active’ is best for newcomers to the Internet. – http://www.computeractive.co.uk

Where does CAADE fit in all of this?  CAADE was founded in 1988 to fight for the rights of seniors everywhere.  During the 1990’s, before the Internet became what it is today, CAADE virtually single-handedly campaigned on behalf of the over 45’s to get age discrimination in employment banned.  During this period we started to get to know the over 45’s very well indeed.  In counselling and coaching them we got to know what they wanted and how they expected to be treated in a world that had become very foreign to them.  If you were over 45 your chances of getting work were slim indeed.  We recognised the needs of this group and also recognised their desires to work.  Working for themselves threw up a whole new swage of problems and we spent a great deal of our time researching knowledge on the pitfalls and blessings of Working from Home (visit the website – www.45-65.com).

We do not claim to be experts but know most of the answers to the issues of working from home, including many of the success secrets. To this end we act as guides and gurus in this area. Philip Walker who founded the whole organisation in 1988 is a well respected author and broadcaster on issues to do with the over 45’s.  There are very few people with his experience and knowledge.  If you have any problems in working from home profitably or are thinking about embarking on a career that will be based on your home, contact Philip or consult the websites thoroughly before problems get beyond you.  Email Philip on – This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Okay so now you’ve got a grounding in the basics of computing and working in and around the Internet.  It’s taken you maybe up to six or twelve months to get this far.  What do you do next? Well!  Remember those Gurus who played on your ignorance and took your money off you at a time when you did not know what was ‘what’.  Well now it’s time for you to use them properly.  CAADE can also help you here.  You will no doubt be aware of some of these very clever Gurus.  However most of them are teaching their own version of the same set of rules.  They have their own gimmicks but broadly speaking you would be best to look at their backgrounds and discern for yourselves who would be the best to teach you about the areas of the Internet you want to be involved in.

If you simply want to make money, we can’t help you very much, as it is easier to lose money than make it on the Internet – even for the experts. It’s a bit like gambling, ‘you pays your money and you takes your chances’.  This is not the way a professional would approach it.  These big name Gurus did not get their wealth by gambling but most often by sheer hard work, if they would admit it.  If you want something for nothing then that’s how you will end up – with nothing. 

If you have products and want to sell them through the internet or if you want to create digital products to sell through the Internet or even if you have your mind set on playing the affiliate game.  There are experts on that subject contactable through the Internet. for instance as far as Affiliate Marketing is concerned then recognised by everyone as the expert is Ewen Chia - (aka ‘The Super Affiliate) a young gentleman who is based in Singapore.  If you want to know anything about affiliate marketing then he is your man.  However he may very well want to sell you a Course on Internet Marketing in general, as he will get more customers that way – well! In this case he may not be the best man for you.  If you want to know how to make money in internet Marketing I would recommend ………! and so it goes on.  We can help if we can and we have a good knowledge of the areas but you need the right expert to teach you how to basically emulate them.

At the last count there were literally upwards of a hundred and fifty Specialist Courses teaching various aspects of Business on the Web, often many of the Coaches teaching virtually the same thing.  Sadly, they are often slick tongued and highly gifted in the art of persuasion and not averse into tricking you into membership etc. You would do well to ask yourself this question - If it is so easy to make money on the Internet then why don’t these ‘millionaires’ just make money instead of spending their time trying to persuade you to part with your money just to listen to their pitch.  However, to be fair, there ARE many excellent teachers and if you want help in finding them contact CAADE, we know where most of them hide.  In the early part of 2008 alone there have been five or six new Courses being applauded into life by the top 5 or 6 Gurus.  You can’t do them all.  Remember six months ago YOU couldn’t do any of them.  Just remember the old adage ‘If they look too good to be true they probably are’.

If you want a general Course to learn all there is to know about making money on the Internet then I would probably recommend Stone Evan’s Plug-in profit Site.  It is a hard course but very thorough and if you do what he teaches, you will make some money, maybe even a living,  But don’t kid yourself, it is never ever easy,  just another way of having to work hard for your pennies. At least with this course you will have the opportunity to observe and learn the techniques involved.  If you feel ready enough to take a tough but top of the range course then type this address into your browser 

http://www.PluginProfitCentre.com/main-20232  

If you’ve read this far then you should not get in trouble wasting money on Internet ‘Can’t Fail’ Courses.  Watch the pages of the 45-65.com website and we will look after you especially if you need or want to work from home.  At the moment there are a lot of changes taking place on the Internet.  The big ‘thing’ this year is likely to be ‘video’ but with massive growth in areas of Social Media this could be an exciting time to be doing business on the Web.

The one message we want to get across to you is to do with the word ‘sequentialism’ - remember this word and remember what it means - learn how to walk before you run.  Aim for your ‘goal’ but do it by numbers - and don’t skip the numbers.

Good luck to you all,                                                  

Philip Walker (CAADE)                                                       

Philip Walker - Writer and Broadcaster over the last 20 years.

Constant campaigner on behalf of the over 45 year olds.

Websites include – www.caade.net and www.45-65.cm 

Chairman of the CAADE Centre and founder of the

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