Saturday 26 May 2007

4 Equipment Required


This is where the fun starts but before I begin I want to say to my contemporaries out there that they don't know what they are missing, if they haven't got a computer there in some corner, connected to broadband and always on line. Somehow its your ear and eyes to the world, to your friends and relatives, whether scattered around the planet or just down the road.
When broadband began to be a feature in Ireland somebody said it would have an effect on Irish life similar to that experienced when electric power was first distributed. I would agree entirely with that statement so here I am, spreading the gospel!.

Considering the basic equipment necessary to get started, most people are surely familiar by now with the picture of a standard system, consisting of a monitor, usually a tower computer, a keyboard and the control freak, the mouse! This, together with a connection to an ITP (internet service provider), is sufficient to begin browsing and email activity, even with the dial-up system, reminiscent of my childhood on Bere Island when the postmistress could be seen frantically cranking the old handset and pausing occasionally with a hopeful “hello Bantry- hello Bantry”.

The door is now open to a host of facilities, too numerous to list... OK! Here are a few to whet the appetite; order your groceries and have them delivered; read a book review and maybe order it on-line; listen to a sample of a piece of music on a CD and order it on-line; check Goldenpages on-line; search for a particular business; search for an item hard to find locally, which will probably turn up on eBay; settle an argument; spend some interesting time on ‘search’ programmes but... do take care not to become a ‘google’ bore!

In practice, it is highly likely that most seniors organisations or groups have already been aware of the various computer courses available at, to quote one example, the local library, which will probably also have on-line facilities available to the public.
All such introductory courses usually include essential guidelines on how to perform basics such as emailing and browsing.
In addition, at the present time in Ireland, family units invariably include persons who, either through school or employment, are skilled enough to teach and help the elders in their initiation with the world of computers.
My experience in the area has shown the benefits of using voluntary input where possible. In this example I would envisage forming voluntary groupings of 'techies' where necessary, with the express function of being available on callout.

Earlier posts in this study have expressed the point that future involvement of seniors in ICT will extend beyond the day-to-day uses as described. Thus we will now set out to explore those possibilities and the changes necessary to implement them.

















Saturday 12 May 2007

3 Brief Description of Current Systems of Internet Access

Dial-up
Still around is the old not so reliable Dial-up, which uses a modem in your computer to connect, via the existing telephone line, to another modem at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and thereby to the Internet.
Apart from being slow, and very dependent on a good line, this system fully occupies the telephone line and thus phone calls are not possible at the same time.

DSL
Conveniently, the copper telephone line used all over the country to connect us to our local exchange does not utilise the full bandwidth available when making a normal voice call. Thus, by use of filters, it becomes possible to use the remaining bandwidth for data transmission, while making conventional telephone calls at the same time.
Unfortunately, however, since the lines were not originally designed to include data transmission, this system is limited to short distances, typically less than 5 km from the telephone exchange.
This method is the most common in use at the present time.

Probably the best known provider of this service is Eircom, who also owns all of the public service telephone lines between the local exchanges and homes and businesses. This has been known as ‘the last mile’ or ‘the local loop’. In effect, any other service provider, e.g. Esat, needs to lease or rent the line from Eircom in order to provide an alternative service with perhaps, more options.
ComReg (Commission for Communications Regulation) has for a number of years been negotiating with Eircom, to resolve Local Loop Unbundling. These discussions have now been concluded and ComReg is now in a position to provide clear guidance on timelines for the resolution on all matters pertaining to LLU . Eircom has now committed to resolving all of the identified issues – the vast majority by September 2007.
Accordingly, the function of DSL should show a gradual improvement.Refer to: http://www.comreg.ie/ and Status Update on Local Loop Unbundling - Issue 8.

Cable Modem
Many of our cities and larger towns are wired for cable television directly to your door. In a manner similar to DSL a broadband modem is used to take advantage of unused bandwidth in the cable television network, thus broadband and TV channels enter your house via the same cable.

Wireless Broadband
As the title implies this system does not require a telephone line; it functions by utilising a central transmitter/receiver, which has line-of-sight coverage because of its location, usually on high buildings or towers.
Wireless systems are currently available in cities and larger towns. To some extent they are being introduced in rural areas but are not regarded as cost-effective because coverage is limited due to the terrain.
Continual development is taking place, however, such that it is essential to update information on available systems.

Satellite Internet
Data from the satellite company is available via a satellite in stationary orbit.Mainly used for business purposes and has a number of disadvantages which make it not attractive for domestic use.

Broadband Via Mobile Phone Systems
Currently this system is more commonplace in business and is used typically in conjunction with laptops when away from the office.

Thursday 10 May 2007

2 Personal Example of Internet Use

Here's a recent example of convenient use of the internet by a senior.Following on a recent change in Irish budget ruling regarding non-payment of DIRT tax, whereby the revenue have issued application forms through the banks.Follow the usual Q in the bank, obtain a copy from the nice teller, proceed homewards and discover that in fact you need a second form becuase hey presto you have a second savings account.Saving your remaining hair, switch on your computer, go on-line, download and print another form, readily available from the Revenue website.
Enter http://www.revenue.ie/ and click on the DIRT section.

1 Introduction and Overview


Know me as someone who knows what it means when they say that 80 is the new 60.
As such I have worked in the electronics industry for some 40 odd years, followed by retirement to Fermoy in North County Cork, where followed many years of voluntary active involvement in community affairs.
I am now in what could be described as second-phase retirement, having moved to the south east, which claims to be the sunniest part of Ireland.
My electronics background in industry has begun to gel with my more recent experience in community affairs, to the extent that I have completed quite an amount of research into how usage of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) could benefit the senior citizens of this country.

Why should I, Joe Cahill, talk about ‘seniors using cyberspace’, well, I suppose firstly and above all else I am most definitely a ‘senior’ and, secondly, I use cyberspace all the time. No, I am not a retired IT worker. Yes, I have worked for 40 years in the electronics industry, all of it in the communications sector and none of it in the computer industry. I suppose what that experience has given is not to be afraid of electronic gadgetry. I have found out the various bits and bobs of computerisation as I went along the way. Maybe I still am doing just that getting involved in this ‘blog’ thing. One way to find out!

There are other reasons in the ‘why’ category which give me cause for talking about the subject.

I find the use of cyberspace (in plain language The Internet) extremely useful and entertaining and I am aware that many of my peers are not in the same situation, for a number of reasons.
A certain amount of publicity has surfaced in recent times on the subject of the usefulness of using the Internet, nowadays perhaps better recognised under the generic term of ‘broadband’. Such usage will extend far beyond basic e-mail and browsing and will include the immediate area of health systems together with many aspects of social inter-action. These are probably the areas that will in time have the greatest impact on the lives of seniors in our society.