MSN's Online Community For Boomers

If you're over fifty you'll appreciate the online community for boomers created recently by MSN(Microsoft Network). MSN Lifestyle: Boomers offers a wealth of information on the topics that matter the most to you at this stage of your life.

Here's a peek at what you'll find there:

• Articles - Timely, well written articles for the over fifty crowd on everything from career and retirement, to love and family.
• Guides - Are you a senior citizen interested in the dating scene? You'll find some helpful tips in this section. Check out their wellness, career and genealogy guides too, while you're at it.
• Message Boards - Whatever the topic, if it's of interest to boomers or seniors, you're likely to find an active discussion about it here. Don't be afraid to start your own discussion, by the way!

Are you a senior surfer who wishes there were more sites that catered to your lifestyle interests? You'll welcome this one!

How To Make A Difference With Just A Click Of Your Mouse

When you make a charitable donation you do it because you want to support a cause like finding a cure for cancer or feeding the hungry, right? What if you can't afford to make a donation, though? Can you still help out? Yes, thanks to the power of the World Wide Web. Believe it or not there's a way to help fund needy causes with nothing more than just a click of your mouse!

It's true. There are several of what are known as "click to donate" sites on the Web that will allow you to do just that. It works like this: Every time you click on a designated button sponsors pay a small fee, a percentage of which is then donated to charity.

Here are some examples of sites where you can make a difference with just a click of your mouse:

• Craig Research Labs - Click on the I Fight Cancer! button and then look at the ads on the resulting page and your click will help raise money for cancer research!
• The Animal Rescue Site - When you click on the Fund Food For Animals button you help do just that!
• The Breast Cancer Site - Do your part in the fight against breast cancer when you click on the Fund Free Mammograms button at this site.

Usually only one click a day per visitor is allowed and the amount raised per click is small, but if lots of people visit...well, you get the idea.

There are enough of these types of sites, even, that "click to donate" directories like Click to Donate Free have been created to make it easier to participate in this form of online philanthropy!

Before You Donate: How To Investigate Charities Online

Have you ever considered mailing a donation to a charity, but had second thoughts because you weren't really sure where the money was going to end up? Maybe you've even thought about making an online donation, but harbored similar doubts. How can you tell who's a legitimate charity and who's not? Did you know that you can investigate them online?

There are some great sites that list important information about charities to help you decide whether you should give or not. Here are a few worth visiting before you make your next donation:

• Give.org - The web site for the Better Business Bureau Giving Alliance, Give.org provides reports on national charities.
• Charity Navigator - Includes information on over five thousand charities and rates them on a scale of one to four stars based on specific financial criteria.
• GuideStar - Offers information on 1.5 million non-profits. Free for the basic service but you'll have to pay to upgrade to Select or Premium.
• American Institute of Philanthropy - An industry watchdog that not only rates charities but also features related articles and tips on making donations-even advice on how to donate online!

Giving has the power to nurture your soul-just make sure you're giving to those you really want to!

5 Sites That Use The Human Touch To Organize The Web

Sometimes using a search engine can feel a bit impersonal. After all, a computer program, not a person, reviews the thousands or even millions of sites included in the search results of your query. What if you crave the human touch when conducting a web search? Any options? You might want to try what is known as a human-edited search directory.

Typically, human-edited search directories only include sites in their listings that are first reviewed by either a volunteer or an expert. If a human hasn't personally looked at a site, it won't appear in the directory.

Here are a few notable human-edited web site directories you might want to visit:

• The Internet Public Library - An index of over 40,000 sites it was started by The University Of Michigan's School of Information and is now run by Drexel University's College of Information Science and Technology.
• About.com - 500 guides who are experts in their fields point the way to authoritative web sites.
• The Open Directory Project - Relying on volunteer editors the site bills itself as "the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web."
• The WWW Virtual Library - Started by Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the Web, this site calling itself "the oldest catalogue of the Web" is also run by volunteers.
• Librarians' Internet index - Over 20,000 sites are included in this directory edited by librarians.

Human-edited directories can be an important search tool. Don't overlook this valuable resource!

A Quick Way To Magnify A Web Page

Are you like many seniors who complain that the text size is too small at many of the web pages you visit? If this is one of your pet peeves, you'll be happy to know that there's a quick and simple trick you can do with your keyboard and mouse that will allow you to magnify practically any web page you're on and make it easier to read.

Here's how:

1. Using your left hand, press the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
2. While keeping the Ctrl key depressed, roll the mouse wheel (located on top of mouse) forward with your right index finger.

It's as simple as that! This trick creates the effect that you're "zooming in" to the web page you're on, making the text appear larger. To "zoom out" simply keep the Ctrl key depressed while rolling the mouse wheel backwards.

Give it a try right now while reading The Senior Surfer!

Play Chess Online

If you're a senior surfer who enjoys a good game of chess now and then, you might be happy to learn that you can play this classic game online as well. The web offers plenty of different ways to indulge your passion for chess-everything from sites where you can challenge opponents half-way around the world, to sites where you'll match wits with a computer!

Some of the sites charge a subscription fee to let you play, but many others do not. Try these sites where you can play chess for free:

• TkChess - Have you ever played chess against a computer? Play against this one from Yale University.
• Free Internet Chess Server - At this site you can challenge one or more of over 150,000 registered users. Oh, and if you want to play against a stronger computer than the one in TkChess, you'll be able to here.
• Chess Maniac - This online chess community boasts nearly 60,000 members, as of this writing, and offers some interesting chess related articles as well.
• Chess Hounds - Another online chess community where can play for free-and if you don't mind paying for a premium membership, you can even watch live games!

Whether you're a novice or a grandmaster, you'll find a game to match your skill level at one of the sites above. Are you up to the challenge?

Nostalgia Lover's Nirvana

When you first log on to MovieTone Portraits there's little evidence of the magical nostalgic journey you're about to embark on, although the fact that it bills itself as, "The world's greatest nostalgia website" should provide a hint. After spending some time at this highly addictive site, don't be surprised if you share that sentiment...

Created by British Movietonenews, MovieTone Portraits is a collection of over three hundred one minute film montages of famous people, places and other cultural highlights from the Twentieth Century. Presented for the most part in black and white, and accompanied by musical scores, the MovieTone Portraits are listed under one of the following categories:

• Entertainment - see film montages of the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Bob Hope, James Stewart, Paul McCartney and other famous entertainers.
• Lifestyle - take a peek at life in London, circa 1930 or revisit Woodstock in 1969, among other highlights.
• Personalities - Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt are among the notable luminaries profiled.
• Travel - What was New York at night like in 1938? Do you remember the age of ocean liners? These one minute films offer some rare glimpses.

Click away and enjoy-nostalgic bliss awaits!

How To Use The Web To Keep Tabs On Product Recalls

It seems like every time you read the paper or watch the news there's another product recall-and what about the ones you haven't heard about? With so many, how can you keep track of them all? Wouldn't it be nice if someone would create a web site that helped you keep tabs on all those important product recalls? Thankfully someone already has!

Uncle Sam maintains Recalls.gov, a web site that helps make it easier and more convenient for the public to stay up-to-date on the latest product recalls. Here's what they cover:

• Consumer Products - links to recall information from The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding household items, children's products, appliances, furniture, clothing, etc.
• Motor Vehicles - links to motor vehicle recalls and related info from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
• Boats - links to a recall database of recreational boats and related info from The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
• Food - links to The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Recalls and Safety Alerts and related U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) info.
• Medicine - links to FDA Recalls and Safety Alerts.
• Cosmetics - links FDA Recalls and Safety Alerts.
• Environmental Products - links to Pesticide Recalls and related information from The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The site also makes it a point to highlight the most recent recalls and even offers you the option of signing up to receive alerts by e-mail from some of the government recall agencies.

Your Favorite TV Show Has A Blog Too

What's your favorite TV show? Regardless of the show, there's probably a blog, in fact many blogs about it on the web. Depending on the program, you'll probably find official blogs like those that are maintained by the writers and producers, and those maintained by fans or media companies.

To get an idea of what some TV show blogs look like, check out these examples:

• The writers of Grey's Anatomy have created a blog about the show called, Grey Matter.
• Want to read a blog that's all about Desperate Housewives? Read b5Media's desperateblog.com.
• Are you a fan of 24? Perhaps you'll enjoy the blog, Watching 24, by 451 Press.

There are others of course but these are a good start and will at least give you a taste of the genre.

3 Ways To Find Blogs You Might Be Interested In

Do you like reading blogs (short for web logs) like those profiled in the notable senior blogs category of this site? If you like those types of blogs and blogs in general, you might be interested in learning how to find more of this type of content. Here are three ways you can do just that:

1. Use a blog directory. Since blogs have grown so numerous and popular, sites have sprung up to list and categorize the many blogs out there, making it easier to find the ones you're looking for. One of the most popular of these directories is Technorati.com which, as of this writing, is tracking 71.9 million blogs (by their own estimate).
2. Try a special search engine. Google has aimed its search engine muscle squarely at the blogosphere (what all the blogs on the web are collectively known as) with the creation of Google Blog Search, which is specifically designed to find blogs.
3. Check out the blogrolls of your favorite blogs. A blogroll is just a list of links to other blogs that the author of the blog you're reading finds interesting. If he/she deems them notable, maybe you will too! Sometimes these links to other blogs can be found under different headings other than blogroll, like notable sites, or favorite links, etc., so keep that in mind.

Follow these tips and you'll have plenty of interesting blogs to read!

Play Jeopardy! Online

Are you a fan of Jeopardy!? Did you know that you could play a similar version of this popular TV game show online for free? All you have to do is follow these easy steps:

1. From the Jeopardy! homepage click on Play Jeopardy! Online.
2. On the resulting page you'll see four tabs labeled: Play, Download, Mobile and Buy. Click on Play.
3. After a few moments the game screen will appear and you'll hear the familiar Jeopardy! theme music. You'll be prompted to enter your name and select an avatar(a cartoon representation of yourself). Once you've done that, just click Continue.
4. The game begins shortly! Good Luck!

Don't forget to phrase your responses as questions!

Note: Make sure you read all the terms and conditions including the photosensitive warning before playing.

Where To Find Chat Rooms Especially For Seniors

In the brick and mortar world when you want to talk with people your own age you probably know where to find them. But how about online? When you want to chat on the web, do you know where to find seniors like yourself? If you don't, give these places a try-they're a good start:

• Age Concern, billed as, "the UK's largest charity working with and for older people," runs The Baby Boomer Bistro chat site for people 50 and over.
• SeniorNet.org (read about them in a previous post) has what they call a, "live chatterbox chat room" that you can access on their SeniorNet Roundtable Discussions Page.
• ThirdAge, a popular site for baby boomers offers the opportunity to connect with older adults on their chat page.

You'll have to register at each of these sites before they'll allow you to chat but happily it won't cost you anything!

Before You Chat: 5 Things To Keep In Mind

When you think about chatting on the web, the temptation is to just jump right in-you're anxious to meet new friends and share your life's stories, right? Like most things, though, it's prudent to give some thought to what you're about to get into...

If you want to save yourself some time and trouble, here are 5 things to consider before you start gabbing online:

1. Decide where you're going to chat. With so many options available-everything from general chat rooms to subject specific chats-it's a good idea to decide beforehand what you want to chat about so you don't waste time in the wrong places.
2. Learn the lingo. Chatting online involves the use of emoticons and acronyms-familiarize yourself with these and you'll have an easier time communicating in chat rooms.
3. Chat Rooms are public. When you're chatting online, remember that it's akin to speaking in the public square. Think very carefully about what you're going to say, in other words.
4. Read the privacy policy. Some sites will ask you to register and provide personal details before they'll let you participate in chats. Read their privacy policy or terms of service to find out what they do with your private information. Don't like their policies? Move on and chat somewhere else!
5. Educate yourself about the security risks. This is the most important item on the list. The US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) web site, for example, provides tips on using instant messaging and chat rooms safely that you should read before you chat online.

Chatting can be fun and safer when you remember these simple tips!

Where To Find Senior-Friendly Computer Accessories

Do you ever ask, Why can't someone make it easier for a senior like me to use the computer? Why can't I have a keyboard with larger letters that are easier to see or a mouse that's less stressful on my hand? If you're like many seniors, you probably wish they would start listening to the computer needs of senior citizens for a change.

Well, the good news is that someone has begun to listen!

SmartSolutionPartners(SSPDirect.com), for example-started in 2003 by a mother and daughter, Myrna and Risa Arin-sprang up for just that purpose. They offer a line of products designed to meet the special computer needs of older individuals like you.

Here's a sample of some of the products you can purchase from their online store:

• Large Letter Keyboards
• Text Magnification Software
• Ergonomically designed Mice and Trackballs
• Anti Glare Computer Glasses

Next time you're wondering if anyone has a product that could make your computer life easier, give them a look-you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find!

How To Find Web Sites That Have Been Updated Recently

Is there anything more frustrating than slogging through countless search engine results to get to the one site you think will help you, only to find-after you clicked on it-that it hasn't been updated since...1999? If you need the most up-to-date information on a particular topic you might have a problem. Don't you wish there was an easy way of locating web sites that have been recently updated?

Depending on the search engine you're using, there is, and it's not as difficult as you might think. Some of the more popular ones make restricting your search to recently updated sites a relatively simple task.

If you're conducting your search in Google, for example, just follow these easy steps:

1. From the homepage click Advanced Search (located to the right of the search entry box).
2. On The Advanced Search page, in Find Results, specify your search terms.
3. Now find Date (it's the fourth item down in the left-hand column). Click on the drop-down menu next to the phrase, Return web pages updated in the..., and select one of the following: past 3 months, past 6 months or past year.
4. When you've made your choice, just click the Google Search button (at the top of the page on the right) and you're done! You've just told Google to return search results from only those web sites that have been updated recently!

In Yahoo! Search you'd follow a similar set of steps:

1. On the Yahoo! Search page click Advanced Search (located to the right of the Web Search button).
2. On the resulting Advanced Search page in, Show results with, specify your search terms.
3. Now find Updated and click on the drop-down menu next to it. Select one of the following: within the past 3 months, within the past 6 months, or within the past year.
4. After you've made your selection click the Yahoo! Search button (upper right of the page) and you're done! You've just told Yahoo! Search to return search results from only those web sites that have been recently updated!

When you know this little secret, it's a whole lot easier to find the freshest content on the topic of your choice!

Make Some Time For "Me & the Cat"

Looking for an entertaining and thought provoking read from the blogosphere by someone who's not afraid to tell it like it is? Put Me & the Cat on your must read list! The blog, created by Lorraine O'Connor, a 70-something self-professed animal lover, is a gem of a find.

Whether she's offering up amusing anecdotes from her childhood or on a more serious note, discussing important animal rights issues, she writes with a passion that's unmistakable-it's obvious that she cares deeply, and she's a skillful enough writer to make you care too!

SeniorNet.org: Computer Help And A Whole Lot More

If you're relatively new to the web and not already familiar with SeniorNet.org, do yourself a big favor and visit the site as soon as you can. It's a "senior friendly" resource for learning about computer and Internet related information-and that's not all!

Some of the other features you'll find there that are worth noting include:

• Online Book Clubs
• Chat & Discussion Forums on a variety of topics
• Online Courses covering many diverse subjects-not just technology
• SeniorNet articles & guides on important health related issues

And much more! A true community on the web for the 50+ crowd SeniorNet.org is likely to be one of your favorite stops on the information superhighway!

Genealogy Resources From The National Archives

Want to get serious about genealogy research? Check out the Genealogists and Family Historians Page on the website of The National Archives and Records Administration.

The wealth of genealogy-related information you'll find there includes advice on how to begin researching your family history, as well as guidelines on using the following records from the National Archives:

• Census Records
• Military Records
• Immigration Records
• Naturalization Records
• Land Records

Though most of the records listed above are not available on the website itself-you'll have to visit the National Archives in person to do that-you'll nonetheless find the tips on how to research them, indispensable once you do make your visit.