| I recently interviewed my Terry and Sharon Ciccarelli | | | | everyday lives, bringing them closer to the people they |
| to learn more about how they use technology, | | | | love and making it easier to research, conduct |
| particularly the Internet. Both of them were born in the | | | | business, and communicate with others. Sharon, whose |
| mid 1940s and belong to a generation that grew up | | | | background was in the field of nursing, has connected |
| with home freezers, television, and space expeditions | | | | with a global community online that discusses blood |
| as major technological advances. When I suggested | | | | types and diets associated with specific blood types. |
| that I wanted to interview them about technology, they | | | | The Internet has enabled her to find a group of people |
| were excited and pleased to share how computers | | | | who are interested in the same niche and has |
| and the Internet specifically have changed their lives. | | | | provided them with a forum to converse about health |
| Terry and Sharon's first computer was a Commodore | | | | related issues. |
| 64 purchased in the 1980s and was primarily used for | | | | Terry, whose background is financial and estate |
| entertaining their children. Things have changed quite a | | | | planning, uses the Internet to communicate with his |
| bit since then and they are using their Dell Computer | | | | clients from anywhere in the world. Current news, |
| for a variety of leisure, educational, and occupational | | | | whether business or general, is conveniently available |
| activities. | | | | to him at the click of a mouse. Email is one of the |
| Sharon's favorite activities include reading and sending | | | | most useful applications for Terry, particularly where |
| email, reading articles on the Globe and Mail website, | | | | work is concerned. Just this morning, he sat down at |
| and gathering information about gardening, recipes, and | | | | the desktop computer and emailed business clients in |
| health. Sharon is also an avid writer and uses their | | | | Kelowna, British Columbia, received their reply, and was |
| computer to compile a quarterly family newsletter, | | | | able to email them back in the course of several |
| incorporating articles and photographs submitted by | | | | minutes, something that would have been unheard of |
| relatives via email, connecting the extended family both | | | | even a decade ago. |
| online and offline through traditional means by sending | | | | Although the computer has been a welcome addition |
| off printed copies of the newsletter in the mail. | | | | to their home, certain elements of their everyday lives |
| The computer has simplified the collaboration and | | | | have remained untouched by newer technologies such |
| editing processes immensely. Desktop publishing is as | | | | as iTunes and handheld MP3 players. They have both |
| easy as copying and pasting text from an email into | | | | listened to podcasts but don't feel the need to |
| her newsletter template in Microsoft Word. | | | | subscribe. They key to gracious living is simplicity, and |
| Terry prefers to visit financial websites and blogs | | | | they have their boundaries set. In a day and age |
| related to investment. One of his favorite blogs is | | | | where most people can't leave home, ride a bus, or do |
| BillCara, a blog that focuses on the stock market and | | | | the dishes without their iPods, Terry and Sharon prefer |
| enjoys a very popular following from people interested | | | | quiet contemplation and conversation. |
| in buying and selling stocks. Yahoo! Finance is another | | | | When asked what their next computer would be, both |
| favorite. The Yahoo! website keeps him logged in | | | | agreed that they would probably buy an Apple |
| which is another element of the user experience that | | | | Computer. They really like the graphics on the Apple |
| Terry appreciates. | | | | computers and are mainly interested in the user |
| For the past several years, Internet Explorer has been | | | | experience. The mere mention of iTunes, iPhoto, and |
| the browser of choice, but in recent days, they have | | | | other applications I really love were not factors in their |
| made the switch to Firefox, an Internet browser that | | | | decision to go with Apple. Again, it all came down to |
| simplifies navigating the web to a formidable degree. | | | | quality of product, user experience, and simplicity. Terry |
| Instead of saving their favorite home pages to their | | | | also mentioned that he would find a PDA (personal |
| computer desktop, Firefox gives them the option to | | | | digital assistant) useful, such as a BlackBerry, or a |
| create 'tabs' or bookmarks on their navigation bar. | | | | hand-held device that could play videos of corporate |
| They also installed a Google search bar in their Firefox | | | | presentations and speeches. |
| navigation bar for easier access to the information that | | | | It's amazing how far technology has brought us and |
| they seek. | | | | yet how much further it will take us. The new |
| When polled about their which search engine they | | | | technologies that we experience today will be the |
| prefer to use, the answer was unanimous: Google. | | | | same technologies that our children will take for |
| Google, a search engine that has been online since | | | | granted. Our generation takes home freezers, |
| 1998, is both familiar and trusted in their opinion. Terry | | | | television, and lunar missions for granted. The next will |
| and Sharon find that the search results are relevant to | | | | take computers, the Internet, and GPS systems for |
| their needs and they don't mind seeing the sponsored | | | | granted. |
| search results on the side, realizing that everything that | | | | For those of you who have been pioneers of the 20th |
| is free to use comes with a cost, usually in the form of | | | | century, you have our sincere thanks and utmost |
| corporate advertising. When asked about what they | | | | respect. Without your adoption, embrace and support |
| didn't like, pop-up ads and ads that took too long to | | | | of these innovations, they would not have been |
| load were at the top of the list. | | | | possible. |
| The Internet has made a great impact on their | | | | |