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'Geriatric' Peter's new web wish
Surprise internet smash-hit Peter Oakley has launched a scheme to encourage more older people to use computers, writes Andrew Stucken
As YouTube phenomenon 'Geriatric 1927' - so-called because of the year of his birth - Mr Oakley has been dubbed 'one of the most famous Britons alive'. Mr Oakley shot to global superstardom with his web diary on the youth-dominated self-broadcasting site.
Eighty year old Peter's off-beat webcam monologues drew more than half a million viewers within a few months of its launch.
His fame grew after an appearance with senior citizens' rock group The Zimmers' novelty cover version hit of The Who's rock classic My Generation.
Now Mr Oakley wants to encourage computer and internet use by older people with his Silver Surfers project.
He has produced an A4 flyer to download from his www.askgeriatric.com website. The idea is that those with computers distribute copies of the flyer and - as he puts it - spread the word.
Despite a lifelong passion for motorcycling, Mr Oakley does not consider himself to be an especially technically-minded person.
The discovery that only a small proportion of seniors were using computers prompted him to devise a scheme to help them get started.
As he explains: "We live in a world where most things are controlled by computers. Seeing the benefits I had reaped from it, I though it was a shame more people couldn't realise the benefits. So that is really what we're trying to do.
"When anyone does get encouraged to go into the world of computing, then there is so much help out there in all sorts of ways. I'm sure there are lots of elderly people out there who really are half-encouraged to do it. But they're so afraid of not understanding it – thinking it's too complicated – and really they only need just a little bit of encouragement."
Mr Oakley's aim is - in his words - "encouraging people to encourage other people" – giving them confidence to take that initial step.
The project is not limited to the UK as plans are afoot to translate the leaflet into German.
Given the incredible reach of the internet and Mr Oakley's global celebrity, no-one should be too surprised if he gives his generation the push it needs to really catch the computing bug.
* To download the flyer, click the link at the bottom of the menu on the left hand side of his www.askgeriatric.com homepage. You will need the Serif Page Plus programme to open it, as the document is in PPP format. The free Serif software package can be downloaded via a button on the homepage.
