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It’s tough because old people are generally more intelligent and wiser than average and have more free time, it’s not strictly speaking about accessibility, lea

It’s tough because old people are generally more intelligent and wiser than average and have more free time, it’s not strictly speaking about accessibility, learning, stuff like that. Personally I believe you get older and desire a certain emotional / stimulation product that software does quite a bad job at delivering. Like Facebook helps validate your opinions but not by design, other old people just post stuff that their old friends will see. Email helps you feel busy but it’s not the same sense as being The Chairman of Your Company. Photos let you see your family but it’s not the same as lording over everyone in your big house on a holiday. I’m not trying to cast these feelings of power as something negative, just trying to characterize something that Snapchat and Instagram are very good at delivering for young people (power by sexualization) that does not at all appeal to old people. Startups generally don’t serve old people not because of lack of access, that’s more about whether the company can have a VC growth trajectory. If that’s the limit of your point, well just advertise on the radio, CNN and church instead of Facebook ads. But the more important point is how to make something for this population they actually want.

zzzcpan 7y ago
It's mostly about accessibility though. If something can provide a lot of value, but is inaccessible for people using an ipad with voice typing, it's the same as if doesn't exist at all for those people. And since most things are like that, the overall value of an internet connected ipad for them is not that high.
NotSammyHagar 7y ago
I think old people are not more or less intelligent than average people, they are probably average; but I agree that many are wiser than average. I think many people in old age are sadly very lonely, with much less connection to society and I think they'd love to find a connection to other people. I think in my generation, people who use a computer frequently and were born after 1960? say, they will be able to form connections on the net. While I'm just spouting opinions here, let me add that I think startups don't look at the needs of older people because they don't know about their lives well enough to think about problems that need solving.
- reaperducer 7y ago
  I think old people are not more or less intelligent than average people, they are probably average We gain a substantial part of our intelligence through experience. A 17-year-old is more intelligent than a seven-year-old in large part because of his experience. It seems only logical that someone who has lived twice as long as I have and has had twice as many experiences and twice as long to learn should be smarter than I am.
  - NotSammyHagar 7y ago
    To me you are describe wisdom, not intelligence. But I agree that time earned knowledge is very useful and valuable.
  - kingkongjaffa 7y ago
    There’s a pretty big jump in brain development between 7 and 17 wtf is this comment thread. I expect higher quality, fact based commentary from hn. This whole thread read like something off a trash subreddit.

zzzcpan 7y ago

It's mostly about accessibility though. If something can provide a lot of value, but is inaccessible for people using an ipad with voice typing, it's the same as if doesn't exist at all for those people. And since most things are like that, the overall value of an internet connected ipad for them is not that high.

NotSammyHagar 7y ago

I think old people are not more or less intelligent than average people, they are probably average; but I agree that many are wiser than average. I think many people in old age are sadly very lonely, with much less connection to society and I think they'd love to find a connection to other people. I think in my generation, people who use a computer frequently and were born after 1960? say, they will be able to form connections on the net. While I'm just spouting opinions here, let me add that I think startups don't look at the needs of older people because they don't know about their lives well enough to think about problems that need solving.

reaperducer 7y ago
I think old people are not more or less intelligent than average people, they are probably average We gain a substantial part of our intelligence through experience. A 17-year-old is more intelligent than a seven-year-old in large part because of his experience. It seems only logical that someone who has lived twice as long as I have and has had twice as many experiences and twice as long to learn should be smarter than I am.
- NotSammyHagar 7y ago
  To me you are describe wisdom, not intelligence. But I agree that time earned knowledge is very useful and valuable.
- kingkongjaffa 7y ago
  There’s a pretty big jump in brain development between 7 and 17 wtf is this comment thread. I expect higher quality, fact based commentary from hn. This whole thread read like something off a trash subreddit.