Information Technology | Ergonomics » Web 2.0 best practice for Senior Citizens

Source: http://www.doksinet WEB 2.0 BEST PRACTICE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS MFKK Feltalálói és Kutató Központ Szolgáltató Kft. MFKK Invention and Research Center Services Co. Ltd Tétényi út 93 1119 Budapest Hungary www.mfkkhu Project: W@VE 2.0 2011. 04 28 Source: http://www.doksinet TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary . 2 Introduction. 3 Web 2.0 Services and Applications 4 Usability Guidelines. 7 Specific Needs of Seniors. 8 Usability, Ergonomics and Accessibility. 9 General Design Considerations . 10 Mobile Web 2.0 18 Conclusions . 20 Bibliography . 21 ANNEX I – List of Web Services and Applications Frequently Used by Seniors . 23 ANNEX II – List of Web 2.0 Services and Applications 43 Source: http://www.doksinet EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The W@VE 2.0 project has been called into life to meet the needs of a wide category of the European population: seniors. It aims at helping them catch up with the new wave of ICT, also dubbed Web 20 By doing so, it would enhance the

quality of their lives by letting them take advantage of new services and tools. This action is in line also with the Riga Agreement, which sets milestones for eliminating the digital divide between older and younger generations of Internet users. This report is a summary of existing Web 2.0 technologies from the perspective of senior citizens and their needs. “Seniors” is a very generic term, designating a very heterogeneous group with a variegated set of needs and interests. While a senior individual aged 60 might typically need only slight adjustments of the web environment to fully take advantage of it, a person aged 80 will clearly have different needs. This report also aims to take into account the differences that exist between such groups. The document is structured as follows: 1. Introduction: the general context of the report is presented and criteria for the subsequent analysis are laid out. 2. Web 20 Services and Applications: a definition for Web 20 and its main

features are given and differences to Web 1.0 highlighted 3. Usability Guidelines: is a general presentation of usability guidelines for web designers Items directly related to senior users will be emphasized. 4. Mobile Web 20: discusses mobile devices as access points to the web in the context of “connected anywhere, anytime”. Some considerations from a senior user’s point of view are made. Seniors are reported to increasingly use smartphones, therefore, a brief analysis is necessary. 5. Conclusions: this section gives a summary of the previous sections and draws some general conclusions. 6. Appendix I – List of Web Services and Applications Frequently Used by Seniors: presents some popular web services or applications, from the perspective of senior users, sorted into six categories: e-commerce, e-banking, e-learning, e-health, e-communication and e-information and entertainment. These services and applications were not designed with senior users in mind or have been designed

to be used mainly by other age groups and may (or may not) have some accessibility options. They have been selected, because they are frequently accessed by senior users. 7. Appendix II – List of Web 20 Services and Applications: lists some typical Web 20 applications with a short description for each. 2 Source: http://www.doksinet INTRODUCTION The structure of societies is transforming due to unprecedented demographic changes. One of the challenges faced in line with this is the changing interaction of older persons with information and communication technologies (ICT) and their attitude towards learning. Seniors (in most studies referred to as “50 years and older”) show less participation both in ICT related activities and in training and learning activities compared with their younger peers. However, authors such as Iller [11] refer to upcoming new generations of older persons that have grown up in an environment characterized by continuous learning (mostly in informal

settings). She prognoses a change in the proportion of older persons participating in learning activities in the near future, making it necessary for training providers to adapt to the changing groups of customers and their needs and habits. In parallel all these groups are acquainted with ICT-based learning (both formal and informal learning settings) and increasingly articulate their interests in using new technologies for learning purposes. 8% of persons over 60 already learn by using electronic media [5]. Iller states that introductory courses on using the internet are often fully booked and there are waiting lists and the number of internet users over 60 is rapidly. Additionally, an emerging communication culture among seniors has been identified that aims at overcoming and compensating restrictions in mobility with the help of electronic media. It helps them keep in contact with friends, retrieve news, organise mail and legal papers, or do the shopping without leaving the house

– all via the Internet [20]. The growing of developing more suitable learning settings for older persons is even more pressing considering the continuously rising number of persons participating in e-learning activities and the change of learning settings at workplaces. There is a constant pressure in most business sectors to keep the know-how up-to-date in order to compete on the labour market. Most trainings for these learners (employees) are therefore focused on work-related issues. Enterprises are most often creating their own learning cultures, training plans and offer active support from different sources (e.g HR department) for further qualifications As a consequence recently retired people usually are still comfortable with more or less formal learning settings, but with focus on their work-related issues. Once they retire, a natural shift in interest as well as in purpose of learning is observable: personal interests, self-fulfilment and most importantly, social activities

gain importance. On the other hand, the daily routine of “going to work” is interrupted and ties to that community tend to weaken. In such situations, learning is often used as a “tool” in order to maintain social contacts and the actual reason behind retired people enlisting to various courses. Bluntly put, the actual courses can serve as pretext for bonding. Clearly, different approaches are needed for these learners The extent to which ICT is used by older adults is strongly influenced by the willingness of the target group to acquire the necessary competences. This willingness on the other hand is positively enhanced, if the system meets the requirements of the elderly [9]. 3 Source: http://www.doksinet WEB 2.0 SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS The term “Web 2.0” was allegedly coined by Darcy DiNucci, a consultant on electronic information design, in 1999. Although it may suggest the creation of a new version of the web, in fact it does not supersede any of the existing

technologies, but adds new ones that facilitate or make possible operations that make the web more collaborative than ever, providing new experiences and a set of new tools that becomes bigger every day. Such technologies are: Ajax, XML, Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, RSS, PHP, Ruby, ColdFusion, Perl, Python, JSP, ASP or even the H.264/MPEG-4 motion-compensationbased codec The paradigm shift that occurred from “Web 1.0” to “Web 20” can be summarized as the change from static content, which can be viewed, downloaded, etc. – much like a library – to content that can be used in an interactive fashion. Web surfers no longer are simple “consumers” of on-line content, they actively create, upload, share, modify, comment, tag content. That is why some prefer the term “Read/Write Web”. The main features of the “Web 2.0” are summarized under the acronym SLATES [14]:  Search: Finding the required information through keyword search, whether on the web or within a given web

site.  Links: Connects information together into a meaningful information ecosystem, providing the pathways to easily move from one piece of information to the next.  Authoring: Surfers are no longer simple information viewers, consumers, etc. The information stream can flow both ways, with users putting content on the web, editing it, modifying other people’s edits, undoing own or third party edits, commenting, rating, linking, etc.  Tags: Behind this word are very short descriptions, most of the time single words, but never exceeding 2-3 words, describing usually a non-text item on the web. They are akin to keywords and attach meta-information to an item, providing a handle for categorization. Collections of such tags may be referred to as "folksonomies" (i.e, folk taxonomies) Tags are seen by some authors as the essence of “Web 2.0” Research into whether coherent categorization schemes can emerge from unsupervised tagging by users has led to positive

answers [8].  Extensions (a.ka add-ons, plug-ins, etc): Pieces of software that work usually in conjunction with a web browser and add some functionality, e.g the ability to view files that are not natively supported by the browser (Adobe Flash player, Microsoft Silverlight, ActiveX, Oracle Java, Quicktime, Windows Media, etc.), perform functions that are not foreseen in the basic design of the browser (including a change in appearance) or enable the user to write his own code that will add custom functionality to the browser (e.g automating the download of a book, which has each page stored in a separate file). Technically speaking, extensions are tools to transform the web into an application platform as well as a document server at the same time.  Signals: The use of feeds such as syndication technologies (e.g RSS) to notify users of content changes. This way, communication becomes asynchronous, toppling the “Web 1.0” request-answer communication model. Another trend

is the creation of so-called “mash-ups” or web application hybrids. In fact it is the integration of contents of several types or from different sources into one interface. Most Web 20 applications, especially social networking sites have benefited from their advent. The technical framework supporting mash-ups consists of a wide variety of APIs (Application Programming Interface), i.e, pieces of code, which act as “translators”, allowing interaction with third 4 Source: http://www.doksinet party data and usage of functionality developed by others, without knowledge of the inner workings of the requested services. Learning-by-doing becomes an important method of learning (especially in informal settings) in today’s information society. Web 20 tools offer lots of functionality to support such forms of learning The main expectations in such settings are [6]:  Learner at the centre of the learning process  Shift of emphasis from teaching to learning  Learning is

conceived as a social process  Collaborative knowledge creation – learners are co-producers in the learning process  Flexible, personalised  Suited for formal, non-formal, informal settings  Guidance and interaction continue to be important; the system should, if not take over, at least facilitate these processes  Learning-by-doing becomes an important method of learning The main innovative tools, associated with Web 2.0 technologies that can be used to serve the above purposes are:  File sharing: the possibility to share virtually any type of content with anyone or just a restricted group of users has become reality years ago. Beside the classic file sharing protocols (e.g bittorrent), now users can upload own content into the “cloud” and send the hyperlink for download to anybody they wish. In a broader sense, file sharing may include content sharing, which does not involve the sharing of actual content, (it remains physically at the same provider

/ location), but rather sharing the link to access it. This includes services like YouTube (for videos), Flickr or Picasa (for photos), etc.  Collaborative content: It is possible for users to create content online collaboratively, thus harnessing the common knowledge of a group and making it available for further use to others. In such environments there are virtually no limits to adding, deleting, modifying or undoing modifications, be it the own contribution or someone else’s.  Blog: A contraction of “web log”, the primary function of a blog is that of a diary. It is related to collaborative content creation in that it can be accessed by anyone and readers may post comments. Several mutations are known: art blog, photoblog, video blogging and podcasting, just to name a few. Microblogging is another type of blogging, featuring very short posts Twitter is arguably the most popular microblogging application.  Social networking: Social networks are a comfortable

means to bond with peers. There is a wide variety of social networking services to be found on-line. The users, who register, are then able to establish a network of relatives, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc. and (usually within certain limits set by the users) can view or post content (text, photos, video, audio, links, etc.), comment on it or rate it The most successful social networking service to date is Facebook with over 500 million registered users.  Social gaming: People of all ages like to play. At the same time, games can be a powerful educational tool, if properly designed. The palette is very variegated, ranging from games designed especially for educational purposes, through virtual reality games, recreating entire universes, like Second Life and MMORPGs (Massively Multi-Player On-Line Role Play Games) 5 Source: http://www.doksinet as the tremendously successful World of Warcraft or EVE, to small games that populate social networks. They all have in

common their collaborative nature: users are prompted to achieve goals that can only be accomplished together, never as an individual. As can be deduced by analysing the above groups of applications, some overlap between these categories exists. The functions these tools are deemed to fulfil individually or in combination are:  Sharing and transferring knowledge  Re-skilling  Allowing effective Lifelong Learning From the above Web 2.0 tools, social networking services are able to integrate all the other elements, besides the unique capability of creating a social network, which is probably the secret behind their success. However, very little information is available about the online social networking habits of seniors. Nevertheless, seniors are the fastest growing demographic segment in social networks The advertising industry is well aware of this fact and spends serious resources in an effort to attract as many seniors as possible. A proposed model lists ten key

factors that influence the use of social networks by seniors [13]. These are: 1. Perceived privacy 2. Perceived security 3. Perceived trust 4. Gender 5. Web experience 6. Computer anxiety 7. Social norms 8. Enjoyment 9. Desire to give information 10. Desire to receive information Since the information is very scarce, only a generalisation of the above guidelines for web best practice can be suggested in relation to social networks for seniors. 6 Source: http://www.doksinet USABILITY GUIDELINES “Generation 50+”, “Best Agers”, “Silversurfers” etc. are all terms that are applied as a label to the “new” generation of older adults. This demographic group is expected to grow throughout the next years and its economic and social impact will snowball – Baier and Kimpeler [2] point out that beside the biggest proportion of available financial means they lead also when it comes to the amount of leisure time. One recurring mistake made in research as well as in practice when

dealing with older adults is neglecting the heterogeneity of this group. As a result of this "age" or "older" are not to be used as a sociological category and different age groups have been identified. Retirement now spans several decades and involves different generations with a multitude of backgrounds, values, consumer behaviours and technical experience. On that basis a differentiation of the target group based on age, ability, aptitude and attitude as proposed by Redish and Chisnell [17] is more appropriate and allows focusing on more segmented groups of older persons. Although segmentation is only possible to a limited extent, the main aspects to be taken into account are the following:  Age: One of the most common mistakes made by designers is the indiscriminate categorisation in terms of “age”. In addition to chronological age, experiential age along with maturity level, life experience have an undeniable influence (not only) on the person in

question.  Ability: is normally referred to as the degree of physical and / or cognitive limitations or restrictions. Some divide older adults into three groups on the basis of their abilities rather than possible limitations, therefore offering a more positive view on this issue [21]: ◦ Fit: People, who do not appear to be and do not consider themselves disabled, but definitely are not as able as at a younger age. ◦ Frail: People considered as “frail” usually have at least one obvious disability, but often have other less obvious ones too. ◦ Disabled and ageing: People falling into this category have already acquired long-term disabilities and are also affected by ageing. This segmentation can be further refined, but may work well as a starting point. A couple of further criteria that can be useful are:  Aptitude – the extent to which users have experience and expertise with technology. It does not correlate entirely with chronological age.  Attitude –

positive (forward looking, risk-taking, and experimenting) or negative (fearful, diffident or defensive). Encompasses also confidence levels, and emotional need for support from another human being [18].  Another important aspect observed is feminisation. The demographic indentation due to World War II is diminishing, but the number of older women is still higher than that of old men, mainly due to differences in life expectancy of the two genders [2].  Demands of older people are not only determined by characteristics as age, gender, income, education or family. Health has a primary influence on the demand for professional support services as well as support by and use of ICT. A change in life style of older persons has been observed, resulting in a change of guiding principles in life, ideals and moral concepts. According to some authors, hedonism and independence of older adults are becoming more frequent, resulting in a wish to personalize their own living styles and stay

in their own homes as long as possible rather than in old people’s homes and keep mobile [12]. 7 Source: http://www.doksinet The heterogeneity of the target group outlined above has been identified as a major challenge for the W@VE 2.0 project As stated in the project proposal, the project partners intend to provide an ICTbased solution for social interaction that might be used by people with a low level of ICT skills, a statement, which is currently valid for the largest proportion of the target group 50+. The proposed solution is aimed at users in possession of some basic IT skills (i.e at least ability to use a web browser is required) who will thus be able to benefit from the resources provided by the project. An option to access the learning environment is in the provision of training material for tutors, intended to be used along with their learning materials for older adults. In order to stimulate their activities, one of the project outputs is precisely a guide for

trainers. SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SENIORS Overall it can be pointed out that older people can hardly avoid using ICT in their everyday lives – and they are eager to learn how to use it, if they find them useful or if there is any perceived personal benefit. Communication, leisure, mobility, entertainment, social contacts are the most important topics that need to be covered by ICT in general. Technology and therefore all sorts of computer systems, internet applications etc. are going to be integrated into nearly every aspect of life and implicitly into the life of older adults too. Although the group of older adults is very heterogeneous, typical degenerative effects, common to (almost) all are observable: diminished vision, varying degrees of hearing loss, hand-eye coordination and psychometric impairments including difficulty with fine-motor coordination, degenerative diseases including arthritis, osteoporosis or stiffening of the joints, diabetes, cataracts or macular degeneration and

optic atrophy. Decline of sensory, motion or cognitive abilities can also be traced back to sports done previously or occupational injuries as well as strokes [1]. Although there is a noticeable reduction of the acuity of certain senses, in general assistive technologies are not necessarily needed to compensate for. It is rather simple to address these issues in the design process for (learning) environments for older adults, as described in more detail in section on Usability, Ergonomics and Accessibility further below: 1. Visual impairment Deterioration of vision is the most common physiological change associated with longevity. Most common are:  decreasing ability to focus on tasks such as reading;  different degrees of colour blindness;  dry eyes as a result of declining blink rates; 2. Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and shrinking of the pupil, resulting in the need for more light and a diminished capacity for adjusting to changing levels of illumination. 3. Mobility

impairments (hand-eye coordination and psychometric impairments including difficulty with fine-motor coordination) 4. Hearing impairments (different degrees) 5. Cognitive processes – reduced speed of information processing (short term memory) 6. Problems with specific (especially technical) terminology, eg Internet, computers, etc as older adults often are unfamiliar with these terms. Five major difficulties in relation to ICT on the basis of the above have been listed in the literature [12]: 8 Source: http://www.doksinet 1. Problems of adequacy: Older adults might have the feeling that IT-products have not been developed for them but for a younger audience, especially if the devices are difficult to use or the explanations contain complex, technical vocabulary. 2. Problems of perception: Problems in this field most often relate to difficulties in visual perception; due to diminishing vision, the handling of IT devices becomes increasingly difficult, e.g if fonts are too small,

contrast is too low, etc 3. Problems of handling: This category is probably the vastest and can be exemplified by problems like buttons that are too small, the space between them too narrow or uncomfortable placement of the buttons, etc. 4. Problems of understanding: Instructions for older adults have to be clear, intelligible, logical, rational, the use of incomprehensible technical terms and foreign vocabulary has to be avoided. Symbols and pictures should present meaningful information in a fitting format and size. 5. Technical problems: The tasks performed to navigate through websites and to use communication tools etc. demand for technical know-how In order to facilitate usage, these tasks should be logically ordered and simple but not oversimplifying. Two guidelines emerge from the analysis of the presented problems: 1. ICT tools and environments have to focus on the basic functionality, which has to be directly accessible and easy to handle. 2. Additionally, it is necessary to

take into account the physiological specifics of older adults when it comes to reduced sensory perception, limited motor capabilities and changes in cognitive processes. Nevertheless, older adults demand good and modern design. This gives them the perception that both design and quality of the product are up-to-date and is perceived as modern by his peers as well, resulting in a boost of self-confidence. USABILITY, ERGONOMICS AND ACCESSIBILITY Usability, as defined in ISO 9241-11:1998, is understood to be the “extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use”. The term ergonomics has a wider meaning and has been introduced in the ISO 6385 standard of 2004: “Scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among human and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize

human well-being and overall system performance”. It can be stated that in general providers of web resources are themselves responsible how they distribute information or tools to their customers. Nevertheless, if providers neglect the needs of older adults they may exclude huge proportions of potential customers from their services. Additionally, designing web resources in a more user friendly way facilitates in most cases usage for other user groups, not only seniors. Older adults experience age related barriers in the use of web resources, which can be similar to those of disabled persons. Therefore, accessibility issues have to be taken into account in the design of web resources as well. The legal framework for accessibility issues is based on different national and international anti-discrimination laws. In Europe (for the US cf Americans with Disabilities Act) guidelines 2000/78/EU and 2000/43/EU, on the basis of the Amsterdam treaty Art. 13 EUV, have been transferred into

national laws in most EU member states. As a result of the different legal implementation several accessibility guidelines and regulations exist. Most often the Web Content 9 Source: http://www.doksinet Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, provided by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), are referred to, the adapted national guidelines serve as reference. The checkpoints summarized in the guidelines of the WCAG 2.0 of 11 December 2008 (http://www.w3org/TR/WCAG20/) give web designers directions how to design accessible websites on three different levels of accessibility, ranging from A (minimum compliance) to AAA (full compliance). With WCAG 10 similar compliance criteria were set, only in the last version the scale has been refined and novel elements have been given a more in-depth look (e. g CAPTCHA) The Guidelines cover the following aspects: 1. Perceivable 1.1 Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed

into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language. 1.2 Provide alternatives for time-based media 1.3 Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure. 1.4 Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background. 2. Operable 2.1 Make all functionality available from a keyboard 2.2 Provide users enough time to read and use content 2.3 Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures 2.4 Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are 3. Understandable 3.1 Make text content readable and understandable 3.2 Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways 3.3 Help users avoid and correct mistakes 4. Robust 4.1 Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies. It is worth noting that compliance level AAA cannot be achieved for

certain types of content, as stated in the WCAG 2.0 guidelines, themselves Therefore it is recommended not to require full AAA compliance on a standard basis. In cases, where full AAA compliance is not achievable, a Statement of Partial Compliance can be made. Also, compliance can be taken into account in the context of full pages only. Parts of web pages cannot be certified to comply with the WCAG 20 guidelines The WCAG 2.0 website has a host of full compliance guidelines, which describe in detail the individual compliance criteria and their practical implementation and troubleshooting. It even puts to the user’s disposal an interactive checklist for WCAG 2.0 compliance The guidelines should be applied to any web resource before submitted for public use and will also be applied to the W@VE 2.0 content It is intended to achieve at least level A (according to WCAG 20) GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS 10 Source: http://www.doksinet “Websites tend to be produced by young designers,

who often assume that all users have perfect vision and motor control, and know everything about the Web.” These assumptions rarely hold, even when the users are not seniors. However, as indicated by usability metrics developed by Jakob Nielsen, older persons are more affected by usability problems than younger users. Among the obvious physical attributes often influenced by the human ageing process are eyesight, precision of movement, and memory. Many older adults also retired without having ever used computers or the internet extensively during their working careers. Thus, they have not necessarily learned good conceptual models of how these technologies work, i.e Nielsen points to older adults finding it difficult to differentiate between a search box and the browsers URL box. The recommendations highlighted in this section give an overview of the issues which have to be taken into account in the design of appropriate user interfaces for older adults. It is highly recommended to

apply further testing throughout the development process in order to guarantee the intended quality of the final product. Recommendations Seniors, especially when they are retired, invest time in getting acquainted with the Internet as well as other information and communication technologies, but in the new EU member states, quite often they use out-dated equipment “inherited” for instance from their children. Additionally, in these countries, many of them are not interested in investing a lot of money in a tool that does not play a prominent role in their lives, unlike their peers from economically more developed EU countries. Therefore, it is necessary to design the output for hard- and software that quite often is not the state-of-the-art in the field or is even out-dated. Although no specific data is available on the screen sizes used by older adults, it is recommendable to design for a smaller screen size than for other users or provide processes to automatically detect

smaller screen sizes and comfortably display the whole contents on them. This is especially true with the advent of netbooks and smart phones. Overall, the design of the environment has to be modern in order to attract seniors, but more importantly, the usage of the web environment has to take into account the needs of the target group. This is especially true for visual, acoustic, tactile and cognitive issues. Aspects in relation to the visual presentation play the most eminent role in the design for older adults, but do not only relate to older adults but all people. Most important, designers need to be aware as well that a large proportion of the intended target group has little experience with PCs. Therefore, navigation and access to different functionalities have to be as intuitive as possible. Older adults need more time to get acquainted with new virtual environments as many of them did never learn to navigate in complex systems like a social network portal. The attention of the

user is selectively focusing on information; therefore information has to be presented in a clearly structured way. Some recommend repeating structures in order to stimulate learning processes and allow the user to get familiar with a new environment by using the same to structure several times. In order not to overload short term memory it is recommended (e.g breadcrumbs) to display the navigation path at all times is helpful not to lose the way in an online environment. The speed with which seniors process information is an important aspect to be considered not only in the instructional design of the environment, but even more important in the underlying technological basis. Older people get distracted more easily by short spots, advertisements, quick (flash) animations that demand for user interaction, complex animated navigation menus etc. than their younger counterparts. Frustration, as a consequence, is a major hindrance in efficient usage and acceptance of the technology. On the

other hand, seniors tend to get annoyed by long waiting times and useless information sooner than younger persons. 11 Source: http://www.doksinet Overall, designers need to reduce the degree of complexity as much as possible. This applies to the design of the interface and the language used (i.e technical vocabulary, terms from foreign languages, etc.) Where possible, the system should give direct feedback on the inputs of the users in order to give them the certainty that tasks, commands etc. are processed or already finalised and information about the actual location of the user inside the system should also be provided. The design of a virtual learning environment demands for specific considerations in relation to usability. The broad range of materials and tools used for teaching and learning includes, but is not limited to, paper, audio and video materials, CD/DVD-ROM, television, and the Internet. ICT-based learning takes advantage of a variety of technologies to facilitate

learning and interaction between participants in order to provide online learners with its characteristic speed and flexibility. Tools used in an e-learning context may include synchronous and asynchronous communication tools, videoconferencing systems, whiteboards, application sharing, learning management systems (LMS), virtual or augmented reality, simulations, games etc. Furthermore, online content, for instance presented in a LMS, can include a blend of these for instance: text on a website, digital audio, digital video, animated images, and virtual reality environments. This content can be created in a variety of ways, utilizing a large variety of authoring tools. Obviously, taking into account the needs of older adults, not all of these tools and approaches are equally suitable for the target group. Following a suggested interactive design process these changes and adaptations will be tested and evaluated throughout the development process. Recommendations given by Barstow and

Rothberg [3] on accessible design of learning materials and learning environments include the following: 1. Allow for customization based on user preference: options for customization include display elements, e.g fonts, font style, cursor screen layout, text size etc as well as interface features, e.g timing of events and keyboard settings 2. Provide equivalent access to auditory and visual content based on user preferences: for people with disabilities all applications should combine equivalent access for all auditory and visual aspects of learning technologies and content by providing text equivalents. 3. Provide compatibility with assistive technologies and include complete keyboard access 4. Provide content and orientation information and maintain a consistent layout between pages 5. Follow relevant specifications, standards, and/or guidelines, eg WCAG 20, Section 508, etc 6. Consider the use of W3C recommended technologies (XHTML, SVG, SMIL, etc) Before going into detail, one

aspect many designers forget about needs to be addressed – an adequate URL of the learning environment: The name of the URL should be short and easy to spell. It is recommended to use a term most older adults are familiar with, but should not discriminate the target group or contain prejudices. The site should load quickly, even with slower connections, and if longer loading times a necessary, a visual clue should give information on the progress of the loading process (e.g when Flash is used)[7] Visual Design Designing the visual aspects of a website takes into account form, content, arrangement, light, contrast, and colour. It includes all of the visual elements on a page and depends on the context of the user and the context within the website [17]. The main visual aspects are treated in detail below Layout & Style [1], [7], [16], [17]  Use a sans serif typeface (Arial, Verdana, Helvetica etc.) that is not condensed Avoid the use of serif, novelty, and display typefaces.

12 Source: http://www.doksinet  Use 12 point or 14 point type size for body text.  Use medium or bold face type.  Body text in upper and lowercase letters.  Use all capital letters in headlines only.  Reserve underlining for links.  Double space body text.  Left justified text is optimal for older adults.  Use white space to help direct users’ attention by grouping items on a page so that users can see at a glance how items are related. Spacing combined with appropriate size of text, links, and buttons will make it easier for older adults to physically select the right link.  Many older adults (cf. results of user needs analysis in WP1 / SeniorLearning project) are using older computers with slower connections to the Internet. Designers have to avoid, so loading long pages and graphics is very slow.  An easy to identify “home”-button should be present on every page. Scrolling [17]  Older adults, who have little experience

with computers, often do not know the concept of scrolling – scrolling is a learned behaviour.  Avoid automatically scrolling text. If manual scrolling is required, incorporate specific scrolling icons.  General kinaesthetic sensitivity (ability to control movement) degrades with age; therefore controlling a mouse with more complex navigation elements (such as using pull-down menus and scrolling lists) becomes difficult. Colour [1], [16]  Choose colours in close proximity that are easy to discriminate even when juxtaposed. Some older people may have serious difficulties with certain colour combinations.  Use dark type or graphics against a light background, or white lettering on a black or darkcoloured background. Avoid patterned backgrounds  Warm colours and harmonic colour schemes are more suitable than cold colours and strange colour combinations.  Use tools to test whether contrast is high enough (e.g background and font colour) and whether colours may

be seen by people having difficulties differentiating colours or being colour blind (e.g Vischeck: wwwvischeckcom) Menus and Navigation [1], [7], [16], [17] There are some cognitive issues along with motor limitations that make menus and navigation elements difficult for older adults to interact with. While the ease of use of menus and navigation elements is highly dependent on the information architecture – especially labelling – an optimised structure of the site puts less of a burden on working (short-term) memory and demands less in the way of making inferences about the underlying content. Redish and Chisnell [17] argue that all users perform better with shallower hierarchies, but that older adults are disproportionately affected by depth in hierarchies. Therefore, it is recommended to have more topics closer to the top hierarchy level which suits users better than creating deep, narrow 13 Source: http://www.doksinet information hierarchies. They state that information two

or three clicks away may not be a hard to access, but shallower hierarchies (needing fewer clicks to get to the right content) are better than very deep/interlaced ones. Additionally, implementing advanced organizers such as process bars that illustrate processes or steps and where the person is within a given process will help mitigate memory and attention issues. Other recommendations:  The organisation of the web site should be simple and straightforward.  Use explicit step-by-step navigation procedures whenever possible to ensure that people understand what follows next.  Carefully label links.  Use single mouse clicks to access information, wherever possible.  Use a standard page design and the same symbols and icons throughout the whole site.  Use the same set of navigation buttons in the same place on each page to move from one web page or section of the web site to another.  Incorporate text with the icon if possible, and use large buttons that

do not require precise mouse positioning for activation.  Provide a site map to show how the site is organized.  Use icons in combination with text as hyperlinks.  Avoid dynamically changing menu structures.  Implement a breadcrumb menu showing recently visited pages.  Change colours of links in order to mark already visited pages. Buttons and Styles [1], [17] Buttons are important interface elements not only for navigation. Seniors face two major problems when interacting with buttons: Many of them have difficulties to identify what is clickable and once they have identified a target, they often have problems of actually hitting the active area of the target due to fine motor movement related problems. Some recommendations to make buttons more comfortable to use:  Buttons should be logically arranged.  Buttons should be large enough (the same applies to other symbols including text used for button labels);  An easy to read font (preferably

sans-serif: e.g Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, etc) should be used for text labels;  The colour chosen should have sufficient contrast to the background,  The functionality of the button should be clear from the label on it, its shape, etc.,  Buttons might be linked to an audio signal, e.g keystroke In order to provide optimal audio output for older adults affected by varying degrees of hearing loss, spoken language should be loud, clear and audible.  Space between buttons and other elements on the interface should be sufficient. 14 Source: http://www.doksinet  In order to facilitate order adults to identify buttons as clickable the cursor may change when hovering over a button.  Additional feedback might be given that the button has been activated (sound, mouse pointer changes, etc.) Sitemap [17] The purpose of a site map is to provide a quick overview of the entire web site which may take the form of a table of contents. This will help users find their

way through sites more efficiently and gives an idea of the structure of the visited web site. Search Function [1]  Search form should be clearly differentiated from other content of a web site and should be labelled with the word “Search”. A magnifying glass icon can be a helpful hint  Help and important instructions for using the search functionalities should be provided.  A search functionality offered on a web site should tolerate spelling mistakes or should offer suggestions for improved search results.  A search engine should consider different grammatical versions of a word and suggest synonyms.  Search results should be presented without the need of scrolling.  Search results should be arranged according to relevance. Language and Terminology Redish and Chisnell [17] point out that older adults are just as likely as younger web users to “read to do” – or skim or scan text on web pages to get what they need as quickly as possible. They even

state that older adults can be even less patient than younger users, and they may abandon a site or give up on an online task faster than their younger peers. This only emphasizes the importance of good design, targeted specifically at elderly users [1], [16].  Present information in a clear and concise way to reduce the number of inferences that must be made. Use positive statements  Use active voice.  Write short, straightforward sentences.  Keep paragraphs as short as possible.  Organize the content in a standard format.  Break lengthy documents into short sections.  Use lists.  Use vocabulary familiar to your readers, i.e avoid technical vocabulary or foreign language expressions if possible. When users encounter terms they are unfamiliar with, they simply skip them – often missing opportunities to get closer to their goals.  Avoid contents stigmatising or discriminating age but point out positive approaches, creative solutions,

demanding products, success stories, etc. instead Multimedia [16]  Use text-relevant images only. 15 Source: http://www.doksinet  Use short segments to reduce download time on slower connections.  Provide text alternatives such as open-captioning or access to a static version of the text for all animation, video, and audio elements.  Give the user the possibility to control the playback of animations, videos, etc. (ie pause/stop buttons).  Be aware that plugins or additional software needed may not be installed on the computer and users might be unfamiliar with the installation procedure.  The printing and storage of all information (for instance through pdf-files), should be possible. Many users, not only the elderly, prefer to read information in print. User Customization Many computer users are unaware of the customization possibilities available, including font size, display colours, contrast, icon size and typefaces or are not aware of new

pointing devices (trackball mice, ergonomic keyboards, etc.) Often physical discomfort can accompany the use of computers precisely because the user is unable to adapt the settings to his / her own needs. Eyestrain and dry-eyes are a common complaint of computer users which may be relieved by upgrading from a small monitor to a larger one (LCD display). Browsers, like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Microsoft Internet Explorer allow a high level of customization including text size, fonts and colours. Even more changes to fonts, icons and colour preferences can be applied via the operation system, e.g resizing the cursor and selecting cursor icons, mouse sensitivity, enabling single-click option, etc. Two major issues commonly hinder the full use of these tools:  Lack of knowledge from the user’s side;  Web design that does not take into account standards (valid XHTML / CSS code, WCAG 2.0 guidelines etc.) In order to overcome these barriers, it is recommended to provide

basic information on how to adjust the browser or operation system settings and keep to approved web design standards [1]. Documentation and Feedback Holt [10] points to two types of help that should be provided on a website:  assistance with the technical use of the web environment and  assistance with content. Therefore, the learning environment should provide a help menu with several means of getting assistance in both contexts. One possibility is to provide a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section, which has to be updated and reflect the feedback from the visitors about problems they experienced. Another possibility is to place help icons next to various items on the site, which open a pop-up window with additional information or the use of tooltips. Accessing certain services requires registration, submitting a valid e-mail address or simply logging in. Include direct assistance on what to do and explain errors, if for instance a required field was not completed

correctly. For complex environments offering a series of different functionalities it is recommended to include a short tutorial to teach visitors how to use it. Provide a feedback form for persons seeking help, if possible, offer a telephone number for those who would prefer to talk to a person [16]. 16 Source: http://www.doksinet Additionally, most aspects dealing with appropriate use of language and terminology apply to the tutorial as well. 17 Source: http://www.doksinet MOBILE WEB 2.0 “Available anywhere, anytime” is becoming a reality on the Internet, especially with the steadily increasing number of smartphone users. With the 3G / 4G and Wi-Fi coverage mobile network operators can provide these days in most countries of the world, it is possible to stay connected (almost) all the time. Smartphones are more than just a typical mobile phone. They are equipped with advanced operating systems, relatively larger displays and often QWERTY keyboards. Smartphones are surely

preferred over traditional mobile phones if you need access to email account on the go, want a device to keep track of your contacts and schedule, or just plan on browsing the web from remote locals. It also provides easier, quicker access to news, games, multimedia, and weather information. In addition to calling functionality, smartphones offer most basic features of a personal computer. Smartphones are all the rage recently and can be seen not only in the hands of nerdy youngsters, but are accessories cherished by tech-savvy seniors. The age-related problems enumerated above can represent significant barriers in using this technology at its full potential. In order to overcome these, some basic guidelines have to be followed. With little historical data to fall back to, the absence of unified guidelines and standards is understandable, even in the case of younger users (e.g how has the software of a smartphone to behave, when the original web page has a special “mouse roll over”

behaviour). However, here are some criteria that need to be taken into account, when choosing a phone and designing applications that will be used by seniors. Of course, not all smartphones are made equally. When looking for a new smartphone, there are a variety of features which seniors should be aware of. Seniors are prone to a variety of age-related deficiencies and bio-mechanical problems; to a certain extent, there are a number of features that can help compensate for these sorts of problems. 1. Interface: Generally speaking, smartphones are somewhat harder to operate than traditional mobile phones. With so many options for functionality, it is no surprise that efficiently manoeuvring a smartphone might be challenging for certain seniors who are not familiar with the technology. To counter this, certain smartphones are designed with ease of use in mind Seniors with relatively slow cognitive processing might want to look for a smartphone with simple, easy to use, intuitive

navigation. 2. Weight: While smartphones are equipped with a number of interesting and useful features, they also have the potential to be infamously heavier than a typical traditional mobile phone. This is because smartphones are notoriously power-hungrier than their barebone counterparts. The fact of the matter is that users need to move the phone around with ease, whether that be up to the ear to talk or up to the eyes to take a picture. In terms of lightweight, it seems as if anything that weighs less than a pound is a solid choice. 3. Bluetoooth Connectivity: Broadly speaking, Bluetooth functionality refers to wireless technology that allows one to exchange data over short distances. In references to smartphones, Bluetooth has two main functions: a wireless bluetooth headset allows one to engage in a conversation on the headset and Bluetooth in cars allows having a conversation while driving, through the car’s stereo system. Both cases help to make life easier for ageing adults,

who don’t need to worry about holding up the phone to their ears. This is particularly important for driving seniors, who should always keep both hands on the wheel while driving. In addition, by finding ways to sync phones to hearing aids via Bluetooth and ensuring that the speaker quality on the phone is high, the life of senior users might be a lot easier. Another trend is to connect wireless medical peripheral devices, like a blood glucose monitor. 18 Source: http://www.doksinet 4. Large Screen: It is no real surprise as to why seniors might want to look for a smartphone with a large screen. Large LCD screens for a smartphone can help compensate for age-related sight decline. Cameras on phones can also be very helpful to older people They can easily take a photograph of something they cannot read, for example, an entry in the menu. Then, if the mobile phone in question is a smartphone, an OCR app in the mobile phone can be activated that will read aloud what is written in the

photograph. 5. Ease of Use: While smartphones come equipped with touchscreens, for some seniors the touchscreen interface is too difficult to use effectively. Because decline with eye-hand coordination frequently accompanies age, one who cannot properly use a touch screen, but still wants to have a smartphone, can opt for the keyboard option. A good smartphone QWERTY has buttons that are large enough to see and soft enough to press, though still outlined by a definite shape. Applications directly targeted at a senior audience are already surfacing, especially in the area of ehealth services, where companies have recognized the huge potential of the market and are starting to tap into it. (eg Jitterbug, Doro, EHS Innovators) An alternative in telecommunication, embraced by a growing number of seniors is Skype. It is an easy, economical program that uses computers linked to the Internet, inexpensive web cameras and microphones. This service meets their needs to keep in touch with family

members, who live far from them. The added possibility of video-conferencing is a large plus But Skype is not pinned to desktop or laptop PCs. With mobile apps that let the user run Skype on their phones, a Wi-Fi connection is the sole prerequisite for virtually free and unlimited conversations. But other (often simple) applications can make a difference for seniors. Severe memory impairment creates crippling problems for people at work, at home and in their social interactions. Memory Link is one example of an innovative approach to brain health from Baycrest It teaches individuals facing these problems how to use hand-held communication devices, such as smart phones, as memory aids. Patients learn how to program the devices to trigger a series of reminders that compensate for the loss and help them live more normal lives. The program is a clever marriage of smart phone technology and a training method built on understanding of how multiple memory systems work, and how injury to one

can be compensated for by another. By focusing on nonconscious brain systems through a repetitive sequence of learned behaviours, patients’ preserved “procedural” memory allows them to learn new things, even as their impaired “episodic” (or conscious) memory causes them to forget. 19 Source: http://www.doksinet CONCLUSIONS The report summarizes good practice guidelines for senior users with an emphasis on the importance of not treating seniors as one homogeneous group either age- or genderwise but building on their experiences, interests and the expectations of the targeted seniors when designing applications for them. The rationale of the learning effort in their everyday life must have an immediate, perceivable application for the learner. Getting to know how to use e-mails or how to search purposefully for specific information should be primary learning targets which basics would enable the prospective user to move on to more interactive, web 2.0 services Contents

preferred by seniors seem to be suggestions for travelling, health information, services, cultural information, information related to hobbies, web shopping and Internet security. The wealth (or rather glut) of information available on the web, in so many shapes and flavours can cause disorientation, especially if the way it is served is unstructured and does not take into account the basic needs of a senior user. On top of that, this confusion and lack of experience can be taken advantage of by scammers. It is therefore the steadfast belief of the authors that beside usability, safety is an equally important issue to be taken into account when designing with seniors in mind. 20 Source: http://www.doksinet BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] AgeLight (ed.): Interface Design Guidelines for Users of All Ages 2001 URL: http://www.agelightcom/webdocs/designguidepdf Baier, E. and Kimpeler, S: “Best Agers” in der

Informationsgesellschaft In: Kimpeler, S and Baier, E. (ed): IT-basierte Produkte und Dienste für ältere Menschen – Nutzeranforderungen und Techniktrends. Stuttgart, 2006 pp 7-16 Barstow, C. and Rothberg, M: IMS Guidelines for Developing Accessible Learning Applications. Boston, 2002 URL: http://ncamwgbhorg/salt/guidelines/ BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) (ed.): Berichtssystem Weiterbildung IX. Ergebnisse der Repräsentativbefragung zur Weiterbildungssituation in Deutschland Berlin, 2005. URL: wwwbmbfde/pub/berichtssystem weiterbildung 9pdf Bubolz-Lutz, E.: Bildung im Alter: Ansätze – Erfahrungen – Herausforderungen 2004 URL: www.fogerade/files/pdf/publik/Bubolz-Lutz Bildung im Alter 2004pdf Coello, E.: ICT supporting Lifelong Learning The European perspective 26 June 2008, Brussels Feuersinger, D.: Internet für Senioren Anspruch und Wirklichkeit seniorengerechter Webseiten. Wien, 2004 Halpin, H., Robu V and Sheperd, H: The complex dynamics of

collaborative tagging, WWW07 Proceedings of the 16th international conference on World Wide Web, ACM New York, NY, USA 2007, ISBN: 978-1-59593-654-7 Heindl, M.: Gestaltung von Computersystemen für Ältere Warum müssen Computersysteme für Ältere besonderen Ansprüchen genügen und wie gelingt dies am besten? Hagenberg, 2003. URL: http://cblinuxfh-hagenbergat/~cbl01005/paper/dokumente/paper1pdf Holt, B. Creating Senior-Friendly Websites In: Center for Medicare Education (ed) Issue Brief Vol.1 No4 Washington, 2000 URL: http://www.futureofagingorg/PublicationFiles/V1N4pdf Iller, C.: Altern gestalten – berufliche Entwicklungsprozesse und Weiterbildung im Lebenslauf. Bonn, 2005 URL: http://wwwdie-bonnde/esprid/dokumente/doc2005/iller05 01pdf Kirchmair, R.: Bedürfnisse und Anforderungen der Best Agers an IT Produkte In: Kimpeler, S and Baier, E. (ed): IT-basierte Produkte und Dienste für ältere Menschen – Nutzeranforderungen und Techniktrends. Stuttgart, 2006 pp 31-42 Lewis, S. and

Ariyachandra, T: Seniors and Online Social Network Use, 2010 CONISAR (Conference on Information Systems Applied Research) Proceedings, Nashville Tennessee, USA, October 28 – 31, 2010 McAfee, A.: Enterprise 20: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration MIT Sloan Management review. 2006, Vol 47, No 3, p 21–28 Netaspect (ed.): Die Generation 50+ im Internet – Webangebote für Ältere erfolgreich umsetzen. Düsseldorf, 2005 URL: http://wwwnetaspectcom/50plus/media/info 50pluspdf NIA (National Institute on Aging ) and NLM (National Library of Medicine ): Making Your Web Site Senior Friendly. A Checklist URL: wwwnlmnihgov/pubs/checklistpdf 2001 Redish, J. and Chisnell, D: Designing Web Sites for Older Adults: A Review of Recent Research Washington, 2004. URL: http://catalogueiugmqcca/GEIDEFile/AARPLitReview2004PDF?Archive=196490291467&File=AARP-LitReview2004 PDF Redish, J. and Chisnell, D: Designing Web Sites for Older Adults: Expert Review of Usability for Older Adults at 50 Web Sites.

Washington, 2005 URL: http://assets.aarporg/wwwaarporg /articles/research/oww/AARP-50Sitespdf 21 Source: http://www.doksinet [19] Schulz, U.: Web-Usability für Silversurfer In: merz (medien + erziehung) V 48 Nr 4 München, 2004. pp 18-22 [20] Stadelhofer, .C: www-senioren Interneterschließung – auch für ältere Erwachsene! In: medien praktisch. Zeitschrift für Medienpädagogik Heft 1/2002 Frankfurt/M, 2002 URL: www.aqua-nordbayernde/aqua/download/02pdf [21] Gregor, P., Alan F Newell and Zajicek, M: Solutions for aging: Designing for dynamic diversity: interfaces for older people.” Conference paper, Proceedings of the fifth international ACM conference on Assistive technologies. ACM digital library 22 Source: http://www.doksinet ANNEX I – LIST OF WEB SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS FREQUENTLY USED BY SENIORS E-COMMERCE Link Description Language Usability eDreams offers a wide selection of flights, hotels and vacation packages. It works like a travel agency. Consumers can

either search themselves through the offers, or enter the dates, time and destination and the system will look for the best prices among many different flight companies which could offer this service. Same as eDreams Spanish, Italian, French, English A bit more complex website than others due to the wide range of offers. Flight company. Consumers can only book and buy flights for this company through the website. Mostly cheap flights From this site consumers can also check and book availability of hostels and car rental services in Ryanair destinations, as through Ryanair clients can be redirected to hostelworld website (www.hostelworldcom) and to Hertz rental car. Registered users can do the shopping online. They can go through all the products, choose what they need and send the command. Clients can either pick it up directly at the supermarket or arrange an appointment to get the shopping at home by paying a small fee. Most of languages spoken in European countries www.renfees

Users can check the availability of train tickets by choosing destination, date, time, etc. Registered users are able to purchase train tickets Spanish, English http://www.booklookerde Book seller: flea market for books, films and music German http://www.amazonde Book seller and other stuff www.gondromde Book seller German, available also in other countries German www.baurde www.ottode Web presence of catalogue companies German www.edreamses www.edreamsit www.rumboes www.ryanaircom https://www.capraboacasacom/ TiendaPortal/com/caprabo/cac/ti enda/seleccionIdioma/Seleccion IdiomaController.jpf 23 Spanish As it is mainly designed for flights booking, it is easy to manage and the booking process is very clear. Catalan, Spanish The font is too small for senior users. Source: http://www.doksinet http://www.hermespaketshop de/paketeversenden.php http://www.preisvergleichde Package dispatcher German Price comparison for different products German

http://www.seniorentreffat/ka ufen.html Online “shop” of a platform of elderly people. The shop does not differ from any other online shops on the Internet at a first glance but looking closer there are no goods available directly – only links to other online shops. de http://www.tiscoverat/ Travel platform offering information, a shop and booking services. de/en http://www.wohnbausparenat Platform by the Raiffeisenbank Austria on home purchase savings incl. special advisory for elderly people de http://www.lturcom de Travel shop offering last minute travels. Last minute booking is probably not common for elderly people at the moment but the proportion of elderly to use this service is estimated to raise. 24 Very low. Interested persons seeking products may be distracted by external links – why not call it a shopping linklist? Use of colors and fonts is weak; Low. Too much information presented on one page – older persons may feel overwhelmed by the possibilities

or get lost soon. Ok. The front page offers a considerable amount of information but the parts tailored to the needs of elderly are good. Easy to read, interesting and useful links, nice use of colours; 3colomns-layout could be changed to 2colomns in order to improve accessibiity Very low: Layout breaks if using slightly larger font Source: http://www.doksinet http://www.lila-sede/ Internet supermarket: According to their own advertisement the service is for people who cannot / do not want to carry heavy loads any more, e.g people aged 50+ On the platform it is possible to buy a broad range of food and commodities. de/en (product description in German only) www.ebaycom www.ebayde www.ebayes www.ebayfr www.ebayhu www.elvirahu Bidding, selling, buying,. users are given a possibility to buy and sell (almost) anything. Depending on national domain name Train schedules Hungarian, German, English www.netkozerthu On-line food store Hungarian www.netpincerhu On-line food

delivery service Hungarian, English www.tescocom; www.tescoie Tesco is a chain of supermarkets throughout UK and Ireland. They also offer a typical internet shopping service via these two websites, one for UK and the other for Ireland. You need to register to use the service. They deliver to the door English 25 sizes; colours are very “special”; Naviagion is very complex and difficult to understand (e.g last minute / super last minute offers) Developers of the site tried to make it easy to navigate – the payment solution seems to be easy to understand; use of fonts and colors is not recommendable. Easy to use; high information density Easy to use, table with results could be improved slightly Drop-down menu for different classes of products; step-bystep shopping Accessibility for the blind (unfortunately I could not figure out whether it works or not) Quite user-friendly, with large text, images, and no clutter. Simple to get round. I would say Source:

http://www.doksinet www.sainsburycouk Sainsbury is a UK chain of supermarkets. This site offers internet shopping to registered users. They deliver to the door English www.expediacouk Expedia is the UKs largest online travel agent where users can book holidays, find cheap flights and browse through hotel deals and car hire. They also offer a selection of last minute, ski and cheap holidays English www.interfloracouk This website is for buying or sending flowers to loved ones, as presents, for special occasions, for weddings. Provides information about flowers and plants native to most countries in the world. English www.directgardenproductsco Direct Garden Products is an internet shopping website that sells a .uk range of patio heaters, barbecues, garden sheds, play equipment, solar lighting, trampolines, sledges, toboggans, furniture, chimeneas, garden cabins, summerhouses, hammocks, garden parasols, pet houses, and preservatives, etc. It also delivers free within the UK on

orders over £100. 26 English this would be quite manageable for seniors. Not as straightforward as the above. Pages are more cluttered and text is quite small. Easy enough to use. However the small text and the “information overload” of the presentation may prove daunting to beginners and seniors. User-friendly website, with images of bouquets which users can click on to purchase. Text may be a bit small in places. Given the huge interest that seniors have in gardening, especially in the UK and Ireland, it is a pity that the font of this website is so small. Hardly suitable for the average senior who would have impaired vision. Source: http://www.doksinet www.cieie Irish website belonging to the national transport authority for the online purchasing of train and bus tickets. Also provides timetables English www.wesleyowencom The Premier Christian Music web site, belongs to the Christian Bookshop -Wesley Owen, and provide access to over 40,000 Christian products

including: Books, Christian Music, software, video and gifts. The user can choose from a wide range of Christian musical styles - from traditional hymns to the latest hip hop and metal. The user can also access interviews with Christian artists and find out about forthcoming tour dates. Irish low fares airline, offering mainly internal flights within Ireland a small number of continental flights. English www.aeraranncom 27 English Text is for the most part quite small. Other than that the site is simple and easy to use. Very easy to use. Simple clear presentation. No information clutter. Source: http://www.doksinet E-GOVERNMENT Link Description Language http://www.gencatnet/  Forms to ask for grants (studies) can be filled out and sent directly to the institution  Fill out forms asking for finance assistance when a child is born  Ask for finance assistance in case of disability  Fill out a form to ask for a library member card. Ask for information about a

book/document to know in which library could it be found, and finally, book it  Payment of traffic fines  Public transport: users just have to choose where they are and where do they want to go and lot of different connections using public transport will be given  Check the weather forecast  Etc. This is the website of Barcelona city. Legal procedures which can be arranged online, like starting / settling a business in the city Institut Municipal d’Hisenda de Barcelona. In the website, citizens can download several forms, check conditions for different kind of fees and get information related to it, check the payment state, check conditions of fine payments, etc. Catalan, Spanish, English In the website of SS in Spain, there is a “virtual office” through which citizens can consult and apply for procedures like:  Check current work situation  Check deductions and incomes on the IRPF  Check social assistance through Europe in case of travelling  Etc.

Travel warnings of the German Federal Foreign Office Spanish www.bcnes http://www.bcnes/hisenda/cat/in dex.htm http://www.segsociales/inicio/?MIval=cw usr v iew Folder&LANG=1&ID=10432 http://www.auswaertigesamtde/diplo/de/Laenderinformat ionen/01-ReisewarnungenListe.html www.ulmde Ulm.de is only an example for a website of the own hometown www.risbkagvat Law information system of the office of the Federal Chancellory (Bundeskanzleramt). Federal law and laws of the federal regions of Austria 28 Usability Catalan, Spanish Catalan, Spanish German (Federal Foreign Office’s website in general also in English, French, Spanish, Arab) At least German de/en Good in general: Images on the right colomn used as Source: http://www.doksinet as well as laws published in other media. www.bmsggvat Austrian ministry of social security, generations and consumer protection. The site offers a podcast service as well but there is only one file available outlining that there will

be a raise in pensions despite rumours of a shortcut. de http://help.gvat/ Platform of the Austrian government to facilitate different administrative issues, e.g filling in forms, help on legal issues, etc de/en www.magyarorszaghu Official information portal Hungarian www.apehhu Tax Office Hungarian www.citizensinformationie Citizens Information is an Irish eGovernment website, which provides public English 29 links to other resources could have better resolution. A table of contents at the beginning would facilit navigation – at the moment users have to scroll down the whole page. The detailed search mask should be improved. Good. Colours are used to assist navigation; Start page is well organised; fonts are small and grey colours used on the right navigation bar have too little contrast to the background. Although different colours are used to differentiate between “Services” and “Contact” in the navigation bar the colours used in the content pages of both

sections are the same. The site has been redesigned with assistance of the University of Linz and showcases some examples of good practice in eaccessibility. Remarkable: The use of sign-language videos Possibility to find rather quickly information about a specific topic; possibility of contacting directly some officials (by mail) for further help; very dense, small font On-line tax return; very dense, small font The font is a good size and Source: http://www.doksinet http://www.rosie/PublisherServl et/home service information for the citizens of Ireland. It provides information on social welfare services, training (including life long learning), information on procedures following death and bereavement, money and tax, the justice system, etc. The Revenue Online Service (ROS) is the Irish Revenues interactive facility offering business and individuals with a service to method to manage their Tax Affairs online. 30 there are also simple instructions on how to use the site. English

Large font. Not so relevant for retired seniors. Source: http://www.doksinet E-BANKING Link www.lacaixaes http://www.caixacatalunyaes/cai xacat/introflash.htm Description Language Its clients can do a large number of operations through the internet: check the accounts and credit cards amounts; transfer money to other accounts either from the same bank or from others; check, manage and update investment trusts; request to open more accounts as well as investment trust; investment of money in the stock exchange and manage it through the website, the stock exchange is updated every 15 minutes. Clients can also request for pension plans, insurance, book foreign currency, etc. as many other services Its clients are offered more or less the same the same services mentioned above. Spanish, Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese www.postbankde Several times “Internet banking” was mentioned without a statement at which bank house, only once postbank.de was stated

https://banking.raiffeisenat/html/ login.jsp ELBA Internet: Probably the most common internet banking platform in Austria. Developed and maintained by the Raiffeisenbank Austria Used by other banks as well. https://online.bacacom/bach/de/login/indexhtml Internet Banking platform of the Bank Austria www.raiffeisenhu Homepage of Raiffeisen Bank Hungary www.erstebankhu Homepage of Erste Bank Hungary www.otpbankhu Homepage of OTP Bank Hungary www.postofficecouk This portal which belongs to the UK postal service, also offers a range of ebanking services: Credit card; Personal loans; Foreign currency; Postal 31 Usability Catalan, Spanish, English, French, German German de (used in Eastern European countries as well – no indication on available languages) de (used in Eastern European countries as well – no indication on available languages) Hungarian, English Hungarian, English, German Hungarian, English English Good. Documentation and help texts/services are very good.

Navigation menu offers very many possibilities – not all of them are probably really needed. No tests possible. Login screen uses hard to read fonts (in grey!); Layout is puzzled in Firefox 2.0 It is rather easy to get lost Registering is very difficult (applies to all sites) The technical terms used are not very easy to understand Nice lay out. Simple to follow, however, again the Source: http://www.doksinet www.boiie Orders ; Money transfers; Paying your bills; Personal banking; Cash withdrawal, etc. I also enable travel, car and home insurance to be purchased, among other types of insurance. On-line banking services from the Bank of Ireland. Typical range of on-line banking, such as accessing account details, making on-line transfers, accessing information about mortgages, loans, requesting credit cards, etc. 32 font might prove too small for many seniors. English Very nicely presented. No clutter. Font is a good size Source: http://www.doksinet E-LEARNING Link

http://www.uocedu/ http://www2.ceaces/ www.vile-netzwerkde Description Language The Universitat Obertat de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia) provides people with training through an intensive use of information and communications technologies, mainly internet. The students, professors and administrators interact and co-operate on a Virtual Campus. This university community uses the Internet to create structure, share and disseminate the knowledge. It offers a wide range of Official University Degrees, Graduates, Masters, Refresher courses among others. A wide range of courses can be followed online: languages, informatics, health, tourism.among many other subjects The material will be available in paper but consultations with teachers and other students can be done through the internet. Homepage of the Virtual and real learning and competence network of older adults Catalan, Spanish, English http://dict.leoorg/ Online dictionary for German-English, -French and -Spanish

http://www.dictcc/englischdeutsch/relapsehtml http://de.wiktionaryorg/wiki/Wikti onary:Hauptseite www.brockhausde www.zawiwde Online dictionary German-English www.senioren-redaktionde Website of senior online editors with project description and restricted area for participants with learning units and communication tools Search engine www.googlede http://www.suchfibelde/ www.computerbetreuerat Spanish Usability Too small font German (some projects / courses in different languages) German German, English German Wiki open content dictionary Website of a lexicon editor Homepage of Centre for General Scientific Continuing Education Everything about search engines (Mentioned without explicit links to the Internet: Learn how to use search engines) Computerassistance and training services offered by Reinhold Schachner 33 German German, partly in English, French, Polish, Russian German German (available in other languages) German de Very good. Use of white fonts on grey

background Source: http://www.doksinet should be changed. www.memofitnet memofit® Kopf.Training: Online cognitive functions training for elderly people (not limited to this age group). Additionally information on memory and the brain are offered. Training materials are available online as well as CD-ROM 1-Month access costs 4,90€ de Good. http://www.lisa-netinfo/ Different projects by GEFAS on learning and training of elderly people. The different project pages offer general information as well as results of the projects. eLearning is not central in most projects! This cooperation between University of Linz, bitmedia, Microsoft and other institutions developed an accessible version of the ECDL. Target grousp of the project include * visually impaired * hard of hearing * mobility impaired persons de/en Difficult to differntiate the different sections and projects of the site. Not tested (only HTML version works on Linux system). http://www.barrierefreiecdlat/

http://www.onlineakademiahu/ http://www.mindentudashu www.openacuk http://www.yorkacuk/teaching/c ws/wws/elearning.html Additionally people with learning difficulties and special learning needs are included in the target group. On-line courses on various topics: software use, lifestyle, hobbies On-line material, videos on various scientific topics spanning from natural sciences to humanities Special e-learning section under test (demo version) – topics: astronomy, genomics, other cultures The Open University (OU) is the United Kingdoms only university dedicated to distance learning. They have around 150,000 undergraduate and more than 30,000 postgraduate students. 10,000 of their students have disabilities The Open Universitys style of teaching is called supported open learning. They offer some 600 courses from a huge variety of fields, spanning business, humanities, law, science, mathematics, etc. e-learning at the Centre for Women’s studies at the University of York in the

UK. They have a programme called Wired Womens Studies offering the flowing courses: An option module Feminist Perspectives on Web Fiction. Sessions on theory and methodology for the Masters programme (eg cyberfeminism; web page design) as well as digitally-based class assignments which are integrated into more traditional teaching sessions (eg 34 de Hungarian Hungarian English English Quick registration; small font, especially on top, where some tabs are placed Too small font Simple to navigate. Font quite small Source: http://www.doksinet http://silverageyoga.org http://musictheory.com/seniortourhtml the body; popular culture). MPhil/ PhD supervision which incorporates aspects of e-learning (online discussion and journaling). Online worksheets for topics in the Females, Femininity and Feminism modules (eg sexualities). Supervision and assessment of electronically-submitted masters assignments and dissertations. A small web room with both electronic and print resources

(networked computers, printing and scanning facilities, books and magazines). Incidentally, this room is deliberately designed to offer a relaxed and creative environment, with pictures, flowery chairs and plants, and is not set out as a standard computer room. An American site: Silver Age Yoga Senior Teacher Certification Senior Yoga Class This is a senior yoga teacher certification program composed of two segments, a basic on-line program, and an advanced, hands-on two day intensive workshop. The program offers special teaching skills to teach the senior and the physically challenged population. This certification is for Certified or Registered yoga teachers (CYT, RYT) only. An American site: Music Theory On Line offers on-line courses in music theory. 35 English Designed specifically for seniors. Clear, large font Easy to follow. English The site has been designed for seniors. Source: http://www.doksinet E-HEALTH Link http://www10.gencatnet/catsalut /cat/serveis visites.htm

http://www.netdoktorde/ http://www.laborlexikonde/ www.medizinfuchsde http://www.schwabede/mentalaktiv/indexphp?/onlinehtml http://www.auswaertigesamtde/diplo/de/Laender/Gesun dheitsdienst/Uebersicht.html Description Language     Catalan, Spanish, English Make an appointment with the doctor Check the available hours Ask to change your current hospital or doctor In case of lost, order a new health-card News about labor medecine Price comparison for medecine Exercises for concentration, coordination, creativity, memory Infornation of the Federal Foreign Office’s health service German German German German Fonts can be enlarged German (Federal Foreign Office’s website in general also in English, French, Spanish, Arab) English http://www.amazonherbnet/Def ault.aspx www.diabetes-austriacom Medical herbs from Amazon Diabetes Austria: A platform for people with diabetes including background information, product recommendations, links and a shop. Online consultation

of different doctors is possible via a webform. de www.aponetat Portal of the Austrian pharmacies offering information on travel and holidays precaution, different services (e.g pharmacy finder), a shop etc de www.mendocat Mendoc is a team of urologists and scientists who have specialised on men specific problems at different age levels. http://www.medlistcom/Magyar/ Orvosok/index.html Online index of Hungarian physicians de/en (short versions in Croatian, Serbian and Turkish) Hungarian http://www.nhsdirectnhsuk/inde x.asp NHS Direct Online is a website providing high quality health information and advice for the people of England. It is uniquely supported by a 24-hour nurse advice and information and helpline 36 Usability English Low. Navigation bars on the left and the right are filled up with dozens of items. Scrolling Fonts are much too small. Information is well structured in general. The fonts used are not easy to read. Nice tree structure based on geography of

country, one can find local area quickly; I think it is well designed and suitable for use by seniors. Source: http://www.doksinet 37 Source: http://www.doksinet E-COMMUNICATION Link http://www.skypecom/helloagai n.html http://www.voipbustercom/es/in dex.html www.icqcom/ http://get.livecom/messenger/ov erview http://mail.googlecom/mail/help/ intl/es/about.html Description Language Usability Software which can be downloaded for free. It allows users to call to other Skype users for free with a good quality. Users can also make free video calls if they have a webcam. It can also be used to chat and not just with one person at a time but with up to 100 people in a group chat. It is also possible to call landlines and mobile phones at low rates. Users can download the software for free and make free phone calls to landlines to several popular destinations for free and to landlines and mobile phones at low rates all around the world. More than 20 languages Very easy to use.

Icq software can be downloaded in the website. With it, the users will be able to chat with other icq users. But it also allows users to chat in the website itself, take part in forums, search for people, join interest groups, arrange a date, play online and download games, etc. Windows Live Messenger allows users to chat and make free video calls. It also allows them to create common folders with their friends where any kind of file can be filed. This software will allow its users contact other users from hotmail but also from Yahoo. E-mail service which can be downloaded for free. Users can send e-mails, file them up to 2.500mb, organize a contacts’ list, chat, etc www.bloggercom Users have to create an account and they get a place on the internet, called blog were they can publish their thoughts and post photos. They can get feedback and therefore stay in touch with other people through these blogs. www.gmxde www.webde www.t-onlinede www.telekomat Email and further information

portal Email and further information portal Email and further information portal Telekom Austria is the leading enterprise in telephone and internet services. The website is available in an optimised version for accessibility as well. Users can find information on different products and links to other portal of Telekom Austria, e.g wwwaonat This is the website dedicated to internet services (broadband acess etc.) and offers a series of entertainment possibilities (games, forums, chats, photo centre, music download, etc. 38 German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese English Many 38 different languages: Spanish, English, German, Catalan, French, Italian, etc. English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese German German German de The usability of the accessible version is good. I found it quite difficult to differentiate between the sections (telekom.at / aon.at and others) of the Source: http://www.doksinet www.neophonehu “The meeting place for people aged 50+ with

the feeling of being at home.” (http://www.oldieszuhauseat/) A chat room offered at the site seems to be in good use – when visiting the website 21 people chatted. A forum contains 42563 postings (6.22007) Additionally links to games, quizzes, live TVstations etc are offered Low price VoIP mail.yahoocom www.freemailhu www.citromailhu www.chathu Yahoo! Mail service (free 1 GB mailbox) Popular Hungarian mail server Hungarian mail server Web-based chat Hungarian, English English Hungarian Hungarian Hungarian www.iwiwhu Social networking Hungarian http://www.oldieszuhauseat/ 39 de site. The colours are quite strange and the navigation is irritating. Clicking on the live TV link the layout breaks. Extra software needed; login page not user-friendly 1 GB free storage 25 MB free storage 100 MB free storage Advantage of not needing any extra plug-in or software, but sometimes very slow Invitation of a member required for registration Source: http://www.doksinet E-INFORMATION

AND ENTERTAINMENT Link Description Language http://www.icatfmcat/ Online radio station Catalan http://www.tv3cat/ptvcatalunya/t vcHome.jsp It offers the TV program for some days in advance and for many different TV channels. Also information about every program can be found, as well as videos with some parts of programs, interviews, etc. Also last news are updated during the day (http://www.telenoticiescat/pnoticies/notHomejsp) Last news is constantly updated. Catalan The daily newspaper is available online. This site offers lot of games to play online This site allows its users to find any place on the map: country, cities, business, hotels, restaurants, shopsIt can also find a concrete address or tell you how to reach a certain place. Online photo management and sharing application Online free encyclopaedia Spanish Many Many http://www.laultimacom/ http://www.elpaiscom/ http://es.gamesyahoocom/ http://maps.googlecom/ http://www.flickrcom/ http://de.wikipediaorg/wiki/Haup

tseite http://www.lexikalinksde/indexhtm http://www.dradiode/ http://www.fazde www.spiegelde www.sueddeutschede www.weltde www.zeitde www.lerncafede http://www.reutlinger-computeroldiesde/ http://www.atlantiscityde/ac/showphp3 http://www.feierabendde/cgibin/channel/channelpl Links to lexicons on the web Website of nationwide German radio stations “Deutschlandfunk” and “Deutschlandradio Kultur” German newspapers Search for events on websites of the own home city and holiday places Online-journal for older adults who are interested in continuing education, made by seniors Website of seniors from German town Reutlingen who are interested in computers Portal for senior citizens Portal for senior citizens Spanish Big fonts Big fonts, simple to use, clear instructions. English German (also aivalable in other languages) German German German (spiegel.de with English version) Used for press overview and interview Search for texts for projects German German Large fonts German

German 40 Usability Font size can be changed Source: http://www.doksinet www.wettercom www.wetterde www.t-onlinede www.telefonbuchde Weather German Information portal Telephone directory http://www.wissende/wde/gener ator/wissen/ressorts/index.html http://www.htwmde/wbildung/bil dungsportale.htm Knowledge portal German German, English, French, Turkish, Spanish German Collection of links for people in the post-professional phase German http://www.krautwerprivattonlinede/BiPortal/Wohnhtml www.heroldat Habitation German Electronic telephone book (Yellow pages online): Herold is a search engine for contact information available for free at the Internet. A CD-ROM version can be bought as well. de www.50plusHotelsat 50plus Hotels Austria is a web platform for elderly people: The slogan of the site is “Holidays for experienced bon vivants”. The platform, which is combined with a print magazine offers information on wellness, sport, culture and hiking issues as well as

on accommodation possibilities. The “Tiroler Seniorenbund” (~Tyrolean seniro association) is an organsiation for seniors affiliated to the conservative party in Austria (ÖVP). As a service organisation the website of the Seniorenbund offers service and help as well as offerings for spare time, education and amusement. de Hungarian www.radiohu Directory for all cultural events (including theatre, cinema, concerts, exhibitions, radio, TV, etc.) National radio channel www.mtvhu National TV channel www.tiroler-seniorenbundat www.porthu 41 de Hungarian, English Hungarian Very good. Menus are clearly structured, possibilities for searching information are limited at the beginning but can extended if necessary. - Very good. Using the font resize utility the layout does not break (what it does in using the webbrowser tools). The menu is clearly structures, font size is big enough, colours are used in a way that makes the text appealing as well as easy to read. Easy to use

RealPlayer necessary for listening in; no live feed Easy to use, friendly interface, live feed using Source: http://www.doksinet www.tv2hu www.hirtvhu Private TV channel Private news channel Hungarian Hungarian www.winampcom www.xfmcouk Very popular MP3, CD and video player, also supporting live stations Online radio station. English English http://news.skycom/skynews/ho me www.irelandcom News section of the Sky TV website. Offers updated news English On-line version of an Irish national daily newspaper called the Irish Times English http://www.pressboxcouk/detail ed/Society/CenNet Seniors Online Magazine 6€83.html CenNet - Seniors On-line Magazine has been designed by the over 50s for the over 50s. According to the seniors themselves, its classy colour supplement style comes as a refreshing change from the flashing lights format of many addresses. Articles are changed every month in eight sections: Entertainment; Travel; Money; Shopping; Well Being; Food & Drink;

Pastimes; and Shopping. There are links to hundreds of other vetted sites which may be of interest (like theatre bookings) and lots of interactive sections (like recipe exchanges). English 42 Windows Media Player (high bandwidth) Easy to use; no live feed Easy to use, friendly interface, live feed using Windows Media Player (high bandwidth) Easy to use This site is simple to use, but very much geared towards a younger listener. It is a cluttered website with small font. Easy to navigate. Plenty of images and headlines in larger font. Article text is quite small though. Big fonts Source: http://www.doksinet ANNEX II – LIST OF WEB 2.0 SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS Name Animoto: The end of Slideshows Web Link animoto.com blip.tv: Your Video - Your Way blip.tv BlogTV: Broadcast your own TV Show blogtv.com BubbleComment: Easily Send a Bubble Comment bubblecomment.com Del.icious - A collection of Favorites Yours and Everyone Elses http://www.deliciouscom Description Animoto is

a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending technology and highend motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of userselected images and music. blip.tv is a video sharing site bliptv mission is to make this even easier by taking care of all the problems a budding videoblogger, podcaster or TV producer would run into. You should have to worry about creativity. bliptv will take care of the servers, the software, the workflow, the advertising and the distribution. place where you can show off your talent, build a fan base and share your opinions LIVE! You bring the webcam, BlogTV bring the stage. BlogTV here to help you get your 15 minutes of fame. Broadcast your own live shows, just plug in your webcam and Start Broadcasting A free service that enables you to share personal video comments with others on virtually any web page. Del.icious let you keep links to your favorite articles, blogs, music,

restaurant reviews, and more and access them from any computer on 43 Languages English Usability Fee based, videos of maximum 30s can be created for free Large fonts English Fairly simple to use Fonts could be larger English Small font Cluttered interface Layout not the most intuitive English More business orientated Login possible with Yahoo! ID Small font Easy to use Source: http://www.doksinet the web. Share favorites with friends, family, and colleagues. Discover new things. Everything on del.icious is someones favorite theyve already done the work of finding it. Explore and enjoy Digg is a technology news website that combines social bookmarking, blogging, RSS, and non-hierarchical editorial control. With digg, users submit stories for review, but rather than allow an editor to decide which stories go on the homepage, the users do. Digg - Technology News Website Combined with Social Bookmarking http://digg.com/ DNAStream.tv: Mutant Television dnastream.tv Dropbox

dropbox.com Facebook - Connect with your Friends http://www.facebookcom Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook DNAStream is a Web based application that allows you to watch video clips and shows right from your browser, in a very good streaming. Among the site TV channels youll find:Documentaries, Music Videos, Live Music Concerts, Trailers, Sports, Pixel Perfect Episodes, Animation, Ads clips and many more Internet videos from all kinds. Dropbox allows you to upload any file to the system, and share it with anyone you want. 44 Good, easy to use interface Reduces ID management problems, by allowing to use Twitter or Facebook ID to sign in English Difficult to use interface English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese 2 GB free space Simple interface Requires download & installation 68 languages supported No accessibility toolbar, but (rumoured) to be introduced shortly Safety

issues are Source: http://www.doksinet to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, post links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet. described on FAQ-style pages; special sections dedicated to teachers, but not to seniors. Famento is a place for you to record personal and family history. Famento lets you keep in touch with people you care about, and tell them about your life using photos, videos, stories, and more. User friendly Beta version (does not seem to work) FarmVille - Grow your own Farm with http://www.farmvillecom your Friends Grow delicious fruits and vegetables and raise adorable animals on your very own farm, with the help of your Facebook friends. Facebook login required flauntR: One Click Effects flauntr.com flauntR is a free online photo editor and effects software. Apply 1000s of digital photo effects to your images with just one click. Get images directly from FlickR or your PC. Use the online photo album feature for

photo storage, and access your albums online. Share your creations by email, edit pictures online for embedding on your web page and blog. English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish Flickr - Online Photo Management and Sharing Application http://www.flickrcom/ Flickr want to help people make their photos available to the people who matter to them. Maybe they want to keep a blog of moments captured on their cameraphone, or maybe they want to show off their best pictures to the whole world in a bid for web English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian Famento: Your Family History famento.com 45 Source: http://www.doksinet celebrity. Or maybe they want to securely and privately share photos of their kids with their family across the country. Flickr makes all these things possible and more! Flixlab: Make Great Movies. Together flixlabcom Gawkk: Share Videos with Friends gawkk.com Graabr: Grab Your Screen graabr.com InTheMO: Find and Recommend the Best Spots Out There

inthemo.com JingProject: Add Visuals to your Online Conversations jingproject.com Like fm: An Easy Way to Share your Music like.fm Flixlab is the fast, free, and fun way to turn the videos and pictures on your smartphone into great movies to share on Facebook. Gawkk is a social video community where members discover, share and discuss videos from around the web with their friends by answering the question: What are you watching? Graabr is an application and hosting service which uploads your screen to graabr.com, with the option of sharing to social web sites like Twitter, Facebook, etc with just a few mouse clicks. Watch videos. Get Recs from friends and local experts. Know more InTheMO gives you personalized recommendations for the best restaurants, nightlife, shopping, hotels, entertainment, services and more, in cities around the world. With Jing you can quickly capture a picture of your screen, record video of onscreen action, and share instantly over the web, IM, email.

Like.fm learns your music tastes from the songs you play so you can easily tell your friends what music you like, 46 Only for iPhone Easy to use interface, videos categorized Download & installation required Horizontal scroll Seems to be US only Easy to use Download required Facebook login possible Source: http://www.doksinet and discover new music from them. LivingMemory: A Place for Close Friends and Family livingmemory.com LivingMemory is for everybody to use everyday. It is a robust online world that allow their Members to create an online memory of their existence on this planet in an ongoing and easy manner. Magisto is a web app that will simply make your video worth sharing: Magisto will take a long and boring video, take the gist of it and create a great-looking clip you’d be proud to share. And it is all done in a few clicks Capture photos, videos, music, tweets, posts, and much more.View and share your entire life online. Create stories of your best memories

together with your friends. Explore and search your life and the lives of your friends online. Magisto: Make You magisto.com Memolane: See, Search , and Share your Life memolane.com MessageHop: Cool Way to Create Personal Messages messagehop.com A fast and easy way to create a special message for loved ones. English Free service, big fonts and images, extremely simple usage, might be interesting for older people Midomi: Search Music With Your Own Voice midomi.com Midomi allows you to find and discover music and people. Use your voice to instantly connect to your favorite music, and to a community of people that share your musical interests. Sing your own versions, listen to voices, see pictures, rate singers, send messages, and buy English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish Easy to use May pose privacy and security issues 47 Free Easy to use interface Horizontal scroll Example video does not work Easy to use Simple interface Integrates other social

web applications (security?) Source: http://www.doksinet music. Mixlr: Brodcast Live, High Quality Audio mixlr.com Mogulus: Live Broadcast mogulus.com molv: Stream Live Videos from Mobile to Web molv.com Moof: A Social Web-Based Music Player moof.com Mixlr makes professional broadcasting easy. Broadcast live, high-quality audio across the web, iPhone, iPad and mobile devices. Free With Mogulus, you can blend your webcam, video clips from YouTube, and your own original content into your own unique TV program - and you call all the shots. When you’re not broadcasting live, turn on the autopilot and let it drive your playlist. Mogulus gives you a wealth of broadcast graphics including ticker, bumper, lower third name, and logo bug. Additionally, you can customize these graphics using your own logos and colours. molv lets you stream live videos from your phones to the world. So its like carrying a ready to shoot and broadcast camera in your pocket wherever you go. Share those

incredible moments, be an eye witness. molv streams your video live as you are shooting it, so you dont have to wait till you finish shooting video. Search for and listen to any song you like, online, on-demand, for free, whenever you want. All the functionality of a full desktop media 48 Free trial only Requires a smartphone to stream video from Simple to use Adds YouTube results to a playlist Source: http://www.doksinet player, in your browser. Movieclips: Watch & Share Movie Clips movieclips.com Movieclips is a premium online video destination offering audiences the largest and most diverse collection of movie scenes. Movieclips allows fans to find, watch and share more than 12,000 movie clips from the libraries of major Hollywood studios. mufin is a music discovery engine, which you can easily discover new music in a large database with millions of songs - most likely that you fine exactly the sound that you dig. Mufin: Discover Music Engine mufin.com PhotoPeach:

Fresh Slideshow to Go photopeach.com Automatically make your own free slide show in seconds. Upload photos, pick music, add captions in the show, and more. PhotoShow: Make your own PhotoShow photoshow.com Upload photos from your computer, any MySpace account, or photo URL. After uploading photos, you can customize your music, captions, transition styles, and more. PicasaWeb - Google Web Album picasaweb.googlecom Pictarine: Zest of Life pictarine.com Picasa Web Albums is Picasa’s Multilanguage newest feature, designed to help users post and share their photos quickly and easily on the web. With picasa can now upload and share videos for free. Create your photo albums with your friends. Easily create a medley of your photos and contacts from Facebook, Flickr and Picasa. 49 Simple to use 1 GB space free Intended to share music between devices Interface may be confusing Needs download and installation of application Good interface, easy to use, yet powerful set of tools

Free Facebook, Picasa, flickr, Gmail or Yahoo! Account required Source: http://www.doksinet Pix.ie: Make your Photos Come Alive pix.ie Pixavid: Share And Host Your Images With Ease pixavid.com Pixenate: Photo Made Easy pixenate.com PlaylistNow: Playlists Based on Activity playlistnow.fm RadioTime: Easy to find Local Radio Stations. ce.radiotimecom Rounds: Video Chat. As It Should Be rounds.com Pix.ie provides you with a safe place to upload, share and permanently store your photos. The service have loads of cool features to make photo sharing on the Internet fun, safe and easy. Right now Pix.ie offers a massive 500MB upload limit per month. Thats up to 6GB per year for free. pixavid is free image sharing site that allows you to easily upload a picture and share it on social net working sites such as Facebook, Digg, Reddit, Twitter, Stumbleupon and more, or embed it in a message board or blog. A quick and easy way to design and edit your image online. Playlistnow is all

about changing the way people think about music in the web. PlaylistNow is a big believers in the situation and the playlists that can make improve your experience. Find and listen to podcasts, music and local radio stations online . Rounds is a place where friends can video chat and simultaneously watch videos together, browse Facebook, play real-time games and collaborate together on a unique and interactive social entertainment platform. Register today and enjoy a truly rich 50 Beta version Safety seems to be better addressed than with other sites No content filtering English, Spanish Intuitive interface, yet not very comfortable page layout Simple, but powerful Interface might be slightly confusing Big fonts, simple navigation, can browse stations in multiple countries Interface slightly buggy No registration More appealing for younger groups, Beta version Source: http://www.doksinet and fun video chat experience. Screencast O Matic: Create Screncasts Easily

screencast-o-matic.com Screencast-O-Matic is the free and easy way to create a video recording of your screencasts and upload it for free hosting all from your browser with no install. Showzey: Take Control of your Photos showzey.com Shuffler.fm: Channel Surf the Music Web shuffler.fm Shufflr tv: Social Video Browser shufflr.tv SlideBomb: Ultimate Mashup for Media slidebomb.com SnapPages: Website Creation For The Rest Of Us snappages.com Showzey is service which liberates all your photos. Showzey will collect all of your photos along with shared photos from your Gmail mailboxes, Facebook account, Picasa albums, and Flickr albums. You can share photos, copy them between sites, make funny captions, create RSS feeds, etc. A fun way to navigate through thousands of music blogs. The web is your player, blogger are your DJs. AIR-based application Shufflr ,is a social video browser where videos find you. A slick way to discover, watch & share online videos. SlideBomb lets you

create mashup slideshows. Embed Youtube videos, images, Google Maps, and more. Its Free, Fast, and embeddable. Easily create your own professionally designed website online with SnapPages. You can share your 51 EN Straightforward, but might be more relevant for trainers 15 minutes maximum length for free Watermarked video in free version Requires Java plugin Simple tool Requires access to Gmail, Flickr or Picasa account and social network Under maintenance at the time of editing Easy to use interface, good contrasts, large fonts Simple registration Free account up to a limit of 5 pages and 1 GB Simple, but powerful web Source: http://www.doksinet Songr: Finding Music You Like songr.com Splashup: Multiple Image Editing splashup.com Stupeflix: Video Creation Made Easy stupeflix.com Tango: Mobile Video Calls Wherever You Are tango.me theRADIO: Click, Search, Listen theradio.com photos, organize your calendar, connect with friends, and more all in one place. With songr,

you can find music others are listening to in real time. Being bored has never been more interesting. Splashup, formerly Fauxto, is a powerful editing tool and photo manager. With all the features professionals use and novices want, its easy to use, works in real-time and allows you to edit many images at once. Splashup runs in all browsers, integrates seamlessly with top photosharing sites, and even has its own file format so you can save your work in progress. Stupefix is a rest web service that turns your pictures, videos, and text into professional videos. Differentiate your service with video produced from your own content. Create one or thousands of video ads and spread them all over the web. Instantly expand your product line to video (mobile, web, and dvd). Tango brings friends and family closer together by offering free mobile video calling on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices. Tango works on Wi-Fi and 3G. Make free video calls anywhere with Tango. With theRADIO

search engine for music, users are allowed to listen to 52 page creation tool Large fonts Simple music sharing Powerful, interface similar to commercial image editing software (e.g Photoshop) Not really recommended for beginners Fee based Free option offered, with limited capabilities and branding For mobile devices only Fee based download Free online listening Source: http://www.doksinet free and enjoy the site 190+ online pure digital channels. Tracking Shot to help you create videos that you will want to share with your friends and family. Essentially all you have to do is click upload and then select the photos and music that you want to use. Troovi is an easy photo exchange English, German platform to share your photos in high quality. Theres no need to register Simply choose the photos you want to share and upload them. To share the photos with others all you have to do is to send them your unique link. Tracking Shot: Making Movies Out of your Photos trackingshot.com

Troovi: Exchange and Share your Photos in High Quality troovi.com Twitter - What are you Doing? http://twitter.com/ A global community of friends and strangers answering one simple question: What are you doing? Answer on your phone, IM, or right here on the web. UJAM: Now Everyone Can Make Great Music ujam.com ViewBook: Professional Online Presentations, Photo Albums and Portfolios viewbook.com UJAM is a cloud-based platform that empowers everybody to easily create new music or enhance their existing musical talent and share it with friends. Viewbook.com is an online service that helps you to create and share professional clean looking presentations, portfolios and photoalbums on your viewbook domain (yourusername.viewbookcom) Viewbook is simple, clean and refined in its user interfaces and 53 English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese Small fonts Confusing interface Small font Sharing via direct URL (may be confusing) No accessibility

toolbar, but well structured and clear interface Good “Help Center” Simple tool for creating music from scratch For professional use or seasoned photo hobbyists Fee based (30 days free trial) Source: http://www.doksinet presentations. Viewbook aims at professional users such as photographers, designers, artists and anyone who wants to present images without fuzz. Wahwah.fm: Location-based Music Sharing App wahwah.fm We Are Hunted: The Online Music Chart wearehunted.com Yogile: Easy Photo Sharing yogile.com Wahwah.fm is a music service, based on your smartphone. With Wahwah.fm, you listen to your music and broadcast it at the same time. Other Wahwah.fm users can tune into your broadcast and hear the exact same music you are listening to. Its like running your own mobile radio station. Anywhere you are Anytime you like. We Are Hunted gives the latest music news from around the globe. Its aggregate social networks, forums, music blogs, Torrents, P2P Networks and Twitter to

develop a daily chart of the 99 most popular songs online. Mobile application Under construction Yogile is a photo sharing service that makes it incredibly easy to share images privately and within groups. Take a wedding for example. Dozens of attendees take their own photos, all from different cameras and angles. While you might try asking everyone for their shots afterward, Yogile offers a smart alternative by giving everyone your customized album URL or e-mail address. Simple interface Small font 54 More applicable to young generation users Stripped down, confusing interface Source: http://www.doksinet Zoom And Go: Hotel Reviews, Pictures, Videos - Over A Map zoomandgo.com Zoom And Go is about inspiring travelers about where to go, what to see, what to do and where to stay based on the experiences of other travelers or on the recommendations from locals around the world. Map on start page with posts straightforward to use Simple upload process Zoom it: Zoom Any Image

zoom.it Zoom.it is a free service for viewing and sharing high-resolution imagery. You give us the link to any image on the web, and we give you a beautiful new way to experience it - along with a nice short URL. API could be useful to make websites zoomable 55