Blog topics vary as widely as the people who create them. They can be personal how-was-my-day recordkeeping; focus on topics such as politics, technology, religion, etc.; and include pointers to other online resources -- such as other blogs!

To be interesting and effective, blogs need constant care and feeding. Blogs attract visitors, links, and buzz by being timely, so people are unlikely to visit blogs that don't frequently show new and interesting content.

But before you learn to read blogs -- and it's often as simple as visiting Web sites! -- you'll need a reason to do so. Searching Google for "blog" and "senior citizen" yields almost 30,000 hits. That's too many to explore but shows that blogging offers something for all ages. So I'll explore a few interesting blogs, then describe ways to explore the "blogosphere" (the world-wide and ever-growing collection of blogs).

Hosted on a colleague's Web site, Dr.John Huth's blog [jimbuie.blogs.com/john_huth/] highlights his personal crusade to reduce senior citizens' isolation through computers. Recent posts include "Video-Conferencing: the Killer Application to Reduce Isolation and Depression Among the Elderly" and "Bedside Computers in Hospitals".

TravelPod [www.travelpod.com/], an elaborate and polished Web site, describes itself as the Web's "original travel blog". The assortment of travel journals, travelogues, travelers, and destinations inspires me to hit the road! You can browse highlighted stories or search on interests. For example, having enjoyed a trip to Denmark about 15 years ago, I found dozens of bloggers discussing the country.

Web site Moreover collects news and information from thousands of editorial sites and more than a million blogs. Its "Consumer: Senior News" page [p.moreover.com/cgi-local/page?index_seniors] includes varied material such as travel, insurance, retirement, and crime.

John Woolington hosts a simple but deep technology blog well worth visiting [maturetechnology.blogspot.com/]. Titled "Technology Is Not The Simple Life", it includes observations and opinions about coping with change.

For anything-goes fun, visit Wil Mosher's blog [dailysnooze.blogspot.com/]. He's a curmudgeon and proud of it, noting that he "hides in his hole by day, emerging at night to frolic and fornicate in the moonlight... When he gets off the couch!"

Ken's Weblog [kengory.blogspot.com/] proudly shows a fellow's family, friends, politics, humor, and favorite Web links. It's clear that having a blog is like having your personal TV station or magazine!

Gossip Cooler [www.seniorcitizens.com/weblog/gossipcooler.html] is a daily blog about growing older. The site it's on has useful info and links interleaved with many advertisements; since there's no hint who writes or runs the site, be careful.

A woman artist/activist/writer's blog [windchimewalker.blogspot.com/] offers her responses to world events, disability, and life. Describing herself as a "raging granny", she leaves no doubt where she stands on issues. Blogs like this show the Internet's power to share ideas and create communities by allowing readers to comment on what Patricia says.

A simple blog [www.lazydazers.com] lets you read about and see pictures of a couple's RV travels and adventures.

Finally, the Ageless Project [jenett.org/ageless/] is a fascinating compilation of Web sites (not all are blogs) illustrating that "the personal, creative side of the web is diverse and ageless".

Blogs and RSS are becoming increasingly popular and are getting good press coverage [techweb.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=57700173].

You can visit the blogs I've referenced as simple Web pages with normal hyperlinks. Many blogs are also readable via RSS (Rich Site Summary), an Internet technology which can bring material from multiple publishers/blogs to you as it's published, without your having to visit multiple Web sites. I read RSS "feeds" via my email software, Mozilla Thunderbird, and through a Web site which collects RSS feeds [www.bloglines.com/myblogs].

This article appeared originally on AARP's Computers and Technology Web site, [www.aarp.org/computers]. (c) AARP 2005. Permission is granted for reprinting and distribution by non-profit organizations with text reproduced unchanged and this paragraph included.

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.

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