Journal article: Everyday use of computer-mediated communication tools and its evolution over time: An ethnographical study with older people

Just came across this paper in "Interacting with Computers" which I find very interesting since it includes a longitudinal aspect. The paper, based on a ethnographic study with 400 older people in Barcelona, shows that older people are happy to include a range of ICT tools to communicate with their family / friends. The authors describe how the cognitive level will be the greatest challenge for using ICT when older. They also point out the importance of taking notes while learning - this is something that I have come across in my research too.
I also agree with their view that designing tools only for older people is not necessarily effective.
look for article

"You don't need to know it, you just need to know where to find the answers"

A lawyer friend of mine used to say this 20 years ago. He wouldn't remember the law word for word, but had to know in which book, court case or where else he would find references. The BBC reports about memory research and how computers affect the way we store memory. Read the article here
I think my friend's statement is supported with this study. For him the transactive memory were books at the time. So somehow results of the experiments are not surprising news !