Once a webmaster, always a webmaster? Have you ever wondered what you will be doing if you live to be very old? One of my first jobs in high school was working in the kitchen of the local nursing home. Working there gave me a chance to interact with elderly residents, interesting people who were often in the process of being pushed aside by the world. I learned a few lessons about life there that I will never forget.

Being a history enthusiast, I am fascinated to hear stories and wisdom from people who began life a half a century or so earlier than myself. This NPR podcast gives some insight into the Elder Wisdom Circle, a group of “cyber-grandparents” ages 60, 70 and 80, who impart there wisdom to over the Internet by answering all sorts of questions about life. This is one of those golden aspects of the Internet that really make you say, wow, the Internet can have some really positive and unselfish uses!

I’ve been paying more attention to the phenomenon of podcasting lately, especially now that it’s clear to me that it doesn’t mean I have to own an Apple product and use an obscure format to download and listen to audio. I’ve always had a strong preference for learning via the audio medium. I heard a guy the other day pontificating (ironically on a podcast) that the text medium for learning was superior to the linear medium of audio. This may be true, but audio, being passive, has the advantage of allowing for multitasking. There are certain unpleasant things in life that simply have to be done, like doing menial tasks at work or jogging or driving around town to do errands. Why not learn something that will make me a more effective webmaster while doing these tasks? Read more of this post »