Custom buttons simplify the internet for low-tech users

Now that virtually all the world is online, it’s become increasingly important to forge connections with those who aren’t. Toward that end we’ve already seen Peggy Mail and Presto. Now, a newer example is Internet Buttons, which helps simplify the internet for those who aren’t yet used to it. Much the way John’s phones and Red Stamp Mail both focus on simplicity for the benefit of senior citizens, so UK-based Internet Buttons helps make an online connection less overwhelming. Rather than be confronted by a huge assortment of web-pages and social networks, Internet Buttons lets users cut their options down to a set of sites they know they’re interested in. The result is a page of personalized buttons that click through to the user’s favorite sites or services, and it’s even saved with a personalized URL that can be accessed from any computer. Helper bars, tips and advice are also readily available to explain how to get more out the web, and family members can leave a button with their own contact information in case there’s a need for extra help. Internet Buttons was funded by the Nominet Trust with additional support from UK Online Centres; it is run and managed by nonprofit We Are What We Do. There are 9.2 million people in the UK alone who are not yet online, and 6.4 million of them are over 65. Time to help bridge this divide around the world? (Related: Remote computer support for senior citizens — Personal ‘cloud phone’ service for rural users without a handset.) Spotted by: Ronan Harrington