1. Teach Parents Tech
Google came up with an interesting initiative last year that allows you to send a care package of video tutorials to your mom, dad, relatives, friends, or anyone else that might need them. They’ve streamlined the process, and made it extremely easy to select which videos, so you can tailor your package according to whatever they may need help with. Check out Teach Parents Tech! Who knows, maybe you could use a little brushing up yourself? 😉
2. What Browser am I using?
Curiously enough, there are users that aren’t sure what internet browser they are using. If there’s ever a browser-related problem and your parents want to Google it, they’ll need to know which browser they’re using and which version. Luckily, there’s What Browser?, a site that describes just that to users. If your parents are still using Internet Explorer, there might be the chance that they click Try a New Browser at the bottom and stumble on something more useful. 😉 What Browser? also teaches you how to change your settings.
3. How to Use Google
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. I firmly stand by this when imparting knowledge, and I think that this is an absolutely essential tool that everyone should know how to use.. yes, am talking about Google! Make sure you share our understanding Google search operators article and also this one by Search Engine Land that helps users get way more familiar with Google. Let them know this is absolutely crucial to their education, and this will be the place to turn whenever they run into trouble on the computer, whenever there’s something they want to learn, or whenever they’re not sure of something.
4. Keeping Away from Traps
The internet can be a scary place, especially if you’re new. Parents might still be oblivious to prince hoaxes, free virus scanners, email attachments, Facebook spam, and the rest of those villains lurking out there. There’s really no way you can get them to memorize all the possible hazards on the web, but you can certainly try to keep them up-to-date with Securelist. Securelist keeps users updated with internet hoaxes and viruses, so hopefully your mom or dad will be able to get an idea of what lies out there in today’s jungle.
5. 20 Things I Learned
20 Things I Learned is an eBook curated by Min Li Chan and the Google Chrome Team. It offers a very unique, HTML-5 reading experience. Users can navigate through it very naturally, like they would a book. This eBook actually teaches some good fundamental knowledge (like What is the internet? and What is cloud computing?). Have a look at 20 Things I Learned. I’m sure your mom (or dad) will now be able to enjoy a great time on the internet, and make a great use of this “new” resource available right at their fingertips. Tell us how it worked for you and yours! Cheers.