Blogs Come Of Age

By Kristin Kloberdanz

Six mornings a week, Ray White, 92, dispatches garden wisdom and more on his Web log, Dad's Tomato Garden Journal. His favorite subject is tomatoes. But he gets downright fatherly with random thoughts on love and what matters most in life. Since launching his blog in 2003, White has tallied 61,000 visitors. "I've got friends all over the world," says the Tennessean.

Older Web surfers are catching on to the blog craze. "We're seeing more and more seniors wanting to take advantage of this new technology," says Marcie Schwarz of SeniorNet, an educational organization that helps older adults get wired. Blogs such as Cbreaux Speaks, My Mom's Blog and the Oldest Living Blogger showcase their creators' thoughts on daily events and international politics. "This is a generation that has stories to share," says Susannah Fox, associate director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. According to Fox, 4% of online adults 70 and older have created a blog and 16% say they have looked at blogs.

Lorraine O'Connor, 75, blogs on Me and the Cat about her pet, President Bush and her first bikini ("I gotta tell ya, I looked really fine"). She gets 35 visitors a day. Want to start your own blog? Go to blog.com or seniornet.org Or e-mail White. "I'd be happy to help," he says.