Gaming

I'm not much of gamer myself, but I can see that the next generations really are, so I understand the value, or rather, interest the library system would have in having some familiarity with the gaming world. Also, our reality is that the Internet is a wide-open medium, so trying to keep someone from playing games on a library computer would be like spitting into the wind, even if we had such an interest. The idea that we would try to monitor what people are viewing on the Internet also goes against one of our fundamental values as a library system. Therefore, it behooves us 'old folks' to have some familiarity with gaming. Besides, if approached with an open mind, it can be fun, at least for some.

I practiced with Yahoo games; I chose the Mah Jong puzzle. It was mildly entertaining, but I was glad it only took five minutes. I like the idea that a person can try out games to see if they like it or not before they purchase. I am a puzzler myself (shout out to Will Shorts, the Puzzle Master), but not everyone likes puzzles. That's what makes the trials a nice way to approach gaming.

I also practiced with one of the children's games from funbrain so that I can help families choose sites they may like for trying educational puzzles. I didn't get the gist of the particular game I tried; I think I need to get my grandson to help me with that one. My experience is that many children find technology to be much more intuitive than I. So my grandson is often my technological tutor. I encourage everyone to find a youngster to help them navigate the changing world of technology.