I read every one of your FT Weekend articles. You write wisely, from knowledgeable perspectives. This time I am writing to congratulate the person who created the illustration of the little old lady accompanying Camilla Cavendish’s column on the UK general election (“We need to pull together and make a new intergenerational contract”, Opinion, June 1).
This is me exactly. As an 87-year-old pensioner with poor vision, I stare through thick spectacles trying to interact with the world today.
It’s not so much how to vote — there’s plenty of information that I can absorb (albeit I’m a little deaf). No, it’s the online world that is such a challenge. No longer are there people available in offices, or at a counter, or on the telephone, where one can get help. No, it’s all done via online applications, with laptop or, even more dauntingly, a mobile phone. “Register here,” says the website. “Create your password, confirm your password, remember your password, forgotten your password . . . ” Or: “Scan the QR code here to start.” Where? How?
OK, let’s say I have successfully registered and all is going well. Some time later I see the message: “For security reasons we are introducing two-step verification. We’ll send a code to your mobile each time you want to access.” But codes coming through on a mobile are tiny numbers — hard to read and type in correctly if one can’t see well. Three mistakes and your access is blocked. Another example is NHS Patient Access which tells me to “choose a third party authenticator app”. Whatever is a authenticator app?
And so on, and so on. How about an article to illustrate the digital frustrations of us oldies?
Frances Hornby
St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
