Their popularity derived from giving voice to women's own opinions and experiences rather than the media's - the Internet at its democratic best. But with Laybourne's new venture, one can only speculate what the future might hold for women's sites. After all, it was Laybourne who revolutionized children's TV with her irreverent and highly original Nickelodeon Channel. One particularly interesting component of her vision is the close association between the online venture and her plans to develop a new women's cable network with Marcy Carsey and Oprah Winfrey. While also catering to a burgeoning market on the Web, there isn't the same kind of hype circling sites for seniors even though such sites are growing with amazing speed.
Older adults comprise one of the fastest growing segments of the Web.
According to a survey by Louis Harris and Associates, in 1997, there were 7.6 million people over the age of 50 using the Internet. As the population ages and the use of computers becomes more pervasive across all age groups, that number is estimated to mushroom to 20 million by the year 2000. Unfortunately, there's also more marketing and sales pitches on these sites than on ones aimed at younger users and almost all of the information is text-based. What IS unique is the emphasis on community - on forums and chat rooms and on sharing experiences. One of the largest and most well-known sites for older adults is SeniorNet.