About Us

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Learn How To Master Your PC, Laptop and Mobile Devices to manage your daily activities

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Who We Are

Gold Coast Seniors OntheNet (SOTN) is a computer club for seniors (aged 50 and over) who are interested in learning about Computers, Tablets and Smart Phones [Android, iPad & iPhone], software and associated equipment for education, interest and enjoyment.
We started with a small group of computer enthusiasts in Southport in 1997 and, with the generous support of the Gold Coast City Council and Cr. Dawn Crichlow, we became established in Council premises in Nerang Street Southport.
SOTN is an incorporated not-for-profit community-based charity conducted by volunteers interested in computing and communications, who are willing to share their knowledge with others.
Many of our Members join and stay with us for many years, and, in turn, share their new-found knowledge with our newer Members.
Others just stay for a short time to learn what they need to know and then move on, hopefully enriched by their experience.
Our motto is “Seniors Helping Seniors”.
Member’s need not necessarily own a computer tablet or smart phone to join SOTN, but once they have gained an interest they may want to even expand their new found knowledge and then move on to more advanced uses of their equipment and to make use of your new-found skills.
We offer a large variety of courses, usually in the form of one-on-one lessons with an experienced volunteer tutor.
Tuition that can commence anywhere from the basic beginners’ tuition on the use of the Internet for research and emailing, moving on to more advanced tuition such as the use of digital cameras and photo-editing depending on the member’s interests.
Lessons are tailored to meet our member’s individual needs and, very importantly, without any pressure being applied by our Tutors.
Member’s requirements and timetable are set by themselves.
All Members are encouraged to join in activities and, when ready, perhaps even become a tutor, receptionist or even a committee member thus helping “Seniors OntheNet” to survive for many decades and continue to help newer seniors.

Our Story

Contributed by Life Member of Gold Coast SOTN, David Ward

‘ADULTS ONLY …. you must be 18 years or older to proceed’ was the message on the computer screen. Her hand gripped the mouse with determination to ‘Click to Proceed’. My nervous hand was covering her hand with determination not to let her.

It was 1997, SeniorsOntheNet was less than one-year-old and I was giving a 78-year lady member her first Internet experience and lesson at the Gold Coast TAFE. One of my two concerns was that if the TAFE saw that we had accessed pornography, they would have barred us from the use of their facilities. In those early days of the Internet, Pop-Up Adult content was common and my student was most upset with my other concern, that I would not let her continue to the site.

Six months earlier, a few of us had responded to a note circulated by Hazel Barrett, our founding member, and met to discuss the formation of a not-for-profit, volunteer computer club for Seniors on the Gold Coast. There were many retirees from ‘down South’ who had left family behind and were having difficulty communicating with their grandchildren…. mobile phones were rare and expensive but emails were starting to be more popular on ‘home computers’ if only older Australians knew how to use them. Others wanted to write their memoirs, others just to get ‘modern’, others needed a new hobby.

We had no assets, funds or grants so we persuaded Southport State school to let us use their computer classroom after-hours in exchange for us helping out with the children’s reading lessons at the school. The first SOTN group lessons were held from 4.30 to 6pm on four days per week and were always full. The main problems for our members was typing; in those days keyboards were the realm of secretaries and typists and the frustration of more elderly members trying to find a letter on a keyboard that they had never seen before brought out language that we had rarely heard before.

The Gold Coast City Council was approached and offered us a grant and 2 upstairs rooms in Davenport St, where we installed our first 2 purchased computers for one-on-one lessons. We were also very fortunate that Cr Dawn Crichlow agreed to be our Patron, and is still supporting us in that role today. The GC TAFE were approached and allowed 2 hours per week use of their Internet Labs.

The membership was growing rapidly. We outgrew the upstairs rooms and thanks to Cr Crichlow we were given the much bigger area downstairs where membership fees, lesson fees and grants allowed us to purchase and install more teaching computers.

Over the next few years, the Membership, which we thought would be ‘great if it reaches 50 members’ rose into the many hundreds. There were monthly computer talks at the local RSL attended by up to 300 seated members and the overflow stood at the back. Sub-branches were formed in Burleigh, Robina, Mt Tamborine and Runaway Bay and they each held monthly meetings and talks. The average annual membership peaked during this time at around 1400.

The gradual and sometimes, rapid changing of technology has also changed the role of SOTN. Most new members now have already used keyboards and touch screens; they use their mobile phones for calls and texting. Many have their own phone, tablet, laptop, computer or whatever and want to be taught on their own device. So the SOTN rooms have changed from the banks of computer screens and keyboards with tutors teaching Microsoft Word or Excel or photo-enhancement applications etc. Instead SOTN welcomes members bringing in their own technology so that the tutors can enhance the member’s usage and knowledge on a familiar device. Also the usage has changed with lessons on Social Media applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter etc. added to the ever popular Windows and normal application lessons.

As the whole computer experience has progressed over the last 20 plus years, so has SOTN, now an official charity, which is always at the forefront of new technologies, applications and ideas but always sticks to its motto of ‘Seniors helping Seniors’.