Do Boomers Really Need a Web Home of Their Own?

Eons, a two-year-old company based in Boston, is one of several portals aiming to become the pre-eminent Web destination for Boomers. There's also BOOMJ and TeeBeeDee (as in "to be determined".) But when I arrived at their search engine, www.cRANKy.com it made me, well, cranky.

First off, my day job is Search Marketing specialist, so I'm going to view any Home page with a keen eye. They have broken one of the cardinal rules of online marketing... Dated content! The Home page features top searches for 2006.

I was prepared to embrace a new type of search engine because I think Google holds a monopoly, but if you're going to play with the big boys, you have to start off right. Here's a free tip: If you're going to run a blog, you need posts that are more current than one year ago.

BOOMJ, on the other hand, presents a much more generation-friendly experience. It bills itself as a Lifestyle & Social Network for Baby Boomers and Generation Jones.

Generation Jones, coined by Jonathan Pontell, characterizes those born between 1954 and 1965, who largely do not identify either as Baby Boomers or Gen Xers. This at least explains why it's hard for me to identify with those approaching retirement age.

I believe that the speed and adoption of technology distinguishes generations today. And why, for the first time in memory, we have a clear generational choice in this year's election.

Will it be the Silent Generation, the Baby Boom Generation or Generation Jones? TeeBeeDee...