The present inquiry considers the nature and meaning of elder participation in information technology and the degree to which computer-mediated communication increases in the social capital of elder adults. This study compares27 elder computer participants and 27 nonparticipants by means of open-ended interviews. Three primary themes emerged from the interviews. The first concerns the different conceptions of old age held by the computer-participants and the nonparticipants, and in particular, differing views on learning capacity in later life. The second concerns their intentions of applying information technology. The third concerns the learning problems of operating computers. The findings from the current study also show that older persons are able to study and to usecomputers if a good training program exists that encourages them to do so. On the other hand, it cannot be dismissed that those who chose to participate and to study computer use may have done so because they had a stronger prior desire and/or ability to engage in this particular undertaking. It might be that the elderly information technology participants had a positive approach to the computer, a priori, and perhaps a better capability for learning new things as well.