AARP Online Community ?

[fffred]

I used to be able to locate the AARP Online Community (these "forums") directly on the AARP Home Page. A few months ago I thought to try this again, to see how these are promoted; it was difficult to find a mention or link but I did.

Now tonight I can't find any mention of the Online Community on the Home Page. I used the Search function to search for the precise term used by AARP, "Online Community" and I found access via the search results.

Is it really the case that the Online Community is no longer promoted on the Home Page? How do other "new people" find these forums and community? Am I just an old geezer and can't find this on the Home Page (I used the text search of the page) due to my infirmities? Is AARP downgrading the forums?

Any users have comments?

[EricC28201]

This is a very interesting thread @fffred .  Watching it evolve over time has been thought provoking.

AARP is at it's core a political organization.  Most political organizations that last long enough evolve.  Usually they evolve from simply trying to attract as many people as possible when they first start out to trying to consolidate their base of hard core supporters.  Maybe we're witnessing such an evolution...from Attraction to Consolidation.

...Just a (Non-Political) thought about the cultural evolution of an organization.

[GailL1]

@EricC28201 wrote

AARP is at its core a political organization. 

————————————————————————

shhhhhhhhh the IRS might hear you - AARP.org  is a 501(c)(4)

The Foundation is charitable, 501(c)(3)

The AARP Services LLC ( they do the “benefit” deals) is a profit making arm.  I don’t know where their profits actually come from but maybe AARP.org pays them for their services because the royalties go to the AARP.org.

[Rebecca2004]

I have to agree. This site is hard to navigate and not user friendly.  I was reading things on the forum last night and there is so much that could be deleted.  For instance, there are posts dated 2020.  There is so much that could be cleaned up and deleted.  I know from working in an office for many, many years, using a computer, they always did maintenance to free up memory.  Sorry, got carried away!

[cat0w]

Surf this site as a person would surf the internet. How many scroll to the bottom and look at the sitemap?

Sitemap (aarp.org) When you open it, you'll see the Menu at the top left.

[fffred]

@cat0w    I had (and have) actually done that. In the past, not too distant, the Community was promoted in a "black bar" around the middle of scrolling down the home page. I expected it to be at the very bottom with all that usual good stuff but the way it used to be it was in some more good stuff in the middle. But no more.

[Therapist4u]

Hi @fffred 🙂

I simply bookmark several AARP pages I frequent, such as:

AARP Online Community https://community.aarp.org/

AARP Redeem Rewards https://www.aarp.org/rewards/redeem

& AARP Earn Rewards https://www.aarp.org/rewards/earn

Hope this helps a little!

Take care  ~Allen 🏂

[fffred]

@Therapist4u 

Thanks for the tips, Allen. Good ones. I actually just depend on my browser to remember....I just start typing in "AARP..." and it remembers where I mostly go. And I have an "icon" on the browser home page.

But really, my thought on this issue was "How does someone 'new' to the AARP site stumble across the 'Community'?"  

[Therapist4u]

You're welcome 😊

AFA "How does someone 'new' to the AARP site stumble across the 'Community'?"  

Dunno....it should be part of the info we get...it's important to many of us to be connected with others in as many ways as possible!

anyhoot..

Take care  ~Allen 🏈

[Badant]

Ooh good one @Thearapist4u thanks

[GailL1]

I FOUND IT - BUT YOU GOTTA LOOK CLOSE.

It is under the “HELP” heading

Bottom of this page:  https://help.aarp.org/s/?intcmp=AE-HP-HDR-HELP 

Shown as this on the bottom of the page.

Community

Ask Us Questions

            in our Help Forums
Live Agent Hours:
Mon-Fri, 8am - 8pm ET
Sat, 9am - 5pm ET

If you click on “Community” it takes you to this community (Help page)

https://community.aarp.org/t5/AARP-Help/ct-p/AARPHelp 
__________________________

[OneDayMatisyahu]

 From the AARP Homepage - with your cursor - just hover (but don't click, yet) onto your Name near top right row --> " Hi, Your Name (profile image)" ---> new drop-down menu will appear  --> now click on " Community "

On most other AARP Web Pages will have a " Menu with three horizontal bars/ lines "  along the top left.

Now click on the 'Menu button'  --->  Menu will open up with numerous Topics/ sections --

You should see first row - in all black row --"Hi, Your Name " with a ' small red   V  '

Click on the ' V '  ---> new menu items which will also include " Community "  <---> click on.

So, there is always a way to find the Community Forums. 

😎 

[fffred]

@OneDayMatisyahu 

Thanks for the tip, "ODM". I just wonder though what someone is supposed to do if they don't have an account...and they can't log in (yet).

So, really, my thought on the issue was "How does someone 'new' to the AARP site stumble across the 'Community'?"  

[GailL1]

It has always been that way or something similar 

I believe what fffred.is saying is that on AARP.org there is NO advertising or promo of this online community.  

I think that may be the reason why we have a lot of people posting on Game Talk even though they are inquiring about something else, like maybe Medicare,

Seems like when the powers that be mention “community” they are talking about what folks might be able to find / do in their local communities.

[fffred]

@GailL1 

ding-ding-ding !!!! We got a Winner!

This was my point exactly. If AARP doesn't promote this Community (perhaps it does and I am just lost) then it will wither away. So far, we all have our own little tricks and techniques to get where we want to go. But someone who is entirely new to the AARP site? how will they ever stumble across the forums? 

I think the Community could provide a real place for people to share. Senior Divorce, Grieving, Insurance, Social Security, Medicare issues. This Community can be one to meet all these diverse needs...more so and better so than Facebook, et al.