I have used Nextdoor (light usage) in both Florida and in Canada. I don't find it a very satisfying app. It is really intended for neighborhood usage... lost pets, garage sales, etc. In both Florida and here in Canada some users try to promote their socio-political-religious-etc beliefs and opinions (Covid-19 vaccinations, anyone?) and many more people complain about this. So it's unlikely that there would be a fruitful, thoughtful discussion on Nextdoor.
Other forums that might take the place of AARP's include Reddit (as Gayle mentioned), the city-data.com forums (always lively!), Bogleheads (for finance), and more (Volvo speed forums?)
I try to provide thoughtful replies to discussions in the the AARP forums. I don't post a lot but if something catches my eye I may reply with what I hope is a useful response or comment. And I try to drop in to a number of forums, ones that aren't very frequented. Both the Divorce for Seniors and the Grief & Loss were on the way out under the reorganization awhile back and I was one of the few who made comments that those forums still served a purpose and need; and they are still here today. For example, the compassionate replies to posts about grief can provide some comfort to those new grievers; simply reading through the entire history of posts can provide some comfort, in my view.
I suspect that most people don't realize the time and effort that can go into some posts, especially those that are more technical: Social Security, Insurance, Personal Finance, Medicare, etc. There are maybe half a dozen posters who really carry the water in those forums, providing the benefit of their time and vast knowledge. The AARP forums would be the worse off if these folks were lost. Anyway, yes, it can take a lot of time to craft a reply to some of these technical issues.
I actually wanted to learn more about Social Security when I first joined these forums. I have been surprised at the lack of usage of them for this purpose. But it has been useful for me. And I stuck around to share my own limited knowledge.
Taking a tangent here, I have seen a number of posts saying that the forums are overwhelming, there are too many posts, they're too old, they should delete them after a year. Well, my response is that if much of the information and discussions on "technical" topics are informative and generally useful regardless of age: yes, Social Security laws change over time but reading through all the available threads can provide a great background and is a great resource. Same for Medicare, medical conditions, personal finances, etc. Deleting all posts over a year old would be like a book burning festival.
Another turn in the road here. I have found that the AARP articles on various topics drawn many comments... even hundreds! And these can also be a huge source for information. I am only now reading through the more than 600 comments on survivors benefits for Social Security. The comments platform is not a good tool for accessing this information and there is some golden info in there. I wish this was all in the searchable forums!
