AS FAR AS ACTIVITY, AARP DISCUSSION BOARDS ARE A WASTELAND

[nctarheel]

I am amazed that the AARP discussion boards are visited by so few people. It is a national discussion board and yet many, many threads are devoid of anything but a user's original posting.

NEXTDOOR, another platform in which I participate, can have hundreds of responses in minutes if the subject of the thread warrants it.

But not at AARP. I wonder why???????

There are certain threads that look like they are active but only because one, single user gives everyone a kudo and then inputs a post to correspond to that kudo.

Other than that person, there seems to be a small group that EVER enters into ANY discussions on these boards.

What do you think is the cause of this disuse?

[fffred]

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NEXTDOOR, another platform in which I participate, can have hundreds of responses in minutes if the subject of the thread warrants it.

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I agree that Nextdoor can quickly get many responses in minutes, much more so than AARP forums.

On the other hand, for me, Nextdoor is a waste of time. The forum design is poor, it's tedious to follow threads, most postings are a waste of time. I suppose that it has the merit of "being local", there's that. Not my cuppa tea though.

I think the more "technical" forums at AARP can and do provide utility to users; including such as those for Social Security and Medicare, retirement issues, financial issues, etc. As well as Grief and Loss, etc. There are many "social" forums here and a lot of people apparently get their kicks there. I pass through on occasion and make some remarks.

People interested in local forums might check out https://www.city-data.com/forum/. The site provides information about a lot of cities and there is an extensive set of forums, addressing particular locations (states, cities, etc) as well as many topic-based forums. It is pretty active.

[EricC28201]

https://community.aarp.org/t5/Scams-Fraud/Scams-AARP-IS-PROMOTING/m-p/2492417#M3030 

[fffred]

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!

[GailL1]

@nctarheel 

I think it is because many of us don’t just chit and chat.  Games, Rewards and Rock n Roll boards seem to do well but those aren’t what I call discussions. 

You really think this is the place to discuss anything deep or controversial, meaning where people will have differing opinions?

I have taken my conversations on things Medicare, Social Security, government workings in general and other things over to Reddit - AARP_Politics - it is great since over there I can block the one bully that has followed me around on social media formats for years.

What do you suggest on giving any life to this platform?  I am really not sure that AARP wants any opinions or suggestions.

[Anonymous]

(7 comments) I am amazed that one member spends all of their time targeting a particular member all the time on this AARP site. Hmmm, I wonder why? Does AARP own and decides what activity is allowed? Maybe this individual needs to apply for a job with AARP/lol 🤣😂

[Tempest332]

A kudo for every post? I wonder who that may be?  

I agree with nctarheel, I look around here in my occasional free time during the day, though it seems many threads are several years old & sit idle.   I mostly look on Technical forums & boards, though found these when checking my membership. 

[Anonymous]

(5 comments) @Tempest332 , I am sure we would luv to hear from you. Why not post some new material to liven up the site. 😉 Lol, are we back to the OLD thread about "kudos" = thought everyone had commented on that and we had moved on. 😂🤣

[Tempest332]

Well, I have so little to offer here for the most part.  Since AARP's target audience is older or the elderly, many likely do not use these types of forums, & the younger set would much rather be on the Twitter, Book of Faces, Instagram & such.  Reason for it's unpopularity. 

I personally detest common social media, & I still refuse to evolve with most technology, even for my age I'm far behind. 

[Anonymous]

(3 comments) I agree with what you said @Tempest332 ! Tik Tok also seems to be the fad in spite of all the "negative" media coverage. This is the only online I do. Too old for the drama 😉

[Tempest332]

The Tik Tok is targeting the under 21 crowd, at least it seems. 

[Anonymous]

(1 comment) Yes @Tempest332 , I agree! 🙂

[Tempest332]

Navigation is rather clumsy on these forums, have to remember where items are & create bookmarks.... confusing when trying to find a recent (but not that recent) topic or post. 

[cmNeb]

  I second that! I want to post a question but can't find out how. I've searched "add post" and "create post" without luck. I also looked through the help section. It is frustrating, to say the least.

[fffred]

@cmNeb 

On my Windows 10 laptop, my Apple iPad, and my Android phone, the AARP forum provides a Big Orange Button at the top of the list of posts for the particular forum; button is labeled "START A TOPIC". Click that button and "go to town".

See picture below for the "button"

Note that the big orange button is not available when you are reading through any particular "thread" (thread being an original post for the new topic, followed by replies).

Give 'er a try!

Good luck.