AARP Online Community and Discussion Forums - WHAT IS A FORUM????

nctarheel · ‎05-01-2025

I am re-posting this thread in the MEMBERSHIP forum in a purposeful way. I feel that the FORUMS are a benefit of my MEMBERSHIP in AARP, a membership that I have maintained for a quarter of a century. That is why I pose my comment here. First, let's define what a FORUM is:

A FORUM IS A MEDIUM WHERE IDEAS AND VIEWS ON A PARTICULAR SUBJECT MAY BE EXCHANGED

There is a problem with the FORUMS at AARP'S web site that needs to be addressed. For the most part, AARP'S Forums are barren of any exchanges of ideas and views. Most original comments are met with either NO RESPONSES, ONE RESPONSE, or TWO RESPONSES.

Most social platforms in which I participate, if the subject matter is interesting, have scores of commenters within a very short time of the posting of the original comment. But not here.

AARP states that it has 38,000,000 members. If only a small fraction of this number visited this social platform, it would be very active.

But it is not very active.

Why is this so?

Can it be because the subject matter categories are not interesting???

Can it be because the guidelines are too restrictive???

Can it be because the moderation is too hard line???

I don't know the answer but I do know that if 38,000,000 people belong to AARP, these discussion boards should be a hustling and bustling exchange of ideas and views but it is more of a boring group of lists and articles.

GailL1 · ‎05-01-2025

The AARP doesn’t call this place a FORUM - they call it an “Online Comunity” and thus the definition is modified accordingly -

AI says a Online Community is defined as:

An online community is a group of people connected by shared interests, goals, or experiences who interact and collaborate digitally. These communities can exist on various platforms like social media, forums, or dedicated software solutions. They facilitate communication, knowledge sharing, and relationship building.

I believe that is more of the type of place they want here - in a forum digital format - as defined as:

A digital forum is an online discussion board where people can engage in asynchronous communication by posting messages and responding to existing threads. It's a platform for sharing ideas, asking questions, and engaging in conversations around a specific topic or interest. Forums are often organized into categories or subforums to facilitate discussions on different subtopics.

It seems that your difference here with the AARP vision for this place is more about what is discussed and for all good an purpose, it seems, they have the control over the site and you have your choice to participate in the world which they have designed for their purpose.

papawofboo · ‎05-02-2025

Why do you say they don't call it a forum. Right at the top of the list is the word Forum.

Any way I call these thing "posting boards".

I think we agree that they are bad. Post from many years ago by people that most likely has left us. I still have trouble finding stuff, I have to go to my profile to find where I posted, but that may just be me.

To this day I don't know why they deleted Tarheels other post. Plus did you see where they "beeped" a word in my post to you on other board. Give me a break,

We can't answer for other people but the views on these board compared to post are way apart. Why anyone would come in here and just read and not post something is beyond me.

One thing that bugs me is people do come in here and ask for ideas or help and then after people reply to them you don't here anything about the outcome of the matter.

Let me get our of y'all's way.

Papaw of Boo

nctarheel · ‎05-01-2025

@GailL1 wrote:

The AARP doesn’t call this place a FORUM.

I believe that is more of the type of place they want here - in a forum digital format - as defined as:
A digital forum is an online discussion board where people can engage in asynchronous communication by posting messages and responding to existing threads. It's a platform for sharing ideas, asking questions, and engaging in conversations around a specific topic or interest. Forums are often organized into categories or subforums to facilitate discussions on different subtopics.

It seems that your difference here with the AARP vision for this place is more about what is discussed and for all good an purpose, it seems, they have the control over the site and you have your choice to participate in the world which they have designed for their purpose.

@GailL1,

Your response is, at best, confusing.

Your first statement is that AARP doesn't call this place a FORUM. I read your statement with one eye on your statement and my other eye reading the AARP heading titled FORUMS.

Then you state that AARP wants a digital FORUM format and basically you define FORUMS similar to I have done in my original comment.

You then postulate that I am more concerned with WHAT IS DISCUSSED rather than the format in which the DISCUSSIONS TAKE PLACE.

You may have a point.

After all, look at the headlines at AARP'S web site. They are all about how SOCIAL SECURITY is under attack. AARP asks our assistance, as members, to take the steps necessary to ward off the attack.....HOWEVER....... AND I SAY A BIG HOWEVER.......... we can't discuss the attack or its origin or anything related to the attack because that would be DISCUSSING POLITICS, an area that AARP has put OFF LIMITS.

Your last statement says these FORUMS are not designed for the member's purposes, but for AARP'S PURPOSE.

With that, I must agree.

And with that, you may have hit upon the reason these FORUMS are just jumbles of LISTS, ARTICLES, and FLOTSAM which generate little response and even less interest.

GailL1 · ‎05-01-2025

“The word “FORUM” on the index page of this community board seems to indicate the categories as the definition which I listed said - “Forums are often organized into categories or subforums to facilitate discussions on different subtopics.”

I think by just glancing over the site topics (categories or sub forums) you can see what the organization wants to discuss here. Now this may be that these are the places they have been moving this board to for several years now or it could be that is what the few here want to talk about or grip about - either way, I don’t see this as a place where much can be discussed until one stays on it and then finds at least one other person to keep the conversation going.

If you don’t think you can discuss Social Security without bring in Politics you are very mistaken. I prove that just with many of my post. You want to discuss Politics rather than the subject of the Social Security programs and Trust Funds and political action or inaction that takes place on these programs.

If you want politics - go on over to the Reddit group of individual that left here - you might feel right at home there. I will even give you the link and I know they will love to have you.

Reddit: BlueWave_facts

There are a few here that do discuss the programs of Social Security but only a few - otherwise people do what they want to do - discuss games, rewards, grips about AARP benefits of some kind, the tech problems of this website,. I even tried to renew a discussion on some TV programs we use to discuss weekly - thus far no takers - I guess they have either moved on or their interest has waned.

Personally, I think that the site is so confusing or some members of the group lack tech skills to figure it out that this in and of itself is part of the problem. I really don’t know how many people in my age group participate in discussion forums especially on politics. I frequent Reddit, Bogleheads and occasionally read certain topics on the Democratic Underground. I have been asked to join some others but I have thus far refused - I come here mostly to help and explain but I don’t know if I am successful at this.

Instead of trying to remake this place into something that it never will be, try finding a place for what you want to do - Reddit has everything and more. Or you can start your own group on Reddit and then get people to join you.

Like I said, I really do believe that the Reddit Bluewave_facts crowd would love to have you.

papawofboo · ‎05-01-2025

Tarheel, from someone way down south, I think you just got an invitation to leave?

Papaw of Boo

GailL1 · ‎05-01-2025

No,not an invite to leave - just a suggestion of a place that does do what she/he seems to want to do .

I tried starting a conversation the other day on the Brain Health board that interest me - not political but thought provoking but no takers and probably won’t be - and I would have thought for this age group there would have been a bunch of takers. If I took this same post to a reddit board - I would have a ton of responses in a day. Some very outspoken - pro and con.

It is the majority of the folks that are coming here that create the direction - and discussion of any type does not seem to be the reason for coming here - which on a board like reddit - it is the only reason - questions and discussion of whatever type and style one wants.

nctarheel · ‎05-02-2025

@GailL1 wrote:

I tried starting a conversation the other day on the Brain Health board that interest me. If I took this same post to a reddit board - I would have a ton of responses in a day. Some very outspoken - pro and con.

But with 38,000,000 members....even if a minute amount of members joined in....these discussion boards would be "rockin". It's more like being in a rocking chair rather than "rockin".

GailL1 · ‎05-03-2025

@nctarheel wrote

But with 38,000,000 members . . . . .

=============================

Reddit also has millions joined in certain subject. Others may have but a few - The one subject board with only a few joined members maybe far more active than the one that have millions joined.

So you see, it does not depend on the number in a membership - it depends on who is active, interested, who have the tech skills - I bet most AARP members don’t even know this place exist and the other just understand it to be a place to grip about the AARP or post something about a part of AARP for which they do have some interest. Games, Rewards, Songs, Rock n Roll, hearing aid battery packaging, AARP UHC, other AARP benefits - like Consumer Cellular, Hartford, vision discounts, caregiving.

I am like you - I wish this place was different but I have been here since 2008 and in most places, it has remained the same -

In fact, with the subjects decreasing, it is hard to pick a place to even decide where to put a post about something that is not on the mainstream subjects - like with you putting this under Membership and me putting my assisted suicide under Brain Health.

AARP is only keeping this place going because they need a place to support the areas they want to support. Like Caregiving - I could count on two hands the number of people that are active on this place - I am sure we know them by screen name.

If they leave - what is left?

SpringIsHereVA · ‎05-03-2025

@nctarheel , that number is fake & people have more exciting places to be rather than fight with the censorship on this site. Just my 1/2 cent. 😉

➡️[*** YOU WROTE: But with 38,000,000 members....even if a minute amount of members joined in....these discussion boards would be "rockin". It's more like being in a rocking chair rather than "rockin".