My thoughts of possibly reviving the Ageless Love Community

[Firelocke]

I've been giving it a lot of thought into this website's inactivity and how to help solve the issue. Brainstorming I figured out some ways to do it, however it's just my ideas. They might not work, or might not even be desired and that's OK. I just figured I'd put my ideas here just because I'm bored and had some free time to kill LOL.


I noticed this website is forum based. Forums were once very popular, however as of recent times a majority of forums have been replaced with other things. The most popular that comes to mind for me is facebook groups. I figured facebook would be a great platform to get your foot into the door. It helps if you see facebook as an asset to growing your community. Having your community spread out onto multiple platforms increases your chances of attracting further active members. Once you make a facebook group called "Ageless Love" and it begins to gain members you can advertise the forums in the description of the group. People can then choose which they prefer to post. You might find that many members may prefer the forums as they're relatively simple to use and allow you to talk about things relatively anonymously, whilst others may prefer the facebook group as it's more modern and allows users to connect in ways a forum simply cant.

You would pretty much be using facebook as a recruitment platform for your community. Members in the facebook group could be encouraged to join the forums. You may think that having both a facebook group and a forum may cause inactivity or maybe even a rift between the community on different platforms, however this can easily be avoided. I'd suggest rules on the facebook group such as "personal ads should be posted on the forums only". This gives users a reason to come to the forums in the first place even if the facebook group is their preferred platform. It's all about traffic and the more people you can encourage here, the more likely they'll stick around and use the forums in future.

Obviously though the facebook group would need vigilant moderation. You'd need to get more moderators for the group as when the community on facebook grows so will the chance of trouble. I think I've read that on this website barely any moderation needs to happen as people stay relatively well behaved, however on facebook there is a far larger demographic of people and the chances of altercations needing moderator supervision is higher as a result. Trust me I've seen the bs on facebook groups sometimes it's actually insane lmao.


I've been part of another forum in the past, and it's activity depended heavily on the secondary platform it used to recruit new members. I also have a bit of experience growing a community in my early years. I'd love to hear people's responses on my ideas. I'm new to the forums and this is my first post. I was looking forward to joining this community and I saw things seemed pretty dead. Would love to help encourage new life though in any way I can though!

[whiterose]

We tried the Facebook group idea a couple of times in the past. In each instance, those who were already members here preferred that the group not be public which affected the group's ability to grow. But I appreciate the thought. This is definitely a forum and the best way to perk up the site is for you to post and get to know those who still frequent the site.

[Inamorata]

We tried the Facebook group idea a couple of times in the past. In each instance, those who were already members here preferred that the group not be public which affected the group's ability to grow. But I appreciate the thought. This is definitely a forum and the best way to perk up the site is for you to post and get to know those who still frequent the site.

I didn't know we'd ever had a Facebook group. I really like the idea. It would have to be closed with a process for joining (could be a set of questions you have to answer plus a mod looks through your Facebook page to see if you'd be a "fit"). Closed groups don't grow as fast as public groups but do we really want EVERYONE to join? I think not. I'd prefer a Facebook group that was mostly made up of people who were in, or had been in, or wanted to be in, an age gap relationship rather than just every idiot who has an opinion on the subject.

[Corsair]

Facebook in itself is dying. I think the internet has become like television just not the exciting new thing it once was. Which is why you see less activity on forums now as well as sites like Twitter, Facebook, Social media in general.

[SheLikesKitties]

While Facebook is already on the decline, it is still used by many middle-aged people who are happy to read articles and interact with each other. I think that it is a good idea. It should not be a closed group. It is moderator intensive though.

[Slow Worm]

While the shift to social media may well be a reason for the rapid decline of activity here, I wonder whether there is also a more fundamental factor: a lack of need for the forum's stated purpose of supporting AGR's.

Looking back over my recollections of Ageless, there have been many very interesting discussions, but most of them were not actually about AGR's. Many that I recall as most interesting and longest running were on quite different subjects.
If I recall correctly, many of the relationship-related problems that were discussed were not directly due to age gaps but were over issues that also arise in relationships without them. There were not that many concerned with AGR-specific issues such as women with new younger partners concerned that having children would have to be now or never, or over problems arising when someone retires a decade or so before their partner does and gets fed up having to live somewhere with no appeal except being where their partner's job is located.

This does suggest that there is limited demand for AGR support. In my own experience, external hostility to AGR's has faded from being rare to being non-existent over the last 30-odd years and there are only so many different ways other issues specific to us, such as the above ones, can be re-discussed.

The decline in the beliefs and attitudes that created hostility to AGR's, esp. OWYM ones, is arguably seen most clearly in the decline in hostility to LGBT relationships, which was often based upon the same roots of sexist authoritarianism and beliefs that sex should be for procreation only. When I was a teenager, gay marriage was off the agenda except for the far left. Now, the last two weddings I attended were gay ones and opposition to it is confined to cranks on the far right. With that shift in attitudes, hostility to AGR's seems a feeble factor indeed.


SW

[Corsair]

While the shift to social media may well be a reason for the rapid decline of activity here, I wonder whether there is also a more fundamental factor: a lack of need for the forum's stated purpose of supporting AGR's.

Looking back over my recollections of Ageless, there have been many very interesting discussions, but most of them were not actually about AGR's. Many that I recall as most interesting and longest running were on quite different subjects.
If I recall correctly, many of the relationship-related problems that were discussed were not directly due to age gaps but were over issues that also arise in relationships without them. There were not that many concerned with AGR-specific issues such as women with new younger partners concerned that having children would have to be now or never, or over problems arising when someone retires a decade or so before their partner does and gets fed up having to live somewhere with no appeal except being where their partner's job is located.

This does suggest that there is limited demand for AGR support. In my own experience, external hostility to AGR's has faded from being rare to being non-existent over the last 30-odd years and there are only so many different ways other issues specific to us, such as the above ones, can be re-discussed.

The decline in the beliefs and attitudes that created hostility to AGR's, esp. OWYM ones, is arguably seen most clearly in the decline in hostility to LGBT relationships, which was often based upon the same roots of sexist authoritarianism and beliefs that sex should be for procreation only. When I was a teenager, gay marriage was off the agenda except for the far left. Now, the last two weddings I attended were gay ones and opposition to it is confined to cranks on the far right. With that shift in attitudes, hostility to AGR's seems a feeble factor indeed.


SW

I would say that is the other reason. Perhaps this site should shift or open it's focus to more a of a chat forum for people involved in AGR's where simply chatting about whatever is what happens. I think basing it purely on AGR itself can be limiting as in the end it really boils down to if you like it do it, if you don't than don't.