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Originally Posted by in_newengland
I also used to (probably still would but it's never going to happen) want the forum divided into retirement planning and retirement life. Then the younger ones who want advice or even retirees who want to know, can talk about financial planning and the already retired can talk about what it's like to be retired and relevant issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deelighted
This division makes the most sense to me. If there were a poll, I would certainly vote yes
A few years ago I suggested that division in About the Forum and the Administrator himself said it's not going to happen.
Some observations: There are a lot of reported posts from the Retirement Forum (personally, to me it always looks like there are more from Politics & Other Controversies) and a lot of these reported posts are not needed because they do not break the TOS. Thus the note about not reporting off topic subjects, for the most part. We are like family here and since most of us are older, most of us want the opinions and support of older people. That's why people here might talk about their pets--some older people can get lonely so a pet is like family. Or we might talk about arthritis because most older people do develop arthritis--and we want the advice of our peers. Arthritis is also discussed on Health & Wellness but some of the best advice on the health of older people shows up on this forum, imho.
It's usually the Already Retired people who are discussing what may seem trivial to others and some think they should take it to another forum. But these are people who are past the financial planning stage for the most part and need to talk about day to day life in retirement. These people want to connect with other retirees on what may seem off topic and trivial to others but to them it's about their lives--like --Do you eat three meals a day? or How is your senior center? How often do you eat out? or what was the worst job you ever had? If you're not retired yet and this doesn't pertain to you, just skip it. It's important to many people and serves a need.
But that doesn't mean that people should not report posts that include personal attacks, obscenity, spam, or some annoying troll who just comes along and makes meaningless, annoying comments. Those reports on posts that break the TOS are really important and will be addressed. As long as we keep it civil and don't gang up on people, keep reporting really truly bad rule-breaking posts, and remain tolerant of others' views, we can still skim along without being assigned a moderator.
I think we've been having a very responsible and adult conversation and see no need for intervention on the thread.
Yes - I wasn't aware of how often things get "reported" to moderators to take some action. My view has been that it was the moderators being too persnickety in removing all "saltiness" from posts and turning it into milquetoast. After all, they don't have to react to what people send them, do they - they seem to have a lot of latitude and don't even have to explain deleting posts or closing threads.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SunGrins
At 69 I don't think I need to be protected from a 49 year old. I can hold my own and, generally, I don't see grounds for complaining. We do have a method for ignoring posters if we don't want to hear from them. A 30 year old needs to be thinking about retirement. I retired very early and could have benefited from this forum before I retired.
It's usually the Already Retired people who are discussing what may seem trivial to others and some think they should take it to another forum. But these are people who are past the financial planning stage for the most part and need to talk about day to day life in retirement. These people want to connect with other retirees on what may seem off topic and trivial to others but to them it's about their lives--like --Do you eat three meals a day? or How is your senior center? How often do you eat out? or what was the worst job you ever had? If you're not retired yet and this doesn't pertain to you, just skip it. It's important to many people and serves a need.
...perhaps...sometimes. But I much want to hear from those who have been retired for a few years or longer. All the soon-to-be or just-retireds are speaking mostly in theory. I want to know how all their planning actually panned out! Everyone tries to do what they think is best in preparing for retirement but the proof is in the pudding and THAT'S what I want to know about.
One of the two senior moderators posted a very interesting comment a few days ago in the About the Forum forum in a now closed thread entitled "Modify forum name to 'retirement and aging'. Here is that comment in its entirety:
"In theory, perhaps, you may call it an interest. But, as a moderator, Retirement is the forum where we get the most reports based on discrimination (either age or topic). No other fora come even close: people from Retirement constantly demand we close or move threads or ban certain people from posting because they "don't belong". We really don't need to give them another reason for this kind of thinking.
Thank you for the suggestion, I understand your reasoning but unfortunately, it'd only work the way I described."....
I am still shaking my head in surprise about the post by the senior moderator.
I agree on one point, the age of the poster. Yes, the forum is Retirement, but older yet non-retired people and young people post great comments, and ask interesting questions, about Retirement. There was a flap when Serious Conversation appeared, I didn't get it all at the time...yes, he is thirty-something but the questions were thoughtful and stimulating.
So much for the age point.
But I am not sure what the the moderator's "move topics" problem means without a string of examples that were felt to be questionable. "Discrimination" is a very loaded word, is that is what was really meant...this topic puts retired people in the potty along among social and political deviants?
If Mergis posts that he is retired and age sixty-six, and wants to know what to do about the fact that his pet canary farts all the time, yeah move topic. But those kind of moves do take place.
What are the dubious requests? And what is "the most"? How do your gauge "most" if you don't have the context for the size of the forum readership vs. that of some that have fewer requests.
Aside from the specific mention of objections to the age of the poster, I get nothing from the rest of what the moderator said. "Discrimination"? "Most"? Meaningless vague generalities.
"We really don't need to give them another reason for this kind of thinking," says this moderator. I presume this refers back to the suggestion that aging be added to the forum subject title. Oh dear, some "them" is going to be offended because Retirement and Aging are linked in print, when they are overwhelming linked in fact. Sounds like a wistful bit of misguided bit of PC.
Yes, with EC shaking my head, but mainly for different reasons I think. Well, on to batter the denizens of QOTD I guess.
I think this sums it up. Too many old ( thinking ) people here. I saw it in spades on the recent landline thread. Sadly many people over 70 are intolerant of new ideas or change even if is useful or makes sense
Wow way to misrepresent that thread and slam the old fogies while you're at it. My impression was the vast majority of the contributors were cell not landline users.
How old am I?
I posted to it with 100% valid reasons (not that it's any of your business to claim I don't know what I'm talking about, not making sense or intolerant).
And I began my post with the fact that I own a business and.....
Do YOU own a business? A SERVICE business dependent on telecommunications? I use my landline AND my cell AND my iPad AND a second android, AND my computer for telecommunications.
I GUARANTEE you I'm more active and tech savvy than you and Mrs5150 - whom you referenced. My business operates 365 24/7 and I'm out in my vehicle, or walking, or with clients OR on my SELF BUILT WEBSITE. Communicating with the public the whole time.
Now considering my entire corporate career before owning businesses was spent at the PHONE COMPANY in every conceivable position - including R&D and IT - including a Product Manager with a $5 Billion P&L, including directly reporting to the President - your claim is particularly amusing. And insulting.
See what I said before?
Someone pompously attacks another member or exhibits ageism or some other nonsense but the reply is often to be considered "personal attacks".
I'm not difficult, I'm definite.
~Coco Chanel.
P.S. And YES, of course the quality of a Telco landline (not Reseller) is indisputably superior and it doesn't make a user Intolerant, or Lacking Sense to believe that. Especially if they actually USE THE PHONE.
That doesn't mean a cell isn't acceptable for lots of people. But maybe also you're the only person who's unaware of the AT&T dropped call problem.
Jeeze none of the landline users were even particularly argumentative about it - they simply answered the question and gave their reasons why.
Last edited by runswithscissors; 09-23-2017 at 10:07 AM..
Aside from the specific mention of objections to the age of the poster, I get nothing from the rest of what the moderator said. "Discrimination"? "Most"? Meaningless vague generalities.
Well here's an example of unneccessary and innacurate ageism discrimination.
Took me all of three seconds to see it here.
Of course the mod post probably meant ageism against younger people. Probably because it's widely ACCEPTED and normalized to bash older people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr5150 View Post
I think this sums it up. Too many old ( thinking ) people here. I saw it in spades on the recent landline thread. Sadly many people over 70 are intolerant of new ideas or change even if is useful or makes sense
This whole thread reminds me of the passionate controversy in Gulliver's Travels where one faction asserts eggs should be opened from the small side & another group protests that the opposite is obviously correct... much ado about nothing. We all found our way to this forum without needing to read a manual & figured out that retirement is pretty much a latter passage of life that includes some financial planning but isn't limited to that. All I needed to see was the title of the Landline thread for example, to skip over it, as I do with most of the threads that don't interest me, what is difficult about doing that?
And unless someone is personally attacking or spamming, etc... I really don't understand why they would be reported, just move on. Live & let live, post & let post, learn who to ignore. I vote NO on dividing the forum or restricting who should contribute.
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