Katja

Wiki?

Fredd

Now don't get personal Oz!

Seriously, I've bookmarked the new forum and have contributed a couple of posts, particularly in regard to our "lifetime" memberships in the defunct UA SilverWings. Mrs. Fredd and I are a year or two ahead of the official Boomers and playing whatever angles we can to get the most bang for our travel bucks, including AARP rates or anything else we can find.

Hilton cancelled their special Seniors' Gold program awhile back just as we were considering signing up. My own theory is that the industry realizes the crop of Boomers heading into retirement includes some affluent people, so it's no longer considered cost-effective to offer any special senior incentives. Perhaps the lack of threads tends to validate my theory that deals for seniors are fewer and farther between - if I'd recently run across any I'd already have posted them there.

I agree the forum's emphasis should be on deals for seniors rather than a "meet-your-fellow-crocksters" forum, and I suppose "deals for seniors" could be dealt with as a sticky at the top of TravelBuzz or somewhere similar, remembering that some of us geezers have trouble finding things.

In summary, I'd be pleased if this forum is given a little longer (and another shot of publicity) to confirm whether or not it's of any use, but I can't argue it's been an invaluable addition to this point.

Rambling thoughts FWIW so remember to respect your elders, Kids.

Cheers,
Fredd The All-Seeing

l etoile

Based on reading the stats here on how little activity the seniors forum has seen, perhaps this is a topic that would be better served in a different fashion. Maybe one of the couple of active seniors in that forum should instead be one of the FT bloggers where he/she could keep seniors informed of senior travel issues/deals that way. That person's signature could link to the blog.

Fredd

I used to get e-mail updates for "View From The Wing" (?) but I haven't been able to get those for some time and never get around to checking it or other FT blogs out. Am I missing something? If I could get an e-mail update, either daily or whenever there's new material, a blog would certainly be better than nothing.

Cheers,
Fredd

Rudi

regarding forum statistics

while to create and maintain interest a 'reasonable' amount of broad (and updated) information posts covering the topics of that interest groupe is necessary (which still has to be achieved in the Senior forum), later, I believe, the hit statistics become more relevant as they show then:

1) interest (and repeated interest) in the informations at hand in this forum
2) earnings effect (hits of advertisements linked with the forum) for the owner of the website.

Hunki

Good points, Rudi,

Maybe the owners of the site would be encouraged to place more "age specific" ads on the pages within this forum also.

NickB

I don't think that this is relevant for this discussion. This may be a matter for IB, but it is not TB's function to maximise revenue streams.

SkiAdcock

Totally agree.

Rudi

SkiAdcock

And Nick's point is still valid. Serving in an advisory capacity to the host is not about increasing revenue streams. That's a IB task.

Given how few threads etc there are on the forum I'm still of the opinion that it's not a viable forum. But like others I'd give it a few more months to find it's footing before TB making a decision.

Cheers.

Rudi

quote: Serving in an advisory capacity to the host is

quote: not about increasing revenue streams.

Rudi: nor is it against advising about increasing revenue streams.

Let's make it 50:50

I believe a better first 'task' for seniors and the talkboard and the FT-host then to close that forum in haste is to discuss (and propose) about possibilities how to improve that forum - how to attract more FT-seniors to contribute.

SkiAdcock

Ok, but only because you bought the Sidecars in DUS

Cheers.

Hunki

So, how many regular FT members qualify for this prestigious status as a "Senior"? Or admit that they are?

Ya think that maybe more FTs will gain that status the longer that this forum is in existence?

So let's consider that we've put a forum in place that is ahead of the curve.

wharvey

I still do not understand. What is the problem with leaving this forum open? It is not taking up any major bandwidth. We know it reaches a very limited clientele on Flyertalk... one of the smaller sub segments (I am guessing here). It has not received any substantial "advertising" since it has been in existence.

I still hope the Talkboard will vote to leave this forum alone.

BiziBB

Rudi, if I had a forum I used, with the lack of interest of Seniors, I'd start a thread in that forum inviting comments. I'd start a few threads with useful info, like you have. I'd correspond with users of the forum and brainstorm some topics. I'd start a FT social group.

You've probably thougth and done a LOT more than this already - you're a great FT asset and commentator, which we appreciate.

Good luck.

(Les the above be taken to be spamming/padding that forum, it is not. If attempts like this to kick-start interest (/activity) don't work, then it would be sensible to consider another place for Seniors info.)

I hope this is helpful to forum users and TalkBoard representatives.