My money is on Randy taking the TalkBoard's advice on this one, though I certainly do not presume to speak for Randy.

Other than once again trying to get a spot on Conspiracy Theory or some similar TV programme, what evidence do you have of magiciansampras' posting to be factual in any way? :confused:

To be fair, my posting was a question, not a statement of fact. Other FTers may decide whether or not the question is answered affirmatively or negatively. ;)

I must be having a Senior Moment

Yikes I hope not .. there is no forum for that anymore it seems ................ :)

Sure there is! It's called Omni. :)

Keep away from there is my advice.

I read that the CIA and the FBI linked up with google and are raiding 1000s of homes each week looking for culprits and miscreants. It is a big issue I understand.

Unless you change your handle or delete all your posts there all is lost. @:-)

My standpoint: We have new forum requests all the time and just recently passed the motion for the European Rail Forum which seems to be well accepted.

Now, in order to let all these new forums develop themselves or at least giving them a chance to do so, I rather take forums away that failed to do just this in the past. Let's keep FT clean and organized !

To add more and more and more mini-fora with little to no traffic makes no sense and doesnt serve FT in any way in the whole picture, and a handful user in total just doesnt justify an own forum IMHO. Every FTer is important to the community but we dont operate private chatrooms or an interactive friday evenings club with 3 members.

So for the sake of giving new proposals a reasonable chance, please folks understand the background of this. :)

Cheers,
S

I take this very personnel - how does anyone dare to call me selfish for what I do/did on/for FlyerTalk?

Depending on how you define senior, I probably fit this demographic--at least by AARP definition although I'm not ready to retire. I have checked this forum maybe 3-4 times and never found any topic useful that couldn't have been discussed in another forum and gotten a broader audience. I say close it.

my personal judgement is based on

1) lurkers = how many people are interested and look into existing threads/posts
2) posted opinions of current forum users
3) future potential of a currently still low traffic forum (we all get older, slowly but surely)
4) estimation of positiv / negativ effects on FlyerTalk if closing or not closing a/this forum

last but for me (as a FlyerTalk Oldie = Senior/Veteran) not least: a 'historic' FT look back: my (sometimes now a little bit failing = senior moments) memory 10 years back 'tells' me that no forum for a whole year in the first year of FlyerTalk had the traffic (number of lurkers) that this forum has now.

I recommend to leave it (this Senior forum) as it is.

I'm sorry you take it personally, but it seems a good description of the behaviour I described. How would you describe what those who are trying to retain it - at the expense of forums which might be more successful and be welcomed by a larger number of users?

To me, those defending the seniors forum want to put their needs before the needs of other forum users (and potentially many more other forum users than the handful of senior forum users).

You obviously feel justified in doing so - whether that be because you genuinely feel that it isn't an issue, or because you feel that you have given so much to FT that you should get your pet project supported. Unfortunately, where that might have worked on FT, when it was a much smaller community, there are many of us now who have given a lot of time and effort to FT - it's not feasible that we should all be able to sponsor personal boards (otherwise my 'Travel with Small Furry Toys' would have been a reality :() without it being detrimental to the FT that we've worked so hard to support. It seems like you are looking for a one time exception - with intimate knowledge of TB and the politics that surrounds TB, I'd have to say that there is no such thing :(

(If nothing else because magiciansampras will use it to beat TB over the head for the next x years ;) :p)

My reputation precedes me!

I dont subscribe to the theory that by allowing one forum we are denying another.

We might be DILUTING another forum by taking eyes off of it, but there is no limit on the number of forums that I am aware of. So it is not a zero sum game as you seem to imply.

Again, it's not a zero sum game. Womens travel forum users are certainly not taking anything away from GLBT travel forum users. Although I guess they are each 'putting their needs before the needs of the other forum users.' But I really don't think that matters, does it? Each of those forums have evolved over time into what they are, relevence to FT or even travel sometimes to the contrary, and each have become very important to the communities they serve. So they were good ideas!

So, again, the bottom line to me is not just 'how many posts are there.' It's 'is this a good idea?'

Because if it is a good idea then there will EVENTUALLY be a robust forum and community.

Magiciansampras came closest to addressing this question:

"I think it is because, to be perfectly blunt, GLBT travelers actually do have a special travel need and seniors don't. Senior travel is close enough to regular travel that many of the questions can be answered elsewhere. GLBT, it seems, has questions that can only really be answered and appreciated by GLBT travelers."

But if the standard is "has questions that can only really be answered and appreciated by other X" then a senior forum remains a good idea. So...

The real question in my mind still is: are fewer seniors on line and comfortable in a FT-like environment in a "senior" forum?

For example, a forum for illiterate travelers might be a good idea, but it is obviously never going to work on an IBB. ;)

Frankly, I'd really appreciate some input from 'seniors' on this question!!! Why aren't you using that forum? Is it for the reason Magiciansampras says? My hypothesis? Something else?

I just hate to abandon such an enormous and growing demographic without thinking really hard about WHY it has not taken off first. If nothing else it might help the TB have perspective on the next special interest request. @:-)

Amen! ^ This is exactly how I approach this topic as I have long believed FT is not best served by many forums that attract little traffic.

I believe that most of the topics raised in the Senior Forum could be addressed elsewhere. AARP promos can be addressed in the various hotel forums. Issues related to Swiss Travel can surely be addressed in the Europe Forum. Cruises-- can be addressed in the Cruise Forum, etc. I am not going to review every thread to make my point. I just don't see the value of this dedicated forum.
I believe that the topics raised in the Senior Forum can be well-addressed in other Fora. Therefore, I support the motion to close the Senior Forum.