Eons---And Other Social Networking Sites

[tangomonster]

Maybe it's not fair to pick on eons, but I joined it since I was curious to see what a social networking site was like, and eons was one geared for people over 50 (original concept---they now let any age join so they have more members). What a disappointment! The level of discourse on this board is much better. They don't say much on most threads---take a look at this example on a group for people from Georgia:

Eons: Georgia Friends Group Messages

Instead of using words, they mostly just post graphics! Cutesy little illustrations, of rainbow colored unicorns and pastel kitties! And lots of glitter (scroll down and you'll see an example)---it's like these people are fixated on the glitter projects they enjoyed in kindergarten!

I received a few invitations to be people's "friends." I felt rude refusing, so I agreed and now they are pictured on my profile page and me on theirs. But I've never heard from them again! Some friendship, huh?

And don't even get me started on people's profile pages, such as :

Eons: tkam62's profile

Again, lots of glitter and graphics. Most play loud music. They never met a quarter-inch of blank space that they could tolerate---instead they make their page very busy (and to me, annoying and tacky!).

Is eons just exceptionally tragic or are all such sites like this? Where is there intelligent life online, besides here?

 

[Tiger]

I have belong to Eons for about 2 years. Once they lowered the age limits many people left there for other climes. I stay there because I own a group. I have checked out many adult social sites and they are pretty much the same as Eons. A former Eons member started the Irony Plus site for people 50 and over why not check it out and see if it's for you.

 

[Moemg]

When I was newly widowed I found a great Young Widows group on AOL that was intelligent & helpful but then I went to another grief site and the angels & unicorns came out ! Uck !

 

[Sarah in SC]

I'm on myspace, but I don't really use it for very much--a couple of friends that I keep in touch with through there, and the bands I'm interested in have bulletin board postings of where they are playing, etc. I don't think I would use it for anything else, but I'm not exactly looking to "hook up" at this point! I do like seeing what my friends are up to without having to call them.

Social networking is like texting and email--lots of younger people (and more and more in their 30s) find these impersonal methods of communication much more preferable than face to face or even phone conversations. I have one friend who will answer a text right away, but will never answer her phone. I feel like that sometimes, too, I confess!

 

[Khan]

I joined Eons and Facebook.

Haven't done much with either.

 

[Sheryl]

I joined Myspace in order to be able to view photos my DIL was posting, but the format - busy backgrounds, flashing icons, sliding menus, etc. - drove me crazy. As well as the actual lack of intelligent discussion.

I have made several lifelong friends from the AOL Childless by Choice message board which was started in the mid-90's but it disintegrated of natural causes after about 6 years. Since then this site is the most interesting and intelligent one I've found - and I even ended up drifting away from here after awhile. (I'm back - obviously). Recently I've been investing my surfing time on board specific to my medical concerns and a handful of blogs I've found more or less by accident.

It's my conclusion as well that most of the sites I've looked at are disappointing!