Re: What are forums for?
I can't tell you what all forums are for but I can tell you what this forum is for.
I have always been fond of a lot of the older people in my life, whether in real life or those I have met on other forums I admin. I've found so many of them to be understanding, patient and kind - the sort of people I like and respect. So I wanted to give them something back - a place they could go to to make friends, get support and talk about things that they might not be able to in real life due to perhaps being alone or isolated.
When I factored that we had lots of over 50s folk on other forums I admin, and that I am a bit of a online community nerd (I find human behaviour fascinating), it was a no brainer
So the forum was meant to be an online community for those over 50. Somewhere they can share their ups and the downs, get support, and be a sanctuary for when they want to forget about the troubles in their life.
It was never intended to be a place where people air or spread hateful views, bully others or just add a net negative impact on the community rather than a positive one.
One thing I have always done, is gleam what I can from any given situation - so even if sometimes it might feel like we stray from this ethos, analysing it all helps me shape future projects (the biggest of which I am hoping to be a social network - if I ever get around to it, it's going to turn the industry upside down ).