Avatars or not? I hate this!

Monday, July 24, 2023
3:10 p.m. PST

To: My buddies on the AgingCareForum
From: Sendhelp

On second thought, I will enjoy writing just like in high school, with our name at the top, Like we were taught to do. You know, like in school.
And just like the "oldtimers" have written letters, memos forever, with the date and time at the top, to:, from:

Need the practice for when the internet is down entirely. Maybe we will need to learn to send notes in a bottle, placed out to sea. Or learn to write on a stone tablet, or the walls of caves.

At least we have something to fall back on, whereas the younger generation will be at a loss. They won't be able to type out criticisms of the "old-timers", devalue, and make fun in writing. All that will be left for them to do is roll their eyes or bang on drums. Careful, you know that your eyes can get stuck that way.

Sincerely yours,

SendHelp

Lol.

To: All AgingCare Members
From: Gershun
7:47 PM PST, July 25, 2023

Don't Leave!

I picture myself coming on here one day, desperate to talk to a familiar
voice finding myself not knowing a single soul.

If you really find you need to leave, at least keep in touch privately.

Monday, July 24, 2003
Sendhelp here.
I feel that my time will be better spent elsewhere.
I feel like Pamzimmrrt does, that my time here is shortly coming to an end.

To: MD
From: Cx
Re: Forum Oversight

Aging Care’s main business is selling care “products”, if you will.

A client may use Aging Care to find placement or care assistance for a LO, or for themselves.

This forum is an off-shoot of that. It’s not their main business.

I see it as a free “benefit” for people like me, who will never actual avail themselves of the main part of Aging Care’s business.

They may not have someone monitoring the forum at all times, because they may not have the staff to do so.

It’s not like Facebook, where one of the main parts of their business is their “forum”, where they sell advertising to encourage people to use those advertised business.

Since Aging Care is “giving” this forum to me for free, I prefer to just roll with the punches, rather than get angry about what’s going on.

This latest avatar glitch is confusing, but I still very much see the benefits of this forum as outweighing any challenge with its use.

In the meantime, we can sign our posts, using our chosen screen name. We can help each other that way.

Best wishes,
Cxmoody

The AC website is a low-cost advertising strategy for APFM services. The perfect demographic does the work of searching for this type of site because they have questions or are in crisis.

The technical glitches are a result of either updating the site, changing the platform, a new (unskilled person) in charge of the website management/direct edits, etc. The platforms "improve" their technology all the time but it can result in unanticipated problems for each client.

Websites not only have to work on multiple devices (mobiles, tablets, laptops, watches) but also operating systems (Apple, Android) and multiple versions of each of those OS's. It's a headache and a constant learning curve. Every glitch can't be anticipated so the only way to know there's a problem is for people to report the problems like we've all been doing. It's not a hacking and not a conspiracy to manipulate us. It's just the p.i.a. reality of technology.

Hi Pam! I totally agree with you and am so glad you posted this! It's just too hard to follow the comments and to even consider adding to the conversation. This site now looks so antiquated and it just doesn't work well.

And you're right that maybe this is deliberately designed this way now, rather than being a glitch that AC is fixing ...in fact, I don't believe there's been any communication from them saying otherwise - it's been silent!

If so, I've lost my interest in following these posts - it's not easy on the eyes now to follow and just looks like a lot of gibberish - one comment goes into another - and yes, it's a great deterrent so that others won't pile on comments or continue a conversation. Maybe it makes less work for AC to monitor dialogue, but it's going to lose people's interest.

They would have resolved it by now I assume - I hope they reconsider because this site currently is not functioning the way it should for its forum participants. It's unappealing and doesn't draw me in to want to stay engaged in it.

ITRR here, I'm feeling you Pamzi. It feels like there are things that I am not interested in dealing with, like a less secure website and constant glitches that waste my time. Not to mention the punishment system that has been implemented. To much censure for much honesty in some situations.

To bad, it feels like an end.

Oh, thanks for this. I thought I had done something to cause the issues and was trying to fix it myself, which I of course could not do. I am very frustrated with it too.
ArtistDaughter

I also miss the avatars.
A few times I put my name and date and time at the bottom of a reply but I more often forget until I hit "post answer" then since there is no edit I can't add the info.

And with no avatar all the replies seem to run together making it difficult to read and tell the difference between an answer and a "reply to______" comment.

Many long time posters have left, or are not posting much. I am getting worn out from questions that are just so heart breaking to read, or desperate situations that OPs got themselves in. I find myself posting less frequently. However, I am happy to see new posters joining the forum.

Has anyone seen Country Mouse and Alva lately?

BTW, I was having the same problems of no avatars, no names, no edit, but everything seems to be back to normal now on my laptop.

For those who still can't see names, this is polarbear, 7/25/23.