Nice compliment to our group

Katybug

Katybug

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
Katie is so impressed with this board, she wants to join one of this type with her age group. She loves the idea of being able to communicate with members from all over the world in a small group atmosphere, like ours, not a Facebook type forum open to millions and all levels of crazies!

That's what got her in trouble this week, a so-called cyber friend whom she didn't even know well invited Katie to defy her parents and come stay at her house. Somehow RJ tracked her down and where the police picked her up. (Finding the address was really tricky tho because the girl only listed her false screen name and because they were meeting at a large mall where the girl worked, no idea which store and no address given. Love my very technology gifted g'son!!!) All that to say this....the over the top access these kids have to these type situations defy description in danger. They have no clue as to the character of these people they hook up with and parents who don't stay on top of it are begging for trouble!

So Facebook is out, but does anyone have any other suggestions for someone her age? Social media being what it is these days, I'm sure there must be something, but we're not aware of it, as most involve any and everyone.

But to say that she appreciates the concept of our board is a mild understatement....LOVES the camaraderie among our members....who wouldn't be impressed? It's wonderful and I feel very lucky to be a part of it! Thanks in advance for any input.
 

There should be local on-line forums in Kate's area for folks her age.
I was on a few of them in the Orlando ,Florida area and I actually started my own free discussion board.
Big problem nowadays is most leave and go to the Facebook page.
Im on Facebook myself but do not give out any personal information about myself,
why those member give out so much information about themselves I'll never understand.
 
I have been and still am on quite a few forums.

One way is for her to just do a google search on some topics she likes and add message board to the search.

Like for instance I am on a Dr. Who forum, A Walking Dead forum, a Schnauzer forum..the choices out there are numerous.

She could even start her very own forum with Proboards, it's free and lots of fun, I have my own forum with Proboards..

And no I don't work for Proboards. LOL

http://www.proboards.com/

I hate FB too, and love being on forums though.
 

Do they like 'general' forums at that age? I don't know.
My 23 year old granddaughter belongs to a forum about traveling, for young adults, and only traveling.
.. and like TWH mentioned .. the horse forums for horse lovers.
They also have forums for 20 somethings about dieting, being young mothers, game boards, .. but it seems they like to specialize. .. otherwise they do everything else on Facebook. .. guess I'm not much help.
 
Davey Jones said:
There should be local on-line forums in Kate's area for folks her age.
I was on a few of them in the Orlando ,Florida area and I actually started my own free discussion board.
Big problem nowadays is most leave and go to the Facebook page.
Im on Facebook myself but do not give out any personal information about myself,
why those member give out so much information about themselves I'll never understand.
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"Ain't" it the truth, Davey??!!
 
TWHRider said:
Katie, one of the international horse forums I belong to has a section for the younger kids.

I know she's not interested in the horse aspect BUT, I can do some checking with some of them to get an idea of teen forums that would be safe for her. Give me a few days because I have to go thru one of Super Mods --- I just can't go into a teen section and say "HEY!" lol lol lol

Facebook, I hate it -- closed my account. I got sick and tired of how some of my adult friends speak behind the keyboard and even more sick of how their grandchildren behave on FB --- DURING SCHOOL HOURS!

I think FB is responsible for a lot of bad attitude I see on some of the forums. The one I am going to try and speak to the teens, runs a tight ship. Some good arguments get going, once in awhile but overall things stay "fighting normal" if that makes any sense - lol That is because the Mods and Super Mods keep a close on things.

Anyway, let me see if I might turn up something worthwhile for the younger Katie -- unless she wants to come onto a horse forum - we don't always talk about horses.

That Senior "thing" I posted under HUMOR came from the "over 50" Section of the horse forum:)
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And that was hilarious! We very much appreciate your checking into it for her, please don't put yourself out or rush...it's a very busy season. I think there might be others she would enjoy more than the horses, she's had so little exposure. My good friend has one and Katie has brushed her often, but never ridden her -- a bit too feisty for a novice. Thank you again for your efforts.

And re Facebook, I don't recall ever being so glad to close an account. I hate everything about it, but there are far more who love it than feel the way we do. Sad, because IMO it does much more harm than good.

Thanks again, TWH!
 
Old Hipster said:
I have been and still am on quite a few forums.

One way is for her to just do a google search on some topics she likes and add message board to the search.

Like for instance I am on a Dr. Who forum, A Walking Dead forum, a Schnauzer forum..the choices out there are numerous.

She could even start her very own forum with Proboards, it's free and lots of fun, I have my own forum with Proboards..

And no I don't work for Proboards. LOL

http://www.proboards.com/

I hate FB too, and love being on forums though.
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We're headed out for a little Xmas shopping but are going to check out the link later....thank you so much, OH! If you can get into a good fit with an interesting forum, they are wonderful for sure!
 
You might want to be careful of a forum that is expressly advertised as "for teens" - it's often one of the first ones that the perverts look for.

Much safer to stick with forums that are aimed at specific interests rather than age. What works for seniors doesn't necessarily work for teens - in all the time I've been on here I've only received one invite to meet in a dark alley, and that was from That Guy :beguiled: - but on teen forums they don't always employ the proper software to ascertain age.





TG - this weekend work for you?
 
SifuPhil said:
You might want to be careful of a forum that is expressly advertised as "for teens" - it's often one of the first ones that the perverts look for.

Much safer to stick with forums that are aimed at specific interests rather than age. What works for seniors doesn't necessarily work for teens - in all the time I've been on here I've only received one invite to meet in a dark alley, and that was from That Guy :beguiled: - but on teen forums they don't always employ the proper software to ascertain age.





TG - this weekend work for you?
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Phil makes good sense (well this time anyway :playful: ).

I think Katie would be safer on a forum that is something of interest to anybody and not just geared for teens.

On the Schnauzer forum I am on we have teens and all the way up to people in their 80's.
 
Bingo Jilly. A good, unbiased, moderator is vital to a good forum.
Those started by and run by teens can't possibly have the experience necessary to keep a firm hand on the tiller. They haven't the intuitive nous about scammers and trolls and bad vibes that good experienced moderators have acquired. Nor are they respected enough by their peers to keep things under control.
'Kids' running kid's forums leads me to thoughts of Lord of the Flies.

Older people aren't the enemy of teens and can have some interesting views on things that may change preconceptions of younger people, but then a lot of my preconceptions have been changed by reading the opinions of younger posters too. Things as they see them are very different to how I see them, it works both ways. A general, gentler, well moderated forum is a good option to 'train' for coping with more specialised, or younger ones.

Better to start on a bigger broader range, 'calmer,' even boring, forum to get a grounding. Even something like Pinterest? Or the usually wacky but relatively safe Dr Who type forums which also have 'general topics' sections. Nothing is as mindnumbing as a totally 'Who' only focused forum, but the members are more than usually interesting and fun people when they're talking about something else.

I was no teenager but clueless about the internet until around 2005 and then only ventured as far as eBay. I eventually started out on the local ABC TV forum which was devoted to discussing their programs and boring as batsh*t compared to most forums I found later. It was ruthlessly moderated, which we howled and protested about constantly, but it proved a great education to me in how debates should be, and can be, run when everyone is made to behave within basic human levels of politeness. It allowed politics and current issues to be discussed as long as we pretended to be commenting on how they had reported it etc. It was a lesson in coping with vastly differing opinions without any real angst, foul language, or bullying, being allowed to dominate and upset everybody.

The important thing for teenagers to learn when using the internet, imo anyway, it's been a while since I was one on a seemingly different planet, is NOT TO TAKE EVERYTHING SO DAMNED PERSONALLY!

They (and many older people for that matter) may see the universe as revolving around them but it ain't so. The loudly weird opinion of some fwit is no more important than anyone else's. If 'bullies' object to everything you say in four letter words and threats then maybe you have it right and they don't like it, so buggar them, it's their problem not yours. Drop them like hot cow pats and give them the same priority, zero. Step over them! They're losers! If you let them upset you, then so are you!

You don't need to impress anyone, especially twisted, total strangers.
"To thine own self be true." Do, and say, only what you won't regret enough to keep you awake at night and you'll enjoy the internet. Leave the 'frothers 'n freaks' to make their own sleeping arrangements.

Look at the screen as though it's a book. Read it, digest it, contribute to it. But like a book it doesn't have to rule your life. If we don't like the story we toss the book. Same with the internet. It isn't compulsory to even read the crap, let alone believe it!
It's just a 'book'. It wasn't written with you, personally, in mind.
If you are taking basic precautions then no one even knows who the hell you are so why would you let their opinion of the 'you' they don't even know affect you 'personally' at all?
I really don't understand why some people are so easily shattered by a comment of a total stranger on an anonymous site. Who cares what they say if it's wrong?

Why, in this age of 'self esteem' do youngsters allow idiots to 'rate' them? Why stay in the same circle of morons? There's a whole world of sane people out there of all ages. Find a forum somewhere else with smarter people on it. I've joined all manner of forums, more than I can remember the passwords for now sadly, from politics to astronomy and all manner of weird ones between. I don't post on them all, but reading them and learning how their members think is an education you won't get in school or from peers.
Treat the smart ones with respect, and the dickheads with disconnected contempt and you can't go wrong.

Facebook is the default for those who can't seem to cope with anything that requires thinking about. Give that a miss beyond keeping in contact with family and exchanging piccys.

Good luck with finding a forum like this. There are plenty with globally based membership but usually more single interest focused, but getting to know a few like minded members through general chat will sometimes elicit a link to another forum which may be more suitable, it's all about networking to find good ones among the dross, just don't let the bad ones bother or scare you along the journey.
Not every frog we kiss will be a Prince.
 
I think Di just gave Katie her reading assignment for the next semester. :playful:

Good post, the only thing I might disagree with is the ability of teens to run their own forum. There are some VERY exceptional and computer-gifted kids out there that can run circles around us old farts when it comes to modding (and even coding!) their own forums. They can be a lot more savvy than us when it comes to trolls and such - they have a sharper eye for it.

We sit in a nice, warm, safe forum such as this and, if we haven't had any previous experience in forums, may believe that this is par for the course, when you and I know that it is far from being the norm. A computer-literate teen, on the other hand, has been through some trenches of their own - ever spend any time on 4chan? I think you have ... and you know what it's like there.

Heck, even some martial arts forums I've been on have been Flame-War Central, because one guy thinks Taekwondo sucks and the other guys all love it! And these are (supposedly) grown men in their 20's and 30's!

I've never wanted to run my own forum - way too much work for too little reward. It takes skill, patience and faith, none of which I possess, so anyone of any age has my kudos if they can pull it off successfully.
 
I've never wanted to run my own forum - way too much work for too little reward. It takes skill, patience and faith, none of which I possess, so anyone of any age has my kudos if they can pull it off successfully.
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Amen to that!

I'll take your advice as to the teenage forum moderation talents, I don't have much contact with them so my teenager views are dinosaur based and I tend to underrate them unfairly when generalizing. I'm aware of the failing, just haven't managed to fix it yet.
 
In my view this is a great forum.

People can drop in anytime and contribute.

So far I have not witnessed any major disagreements

Handled properly, disagreements often can lead to productive gains and unexpected solutions.
.
 
SifuPhil said:
- in all the time I've been on here I've only received one invite to meet in a dark alley, and that was from That Guy :beguiled: - but on teen forums they don't always employ the proper software to ascertain age.





TG - this weekend work for you?
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I've moved on, Phil. I've moved on . . .
 
Diwundrin said:
Amen to that!

I'll take your advice as to the teenage forum moderation talents, I don't have much contact with them so my teenager views are dinosaur based and I tend to underrate them unfairly when generalizing. I'm aware of the failing, just haven't managed to fix it yet.
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I only know about it because my oldest ran his own forum for a while when he 16, and he ran a tight ship - I couldn't even become a member! :(

That Guy said:
I've moved on, Phil. I've moved on . . .
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Story of my life ... :bonvoyage:
 
TWHRider said:
I don't always do a good job of explaining myself - lol lol

What I meant, regarding the teens on the horse forum is they might be able to direct your granddaughter to nice websites for teens.

I Googled "teen forums" and the number of hits was pretty big. I don't have grand children, so I don't know which of those websites are quality and which ones aren't. Sorting those out is a job for the real grandmas because

I think I'd forbid every one of them, except the Christian site - lol lol lol
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Ha! I'm with you on that, TWH! It is going to take some research to find the right 1 or 2 for her and a good deal of time. Her mom's lap top is on the fritz and she NOT computer savvy at all. Katie is a whiz, but she's on computer restriction. Nana is the one who will be doing it. Takes time for sure and I have precious little of that now. Given my daughter's frail (tho healthy, thank God) condition, Katie is going to stay with me 'til school begins in Jan. It's just best for all concerned, as they have their hands full with my g'son...who remains a sweetheart, but bi-polar being what it is, it's just best she stay with me. We're all looking forward to being together at my place Xmas day!

As for right now, I'm so pushed with finalizing Xmas and still working some every week day, so the wk after Xmas when I'm not working and the holidays are behind us we're going to find Katie a good forum or two. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

I"M WISHING A HAPPY, HEALTHY HOLIDAY, AND BEST WISHES FOR A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU DEAR FOLKS!!! Your support has been immeasurable and very meaningful though all of this. Again, thank you!:love_heart:
 
That Guy said:
I've moved on, Phil. I've moved on . . .
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This is the first time I've sat down at the computer since summer, well...it seems that way. I so needed a laugh, not from depression, just so darned tired I can't think straight. Thx to you two for providing it and, Phil, I'm so sorry you've been rejected once again.
 
A HUGE thanks to all of you for your input. And when Katie gets her computer back, along with her cell phone and food, she is going to find herself a nice little forum. We sincerely appreciate the links. You all are the best!!!

Katie just went home a little while ago, she's been here all along. Everyone was over the moon, me especially, in being able to get back into our own routine. I loved having her here, but I am happy as a pig in manure to have the house to myself. I've lived alone too long! Christmas with everyone went extremely well, but things needed to settle down and I'm glad I could be here for her.

Thx to her help everything is neatly packed away and I'm done. What the heck was I thinking when I decorated every room??!! This is the earliest I've ever gotten things back in place, tho it took all day. I don't want to see red or hear Xmas music for a very, very long time. Still, it was a wonderful season and I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as I did....and you're probably equally as glad as I am to have it behind you.
 
Katybug said:
....and you're probably equally as glad as I am to have it behind you.
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Let's see . . . get ready for the Valentine's Day hype soon to be followed by St. Patty, Presidents Day mattress sales, Memorial Day, Fourth of July . . . and my birthday mixed in there somewhere...
 
We've got the Sydney NYE fireworks to come, don't miss 'em this year. More whizzes and bangs than ever folks!
They weren't wasting money fast enough so they've got 3 displays going this year, one for the kids around 9 so they can get home and out of the way of the midnight drunks. One around 10:30 because 3 hours is too long to wait for people addicted to being constantly entertained, then the biggy at midnight. (Which really isn't because of DST but, hey.... )

Then we get another round of whizzes and bangs and all go loony getting sunburnt, tired and emotional doing stupid things on the Harbour with boats on the 26th for OZ day. They try and make it all patriotic 'n stuff but it's really about having a hell of a picnic.

I think things will settle down for a few months after that, other than Valentine's Day for a few suckers.
 

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