Comments on: Boomer Social Network Eons Gets a Facelift; Spins Off Obits Section as Tributes

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[...] spent some time looking at the space, and thought TBD was the best designed site, avoiding Eons age restrictions and fascination with death and building something a bit broader than Gather. The site borrowed heavily from what worked on [...]

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By: anna

anna — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:38:50 +0000

Sarebbe bello un sito multilingue :inglese,francese,italiano e spagnolo e tedesco.

By: Larry

Larry — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:41:42 +0000

Courtney –I like your energy. I would be interested in your comments on our site–as well as you seem to have some definite opinions.
Larry

By: Car-ma

Car-ma — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:30:18 +0000

I never really gave “age” much of a thought. Since I was in my 20’s I chose activities I liked and did them…did not matter the age of the people I did them with….still do!

Boomers have a pretty big age gap ..Johnny Depp is a Boomer and Harrison Ford isn’t

I doubt people like Johnny Depp (or myself for that matter) think too much about DEPENDS.

I think the same as I did when I was 20… what do I have to do (work wise) to support the lifestyle that I like (horses, off roading, boating etc). If I want to read about the scary medical life and death stuff I will look at AARP .

otherwise I will just have some fun with it all….

I have played around with a BOOMER style site (ah well no giant VC $ to make it ubber slick…wish I did) but my boomer idea is not about an age category…

http://www.boomermagazine.biz

By: Erick Schonfeld

Erick Schonfeld — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:06:05 +0000

@4, it wasn’t a “personal conversation,” it was an on-the-record interview.

@26, I appreciate you sticking up for your former employer. But if you read the post, I am talking about “third-party” widgets. You are correct that Eons has its own widgets. My point is that it is not tapping into all the creativity of outside developers via OpenSocial or engaging with Facebook like Bebo did. That is sort of a no-brainer for any social network.

On the activity streams, they were not apparent to me when I looked at the site. If they are buried and I missed them, I apologize. But it is the CEO’s job to explain the features of his site when asked about them instead of giving me a blank stare. When I explained to him what an activity stream is, he didn’t say, “Oh yeah, we have those.” it obviously not a main component of the site.

As to the accusations of ageism on my part, please. I couldn’t agree more with Martin Edic (@14) and Larrian (@22), any site that treats older users like morons is the one that is ageist.

The last line about old people not getting it was meant to be facetious, for the two of you who didn’t get it.

By: Nick Wright

Nick Wright — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:27:32 +0000

Digital aliens need a site to communicate with the digital natives- agreed and ie, Grandma looking at pictures of kids and grandkids. What grandma doesnt want to do is look at pictures of grandchildren frolicking with their friends and all the spice that goes alongside.
The key to breaking this market is getting the natives to use a separate site to communicate with the aliens in addition to their normal social networking profiles, one that is quick and easy to use and doesnt distract them from the hours they spend on FB and myspace.
Interest groups arent relevent, privacy is. Widgets have some relevency but only if limited and are applicable to the age group ie stocks, annuities, weather, etc.
Now, if someone were to give me $m I would show ‘em

exiva.com
share your life, treasure the privacy

http://www.exiva.com

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:35:17 +0000

Another similar, very interactive and visual tribute/memory site was also just launched by FuneralHomes.com / Recall Media Group’s Sahar Sarid:

http://www.conceptualist.com/ 2008/02/13/funeralhome scom-releases-new-memo rial-site-lifememoryco m/

By: Another Guy

Another Guy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 02:22:13 +0000

is it any wonder they are stumbling? This eons commercial says it all http://www.yout...h?v=HhA97pJ8lcg

By: Some Guy

Some Guy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:41:31 +0000

So someone born in ‘64 is a Baby Boomer? All this time I’m thinking I’m Gen-X. That’s what they called 20-somethings in the early 1990’s, anyway.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:53:30 +0000

If I were looking at a site that really targeted the over 50 then I would be looking at http://www.rl.tv The are a entire television network devoted to the over 50 crowd and I am sure will eventually incorporate eons style communities if they haven’t already. This market is sure to boom in the next few years but I don’t think it will be on eons.

By: chris m

chris m — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:58:41 +0000

(1) eons has widgets. Look on the lower-right of this profile page, for example: http://www.eons...rs/profile/suzy)

(2) eons also has activity streams/friend feeds. if the author had created an account and actually used the site, he would have noticed. They appear on the “my eons” page, where they are very useful. they aren’t really necessary on the profile page because each form of user activity has its own brick. i worked at eons while this feature was being developed, and i can say for sure that jeff taylor knows about it! i hope this simply was a miscommunication, but it feels more like a cheap shot.

Both of these features have been in the app for several months.

I often find myself wishing techcrunch would put a little more elbow grease into its reviews. shooting from the hip is fun but not always accurate!

By: Too Many Spammers on TechCrunch

Too Many Spammers on TechCrunch — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:52:25 +0000

I love how if you’ve succeeded once with a startup, any VC firm will give you any amount of money to do any idea.

It’s surprising how few true “serial entrepreneurs” there are like Marc Andressen who are actually successful. Most people realize they had a 25% chance of succeeding the first time, got it, and forget they have a 75% chance of failing the 2nd time around (you can replace those numbers with whatever you’d like).

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:45:22 +0000

Old people and young people have very similar macro interests — share experiences, consume good content, meet new people with similar interests and passions and to act socially with the same. Doesn’t myspace offer that? and facebook, Hi5, bebo, friendster, sodahead, and even sites like livejournal, xanga, etc…

By: Gary Geyer

Gary Geyer — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:06:24 +0000

The ‘new and improved’ Eons site unfortunately still misses the boat. I think the flaw in the thinking is that people over 50 want to communicate with other people who are interested in what they are interested in (photography, crock pot cooking, etc.) The site becomes no more than a message board and forum for hobbyists.

The fact is that people over 50 are interested in more things than they realize. We want content that exposes us to concerns, issues and controversies that stimulate us, entertain us or just plain satisfy our curiosity. That’s what we mean by ‘letting life in.’ We relish the diversity of life after 50.

By: Larrian

Larrian — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:16:27 +0000

I’m near 60, do my own websites and was totally insulted by just the tv adds for Eons and their Cranky search engine. I agree that boomers are either tech savy or not, but they dont want to be discriminated against by a site feeding them technopablum.
There are several sites about diseases (I’m a retired surgeon) with social networks but they are not age related.
As a boomer, I’m looking for unique products that make something easier to do or faster, special interest sites ( cooking, home redesign) but I’m not looking for one site fits all just because of my age. Age is not a factor on the net…practicality, reliability and quickly getting the information available are more valuable to anyone who uses a computer.

By: thesavvyboomer

thesavvyboomer — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:15:17 +0000

WTF? I just re-read the article and he also uses the phrase “old lady of a site” WTF is that supposed to mean? You really do have a problem with ageism Schonfield. Get help.

By: thesavvyboomer

thesavvyboomer — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:06:37 +0000

Fairly decent article and then the author reveals his true ageist feelings about people older than himself when he says “Old people, they just don’t get it.” No, Schonfield, that statement proves that you are the one who doesn’t get it.
Come on Arrington, you don’t need this kind of blatant ageism on your blog.

By: BJ the Lab Monkey

BJ the Lab Monkey — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:48:20 +0000

Wow when did 50 something become old?? Good for them and much success.

By: courtney benson

courtney benson — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:22:27 +0000

I have to say I could not agree with you more when it come to your comment “The best way to get that number up is to create vibrant communities of interest, regardless of age”. There are plenty of very smart tech people who are older (Gates, Ballmer, Mitch kapor) just to name a couple. It all comes down to what your offering and how you offer it. I’m in total agreement with Martin and Sexy Boomer. Taylor and company need to listen to their comments find out what people want and Eons can and will work. Contact me, I’ll help!!!!

By: Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:25:34 +0000

I’ve helped build some pretty cool social apps and I’m almost 50. Please don’t associate age with cluelessness. It makes you look clueless.

By: antje wilsch

antje wilsch — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:20:34 +0000

@Martin, the founder Taylor also built Monster.com so he definitely had real life success online.

Erick, how old are you? I assumed you were in your late 30’s early 40’s?

By: Martin Edic

Martin Edic — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:09:47 +0000

That would site, not sight- perhaps I am losing it!