Is there anybody there?

[Cassandra]

I second that Phil, good name.

[klondike]

Actually the name was chosen in a big ballot from suggestions. I'll dig out the link and add it after.

It's too late to go for a name change as we'd lose the two years of ranking we have got. PF has been around for years which is why it ranks so high. I imagine anybody looking for a forum for pensioners would just search pensioners forum. I know I did. that gives PF followed by a raft of council sites none of which have pensioners in the domain name. I did check and the SEO thinking at the time was domain name is largely irrelevant these days. For example why would google signify a search engine or amazon a shop?

We come top on this
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=friendly+pensioners+forum&hl=en

The trouble is nobody searching is likely to go further on search terms than pensioners forum unless they add their town or county name.

I can't guarantee that everybody will see the same but the one after here and some  PF  links from that search for me is the old digitalham one we started out on. The digitalham domain was one of the sites I used to run primarily to make cash from google ads. That was about amateur radio. The one I made most money from was kwikbreaks which was a campsite guide and reference. The reason the digitalham site shows up in a pensioner forum search is because I made sure that the places that are used by google do have references to pensioners forum.

This was the poll and I think there was earlier discussion that came up with at least some of those names. IIRC Raven was very keen on mentions of naughtystep which didn't mke it but she got me to carry it over in the heading.
https://letschat.club/index.php?topic=179.0

Oh and as for pensioners chat forum - we do do well on that because chat is also included where  google looks.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pensioners+chat+forum

[Diasi]

I think the current name was chosen by the members without thinking of the search engine aspect.

The problem is that, as you say, people won't enter 'Friendly Pensioners Forum' into a search engine which gives us top ranking.

I've just searched Pensioners Forums & we don't seem to appear but PF came top.

[GrannyMac]

I didn't intend to be away for this length of time but things just tend to happen & I've had to snap out of it.

Anyone know where Jacqueline is?

She's been away since the 23rd August.

I've wondered, and asked too, but no sign of her unfortunately.  Glad to see you here again Phil.

[Scrumpy]

Well in that case I'd better start making up the numbers.

November 20, 2023, 09:08:03 PMThat's a good point, there must be people who would like this forum if they knew it existed.

Even though I've been away for a while, I still regard it as a lifeline.

Good to see you posting Phil.. 

[Alex]

Welcome back Phil 

[klondike]

Yes good to see you back Phil.

I think the current name was chosen by the members without thinking of the search engine aspect.

As I said nothing in the domain name choice would have helped. I've done what I could using an SEO mod but nothing I can do would knock PF from top spot in a search for pensioners forum and council sites will always be considered more important than this one.

[Scrumpy]

   I guess we could leave some cards around with letschat.club written on them !!
Nothing fancy.. The only problem is some pensioners are concerned when going on to a web site.. They think it's either the slave trade or a sexy dating site.. 

[klondike]

Some are probably annoyed that it isn't 

[Diasi]

I'm happy with the forum & it's small band of members as it is.

The important thing to me is knowing it's there.

[Scrumpy]

Some are probably annoyed that it isn't 

I am 5ft 5.. Blue eyes auburn hair.. with a crooked fringe.. 
My legs get a bit wobbly sometimes.. and I also forget what I am doing standing on the landing..  My interest are varied.. depending on the day.. I enjoy talking.. but not to idiots.. I don't travel too far because my motor is old and liable to conk out..

I am looking for a guy who can make me laugh.. just by looking at him.. Must be retired .. but still alive.. Height , weight,  hair is unimportant..
Must be on a good private pension.. and have at least one property..

If interested please leave a message on the Co.op notice board..

[klondike]

> I also forget what I am doing standing on the landing..

That's very close to Woking. Possibly Worplesdon.

"We started to collect more and more of these words and concepts, and began to realise what an arbitrarily selective work the Oxford English Dictionary is. It simply doesn't recognise huge wodges of human
experience," wrote Adams.

"Like, for instance, standing in the kitchen wondering what you went in there for. Everybody does it, but because there isn't – or wasn't – a word for it, everyone thinks it's something that only they do and that they are therefore more stupid than other people. It is reassuring to realise that everybody is as stupid as you are and that all we are doing when we are standing in the kitchen wondering what we came in here for is 'woking'."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/oct/15/douglas-adams-meaning-of-liff

Guess the idiots bit rules me out then

[Alex]

See you learn summat new every day on here !

[Diasi]

It must be strange to be woking in Woking.

[Cassandra]

Ilford - there's a memory. I was shortlisted for a job there, Susan, my first wife, and I drove around the town over the weekend - this would have been sometime in the 70s. First thing Monday morning I phoned up and withdrew my name!

It was on the 'turn' about then and the '80's' were the line in the sand moment. I visited an old cricketing friend before I left the UK that day I bade farwell to my parents memorials. His parents home that he'd inherited in 'Clements Road' was now almost unique in the fact that he was the only person 'not of colour' in the entire enclave and definitely the only property not of 'multi occupation'.

"I should have gone, when all you lot did" he said adding "But somehow it was somehow always my dream to own it, now I'm too old to take a move".

Once an area of beautiful cared for front gardened properties, now its a dirty, scruffy vista throughout with oil stained hardstandings, gaping dustbins and the prices are ludicrous!

Well done Mike!