I’m actually very excited to see AARP’s social network go live. It’ll be run by a non profit specifically for the cohort that’ll be using it, which better aligns the org’s incentives with that of its users. Yet another effort in clawing back power and audience from Big Tech.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/aarp-backed-soci...

https://community.seniorplanet.org/

“The social network was developed by an AARP affiliate, Older Adults Technology Services. OATS started out giving computer classes to older folks in New York City and has expanded its physical footprint over the years. During the pandemic, those classes moved online, and Senior Planet Community grew from that transition.”

“Besides its focus on the 50-plus set, Senior Planet Community stands apart from Facebook in that it’s not commercial. The site has no advertising or membership fees. Unless the cost to run the site grows substantially, that probably won’t present much of a problem. AARP isn’t saying how much it has put into Senior Planet Community, but the organization is famously well-capitalized, with $2.3 billion in net assets and $1.7 billion in revenue in 2020.”

(disclosure: AARP member)