Okay. Now you’ve done it. Now you’ve really done it.
I was in a crappy mood (the gum on my sock to start the day) then I read this pap…
NotOverTheHill.com provides an opportunity for the 40+ crowd to experience the fun and excitement that has made sites like Facebook and MySpace so popular. Unlike other social networking sites, which cater to a younger audience, NotOverTheHill provides a unique environment where mature adults can share photos, music interests, videos, and blogs. Membership is free.
The Savvy Boomer has documented many times how social websites targeted at boomers are a total BUST.
Boomer bloggers have had a spirited discussion about how we don’t want, don’t need, don’t like our “own” social network. We’re on Facebook or MySpace if we feel the need.
But these Michiganders think they have the answers to tap into our psyche and shepard us into a group large enough to get some ads.
The refer to their target as the “so-called” baby boomer generation.
In that context “so-called” gives the impression that there is no legitimacy to the term “baby boomer.” Ahem, it’s a recognized demographic term used for decades to describe us.
Their press release just keeps getting more and more patronizing. All the crap every boomer-focused-site has babbled before:
- boomers have been ignored
- boomers don’t like the content on big social nets
- boomers are scared of the big social nets
- blah, blah, blah
But I joined anyway, just to see what kind of initial experience they offered.
It’s bad.
Starting right with their registration page.
They have a CAPTCHA, I hate CAPTCHA
I flamed them about their CAPTCHA.
It’s CASE SENSITIVE! So is that a zero or an “o” and the registration form clears passwords and “agree to terms” checkbox if you screw it up, well you care you can read the rest here.
(Boy that gum on my sock really got me off to a bad start today. )
Their next mistake was sending me FOUR (so far) “welcome” messages! SPAM. One message? expected and appreciated, two? overkill, three? SPAM. four? PISSES ME OFF!
My first impression of NotOverTheHill.com is bad, real bad.\
UPDATE: Social Net for adults 18+ croaks.
ReadWriteWeb’s resident Baby Boomer, Bernard Lunn, wrote a great post entitled: Why Eons, a MySpace for Old People, Failed. Bernard claimed that “the idea of targeting by age is just not smart marketing.” Instead you should target by content, he wrote. With both Eons and iYomu now having failed, it’s difficult to argue with that logic.
