Hi everyone!
My name is Emily Ann, and I’m just 39 at the moment(I will turn 40 in September). I am probably the youngest member here. But I decided to join because I really need to help my mom…she is 63, and at the time doesn’t seem to have any interest in mingling with people. She doesn’t feel there are good people online and that worries me. What can I do to get her to join here? And how did you all conquer your fears, if you had any?
It’s nice meeting everyone! 
Hi Emily! Welcome. Most on here are nice people, mostly Brits with a few of us ‘antipodeans’ (Aussies and Kiwis) in the mix. 
That is so nice to know! And thank you for the warm welcome…
Hiya Emily 
Welcome to the old folk’s home 
There are a number of American members too as well as our cousins “down under”.
Hi and welcome. I drifted in from another forum that AZZ had . Your mum is only 63? still a spring chicken compared with most of us. Let her have a look at the variety of posts first then maybe she will join in
Tell your Mum to get on here pronto Emily we are all ok ( well most of us )
Tell her to have a little peep at what we talk about and she’ll see we’re a harmless bunch … well, most of us are.
If she’s shy she can just look. I lurked for a while before I joined any forums.
Hi Emily and welcome, hope you and your mum enjoy your time on Over50sForum.
Thank you all so much. And it’s nice to meet everyone from all over!
Sadly there are a lot of very bad people on-line, as I know to my cost, it is not possible to tell what they are actually like unless you have met them in person. I sympathise with your mother, if she doesn’t want to belong to a forum, I think you should respect her wishes.
Hello and welcome.
Welcome to the forum Emily. 
I agree. Being online can be an awful experience if you mingle with the wrong people. I have respected her, and told her just that. 
Hello emily_xo, there is a popular misconception that the 50s part of the Forums title refers to an age criteria, it does not, it refers to the minimum “IQ” threshold potential members are expected to possess.:-)
Also sadly there are a lot of very bad people in real life too Emily_xo, after all that is where those of that same ilk online come from. I also know this to my cost and have found out it is not always possible to know people are very bad, until they turn on you for their own nasty, ulterior motives.
I do agree and sympathise with your mother, if those are her wishes then they should be respected.
It’s a real shame though as there are many, many good people online, usually these outnumber the bad ones, just as in real life. A forum can give back many times the amount of good times compared to the few bad times, again that’s just like it is in real life. Maybe some day your mother might give a forum a try, just to find out what it’s really like for her, and she may get the good out of it, as the majority here on OFF possibly get out of this forum. That amount of good is also as varied as there are members and their various reasons for joining, as with any forum. 
Good Morning Emily and a very warm welcome.
I do sympathise with both you and your mother. As she says, there are nasty people out there only too happy to make other people miserable to match their own persona. But equally, there are many lovely people who cheer one up as soon as they join in the many conversations such as here at OFF.
All I can personally tell you is that I have been here on OFF for over several years and I have yet to meet any unkind or nasty people. Maybe the odd argumentative one, but they don’t tend to hang around for very long when they realise we won’t take the bait.
I know a few on here say to respect your mother’s wishes regarding forums, that is correct, but on the other hand, a little encouragement to join in wouldn’t do any harm either, we really are harmless and honestly, there are so many different topics on here that she would be spoilt for choice and would soon find that she would enjoy joining in the many conversations. What has she to lose? If she doesn’t like us, at least she would have given us a try. We always do our utmost to make new members welcome.
P.S. An idea! Why not make her avatar “Emily’sMum” ?? she would be swamped with welcome hugs.
I was a wildcard. 
