
10 Years of Community - rafaelc
https://press.atairbnb.com/10-years-of-community/
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craigzucchini
Is it a community though? Is it?

AirBnB is a behemoth international company. Referring to themselves as a
community strikes me the same way as Starbucks calling themselves a community.
While there are many touching stories to be had, the company's existence can
make it more challenging for local communities to thrive. They can do the
opposite as well, one could postulate, but they are merely a cost savings
measure and communication platform.

P.S I've already expressed a negative attitude, but what an unsettling image
to open this page to. If I wanted to be encouraged to scroll down the page,
why not make it one of the photos of real people, rather than the photo of 3
tech dudes patting themselves on the back? Nothing against them personally, I
don't know them, but if Facebook wanted to convince me that their platform is
a community, they probably wouldn't show me a photo of Mark Zuckerberg's cold
lifeless face the size of my entire laptop screen.

These stories are touching and these people who have opened their houses and
helped people in need are saints. They'd be doing this with or without AirBnB.
The image these men present is one of being at the farthest possible distance
from the people in the stories they talk about. There is no character. There
is no personality. The mountain called monkey had spoken.

~~~
scarejunba
Honestly, when I got my first Airbnb some six years ago it was much more
lightweight than it is now. Now it’s just a hotel but in someone’s place. Even
as late as six years ago I met people who I’d hang out with and add on
Facebook.

Couch surfing always had the problem where people would use it as a hookup
site so it ruined it for people who just want a place to stay.

~~~
xapata
Couchsurfing went downhill after Airbnb got popular. Many of the folks who
wanted to hear a story in exchange for a spot on the couch started listing
their space on Airbnb instead. I used to list my spare room on both sites. The
ratio of enjoyable people to sleazy tipped a little too far and started a
vicious cycle.

------
shanghaiaway
Funny. The three founders in the header image are all Republicans or
Libertarians yet they align themselves with the Democratic Party in the post.

~~~
gt_
Where have I seen that before?

