Have we entered a ‘police’ state!

[David6]

So disturbed & outraged that Airbnb have excluded my dear friend  @susan17 from this community!

Susan is a real. Susan was here from the beginning. She is a SuperHost with most amazing reviews. Reviews of the kind  we only could dream of. Guests all rave about her hospitality. She will arrange a taxi to go buy ANY THING YOU WANT. Guests on a weekend away, want her kind of hosting. 

Susan is my friend. When my apartment was trashed by a party crowd and they threatened to kill me. They caused £12,000 damage. Yes I involved the police. But Susan reached out EVERY DAY to ensure I was ok! She is most amazing asset to this community! She cares about people! She cares even more about hosts! 

I am disgusted that Susan has been excluded. This CC is turning into a police state.

No! Hosts need an outlet to express their frustration. Who are you admins to state a post is ‘negative’!

How dare you exclude a host who supported so many of us!!! Outraged! Absolutely disgusting you could turn against one of the most supportive hosts out there ! Total disgust that you hung @Susan17  out to dry!!! 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

Well said @David6 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

**Content removed
Hello, this message is to let you know that we have had to remove this message. As Susan17 has been banned from this forum, it would not make sense to allow content written by her to be posted via proxy.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Helen350]

**

I'm having a chuckle about the possibility of slipping the word 'A*se' into all our CC musings, a bit like Request to book folk who slip a password into their listing description/house rules .... We could do it in German, maybe that would pass the censor?

@Ute42 

**[Inappropriate content removed - Community Center Guidelines]

[Ute42]

.

There was a time in my country when books of unwanted authors were burned – in vain.

Their ideas conquered the world.

[Suzanne302]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

I wish @Susan17  the best but she is not a martyr and I am not naive to the workings of Airbnb. I applaud her efforts and energy in pursuing something she feels so strongly about.

But perhaps there is another class of hosts....Those of us who are fully aware that we must protect our own assets. Those of us who are fully aware that we may not be able to depend on Airbnb for support and know they may not always "have our back." But, we also enjoy hosting. We enjoy the people we meet and the money it earns us. We use Airbnb simply for our own personal gain. Nothing more, nothing less.

I learned a long time ago it's exhausting to be so frustrated all the time. It's exhausting to go up against an established system and the time and effort it takes to do so means I've missed that many more days of a relaxing, peaceful life I could have been living. So instead, in cases like this, I adapt. There ARE issues I feel strongly about, and those I champion, but Airbnb is not life or death, and it most certainly isn't my cross to bear.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one, because most of us who feel this way simply aren't that vocal, because, well, we're too busy living our lives. I do enjoy visiting the forum, and connecting with other hosts while exchanging ideas.

Perhaps Susan can start and promote her own forum "The Truth about Airbnb" where she can educate those who are interested. Perhaps she can spend her time contacting the media and raise money to fund an advertising campaign if this is her cause. But a CC owned by Airbnb simply isn't the place to do that.

[Paul60]

@Suzanne302  

' But in any group of people, there will always be those for whom self-preservation and self-interest are the only motivating factors, and who are perfectly willing to turn a blind eye to the inequalities and injustices visited upon others and will seek to have dissenting voices shut down, as long as they're alright, Jac'

- Sounds like you'd be a perfect fit here Suzanne.

- Protecting your own assets while seeking equality are not exclusive of each other.  In fact - the best way to protect your own assets is to push for a fairer system.

- Yes you're right it is exhausting to be frustrated all the time and yes it does take time however it would be far less exhausting if everybody who wants a fair and open system pushed for this.  Combined voices have strength.  It's only an established system if that is what people accept and every little bit does help - call out what you see is wrong. Contribute and take action.

- It sounds like you're critical that a fellow host was vocal in respect to issues that she felt were unjust.  Actually let me go beyond that - it sounds like you're even bitter - I'm sure Susan and others who are vocal are just as busy living their own lives (they just choose to call out what they feel is wrong).  Don't begrudge that (Please). 

[Suzanne302]

@Paul60  Bless your heart and have a great day!

[Sean433]

@Paul60 

I am probably one of the younger members here. There is a stereotype that millennial's are ideological. Ironically, It seems a lot of the older people on here are very ideological to the point of expecting corporations to actually care about the little people. Nothing you do will ever make them care about the "little guy". Kind of like how when someone in a big city walks by homeless people everyday and really does not think much of them and would rather actually avoid any physical contact. I don't mean to suggest that we are the homeless people in this analogy in airbnb's eyes, but if you look it from that perspective, we pretty much are on the same level when compared to a giant like airbnb.

When have corporations ever cared about anything besides growth? Susan was always a great read and her fight was something that seems to bring good meaning for her and is noble. Everyone has different goals and aspirations. As a person that manages multiple businesses and whose goal is to retire by 40, I personally don't have interest to take on this monumental task of taking down a giant. A lot of other hosts have similar goals to mine. It isn't because its too much work, it is just that there are other priorities and there are only so many hours in a day. You cannot be all things to all people.

For those hosts who only care about financial freedom and succeeding financially in life, there is not enough hours in the day to pursue the type of fight Susan is battling. I think it is almost a full-time job on its own. Meanwhile, there are other platforms I personally host on and short-term rentals is not my only business. Financial freedom means that one cannot rely on one stream of income and definitely not on one website/company to help facilitate a stream of cash flow. Never put your eggs in one basket. And never expect a corporation to act in your interest. It never will. It will act in its interest first and always.

I would add to your comment "best way to protect your own assets is to push for a fairer system." --- The best way to protect your assets and make them grow is to create your own system and not expect someone else's system to change. If it does change for the better great, but don't ever count on it.

[Paul60]

@Sean433  Hello Sean thank you for your message.  Its lovely to hear back from some of the younger folk here and hope you're picking up some good tips.

So in relation to your points raised - It's actually fine to be ideological however it is the perception for some that millennials are ideological focused without action or worse still are ideologically focused but with contradictory actions.  But this is not a discussion about young vs. old and therefore it's not relevant for this threads discussion.

This is not about that 'little guy' versus the 'big corporation', nor is it about taking down a 'giant'. This is solely about one thing - it's about providing sustained feedback to the organisation that we're working with.  Yes, it's as simple as that - its about being unified and organised, being clear and consistent and if an individual feels something is wrong then feedback with action should be pursued.  Done correctly then Airbnb will welcome it.

[Sarah977]

@Sean433  " It seems a lot of the older people on here are very ideological to the point of expecting corporations to actually care about the little people."

I think maybe you mean idealistic, which is different from idealogical. Traditionally, though, it's young people who are generally often thought to be idealistic, as in wanting to change the world, the "just do it" mentality, while older folks, having learned how the world really works and how fickle human nature can be, are often accused of being jaded or cynical.

[Ute42]

.

@Suzanne302 

You wrote:

• It's exhausting to go up against an established system

That is true.

• Robespierre, one of the guys who started the french revolution, went up against an established system, he and others freed the french people from the suppression ot the feudalistic system.
  
  

• Galileo Galilei went up against practically everybody by stating the world would turn around the sun and not vice versa. This statement almost cost him his life
  
  

• And then there was Martin Luther King, who went up agains the established system of racial segregation. That was exhausting and it did cost him his life.

If these people hadn't been around we might still live under serfage and coloured people might still have to sit in the back of the bus.

Oddly enough, despite the fact that Galilei was proven right, many people till to date don't believe what he said. They say „the sun is going up“. Wrong, the sun's not going up but the world spinning and that is the reason for the day / night phenomena. Unbelievable, we know about this for 500 years now.

As You can see, people who changed the world don't have an easy life and that's the same with Susan. But this doesn't deter these people from fighting for what they beliefe is right.

If there would be more people out there like Susan, the world would be a better place.

[Suzanne302]

@Ute42 Hahahaha! Oh my goodness!

This is not the French Revolution nor are we fighting for civil rights. That's why I said Susan isn't a martyr. To compare Susan's fight against Airbnb to MLK Jr. fighting for civil rights is laughable, if not insulting to those who ARE and WERE actually in danger for their lives as they champion(ed) their cause.

The way people are rallying around her reminds me more of a cult than anything. Perhaps comparing her to David Koresh would be more accurate.

As I said, if Susan wants to wage a campaign she should contact the media, raise money for advertising, and pull together volunteers to stage rallies and help in her fight. She's obviously done very extensive research. This forum is a good start, but she's been at it for 5 years now and what progress has been made other than amassing a small cheering section? It's time to move on. Maybe her getting kicked out will be a catalyst for her to move forward, who knows?

All these people rallying around her, why are you wasting your time in the CC when you could be out there effecting actual change? Why aren't you writing weekly letters to Brian Chesky demanding to be heard? It's easy to sit behind your keyboard and rant away in this forum, so how's that working out for ya? What else are you doing if you're so enraged by Airbnb's treatment of Susan?

I do wish her the best of luck in her efforts, this just isn't my fight because in my world, there are way more important things to care about. That's all I'm saying.

[Paul60]

@Suzanne302   Obvioiusly we are all aware that this is not the French Revolution or fighting for civil rights however the analogy still stands - if you feel something is unjust then it's worth standing tall and being vocal for.  

So let me get this straight - you're critical of anybody here detailing what they see as wrong and what they would like to change.  Is that correct?   

[Suzanne302]

@Paul60You are incorrect.

I have no interest in continuing this conversation with you because it's a beautiful day and I'm going to enjoy it! Any further attempt to address me will be ignored because I consider this conversation finished. I'll end by saying have a pleasant day and stay well!