The Problem with this Community Board - A summary to newbies

[Sean433]

This forum used to offer good suggestions and tips to problems hosts would experience with their listings, guests and/or locals laws and regulations.

To summarize for the new members that come on here seeking help, here are some of the things you will constantly see from a lot of hosts on here:

-- They operate 1 or 2 listings and have a general disdain for hosts that manage or operate multiple listings. They say they don't like multi listing hosts because it goes against the values that airbnb originally had. I rather think it is a factor of jealousy or unfulfilled dreams of being successful in life. Who knows.

-- They often use hyperbolic words such as egregious, appalling,  horrific which they source from thesauraus.com. It helps affirm to themselves that their arguments are strong and others will hear them because what they need the most in their lives is someone to listen since they don't get it enough of that at home.

-- They often try to suppress new hosts that come on here with problems that they don't feel are problems. They behave that they own the platform because they spend 2-3 hours a day here and "contribute". Some, even spend what seems like 6-8 hours a day on here and generally lean towards the discussions that are most controversial because they need to participate in some sort of drama. Anyone that lends the equivalent of a full-time job worth of hours on a forum needs and I mean, needs to be heard. Their life is not complete until they have made a minimum of 20 comments a day through this forum. Sharing stories about their lives through a text box to cyber strangers whom really don't care. They are lifers and will never leave this place because they have nobody else to listen to them on this sort of volume or capacity.

-- They often rat you out to the community managers when their senses are offended. Even when it just from a general disagreement on how to conduct business with their guests. I have seen it happen with so many hosts on here and it's so predictable. The only member that spent a lot of their time on here that i had respect for was @Susan17 but she was banned. I really would not mind if this post got me banned because there is nothing on this forum that I find helpful anymore. It is a broken record with the same members who repeat the same suggestions and stories about their lives. Now go ahead and report me, I am happy to be banned by this cult communication board or whatever you want to call it.

To the newbie hosts or those on here, the best lessons you will learn is making mistakes and learning from them. This forum can sometimes offer good advice but generally speaking, I find the best advice comes from those who don't spend half of their conscious life on here because they are out hustling and actually hosting guests. Those that spend 4-8 hours a day here are the ones who actually have the least guest experiences and yet are the ones who write the most suggestions.

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Sean433 ,

Firstly, I really appreciate your feedback on the CC - it helps us plan how to move forward and ensure it is a place that all hosts can feel welcome. Your comments about hosting types (amount of listings) is concerning and we will definitely look into ways to make the forum more inclusive and informative for those host types too.

Regarding mentioning other users forum behaviour, I don’t think it’s fair to pass comment on how other people spend their free time whether it’s on the CC or elsewhere. Your concerns over negative behaviour are noted, of course, but please be aware that myself and the rest of the OCM team read every single post on this forum. When a member flags to moderator it helps us tremendously on reacting quicker to more time sensitive problems, comments or issues but rest assured, we will see each any every post regardless.

To that end, I’d love to hear if you have any suggestions on us making the CC more inclusive for multi-listing hosts, such as yourself, so you can all can have a better experience here. You clearly have years of experience yourself so it would be wonderful to have you as part of that solution.

Many thanks,

Stephanie

[Ann489]

@Stephanie   I thought personal attacks were frowned upon in this forum?

[Gordon0]

Some valid points about inclusivity raised here, @Stephanie.

Why not split the forum into two? One for the ne'er-do-well, half-witted daydreamers who weren't blessed with the success gene, and another for the world's brightest stars, like @Sean433, so they're shielded from our dullness and mediocrity?

Works for me. 

[Sean433]

@Gordon0 

I like the sarcasm. Always clever and concise posts from you. Entertaining and not predictable like most of the others on here. If the community had more writers like you, it would be more helpful and entertaining and I am not being sarcastic. Kudos sir!

[Ann489]

@Gordon0       Thank you, Gordon--your post just made my day!  😉

[Sean433]

@Stephanie 

Thanks for the message. I think it is very fair and relevant to pass comment on how they spend their time because it helps explain why you hear the same condescending soundbite you hear from some of them consistently. 

I have a great example. They frequently judged several other hosts businesses simply because they choose to run their business during covid-19. They often passed judgment on hosts who still hosted people during the pandemic. Why? Because they chose not to host and according to them, everyone should act and do exactly like them. I come on here once or twice a week and I read the same content every time. It eventually became so scripted and predictable and uninteresting.

They questioned their morals and some even made false claims they were breaking laws - information which they pulled out if thin air. They never considered that some of us hosts hosted guests who were in genuine need of housing and that actually, we were abiding by local laws. They did not consider that maybe we were helping people who would otherwise have nowhere to sleep. To them, it was just about greed because, remember, anyone that does not think like them or operates a few listings and are doing well in life are greedy rather than successful or as they would often say "unscrupulous" (they are masters of hyperbole). So yes, I think mentioning how they pass their time helps to explain why you hear the same nonsense over and over and over...

[Danielle476]

You forgot:

-There are some hosts whose egos are so fragile that they perpetually see themselves as the victim.  When someone calls them out on their inappropriate behaviour, they refuse to acknowledge any wrongdoing and instead blame others for their misdeeds.  Because they have the mental fortitude of a 6 year old with a broken lollipop, they resort to name calling and personal attacks that are completely unwarranted and baseless.  When they're rightfully put in their place by community moderators, they resort to asinine posts lamely disguised as 'help' to new members on the board.  Hilariously, they denounce the hours of helpful guidance that some members have dedicated to these forums, and chide them for 'needing attention'...when they themselves are rehashing a months-old thread because they can't sleep at night knowing people see them for who they really are:  angry at the world and in desperate need of a sense of control.

Thank you for the laugh, and for tagging me.  For anyone who isn't aware, this host created a thread 3 months ago wherein he whined that police didn't do his dirty work for him - calling them pigs, corrupt, you name it.  When more than one woman disagreed with him (politely), he said that they must all be on their periods and to 'go change your pads'.  I reported it, because childish, sexist behaviour has no place in these forums or anywhere in a civilized society.  He was reprimanded accordingly and has been waiting what, over 2 weeks to bring it up again?  Incredible.  Who needs to be seen now, Sean?  

[Sean433]

@Danielle476 

I did not forget. That is true what you say about ego. Almost everyone here posts like they have inflated egos. Especially the ones who have been on here the longest telling others when they should be hosting and when not to. Even those like you who have no reason to have a ego judging from your profile and the way you speak to others as well.

[Danielle476]

Keeping it classy, as usual!  Attacking my appearance & comparing me to a dog.  I simply cannot fathom why your posts here aren't met with boundless enthusiasm!  What a mystery.  Life must be so difficult for you!  Did you want to take this time to compare your struggles to George Floyd again or was that just a one-time thing...?

[Sean433]

@Danielle476 

Life was difficult at one point when I worked 4 jobs simultaneously for about 8 years to earn what I have today but now it is pretty easy. Life has now become difficult again having to reply to your content which distorts almost everything that was actually said. So difficult. Much more than juggling 4 jobs for a decade.

[Ann489]

 @Sean433     You don't need to wait until you get "banned"-- you can simply leave.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sean433 To suggest that us newer hosts should learn from our mistakes is utter madness and would be very costly. Yes there is some every negative and paranoid advice on the forum but there are often nuggets of truth that are very helpful. It is a shame that some people post bitter and often personal attacks just because they don't agree with what is being said but I guess there is bad behaviour anywhere and at least it keeps the moderators in work. 

@Ann489 raises a brilliant point  - If you don't like the forum you can just leave!

@Gordon0 I am sorry but I can't agree with your suggestion to split the forum - I want to see what the world's brightest stars are saying and don't want to be relegated to the daydreamers forum!

[Sarah977]

@Sean433  How unbelievably judgmental. Psychologically analyzing people you know nothing about. (Even the people on this forum who actually have degrees in psychology don't do that)

You have made misogynistic comments on this forum, and you have never once apologized for writing things others pointed out were offensive (as other posters have done when such things are pointed out, because they are apparently not so insecure as to be able to admit they made an error in judgment), you just double down on it.

And believe it or not, some people don't need to consult a thesaurus to come up with words like appalling, egregious or horrific.

@Mike-And-Jane0  I'm pretty certain that @Gordon0 was being facetious. (I didn't even have to use a thesaurus to come up with that word).

[Stephanie]

Hiya everyone,

I had hoped we could pivot this thread into something productive but I don't think it's possible any longer. I would love for a new thread to be creative around supporting multi-property hosting and any ideas around how myself and the team can do that. However, I'm closing this one as there is nothing constructive here and feel it is far too personally abrasive. 

Please let me know via DM if you have any questions or concerned. Remember, you can use the flag to moderator button if you see something that doesn't look right/feels like a personal attack. 

Thanks,

Stephanie