I've written many times on this forum, that posters need to be acutely aware that the Community Centre itself is a prime source of material for journos, and is closely monitored by reporters from around the globe. I've lost count of the number of times I've seen details and quotes from CC threads, replicated word for word in various media articles. Also, I've personally been contacted by several reporters over the years, on foot of posts I've written, as I'm sure many other contributors must have been too. (I prefer to keep to my "one-woman band" ethos though! ;))
So a word of warning - always beware of troll posts on here from new members, particularly those that are somewhat outrageous and very often specifically designed, purely to elicit an intense reaction from the host community (You can spot them a mile off) And don't ever post anything on this forum that you're not completely happy for the whole world to see, or that you're not willing or able to back up 100%, if the sh*t ever hits the fan.
While I fully agree that a number of the posts on the Airbnb Guests Blacklist were ridiculously petty, and some definitely did go well beyond the pale, the group was also an invaluable resource (and prevention tool) for hosts in over-saturated cities that have a massive problem with neighbourhood disruption, anti-social behaviour and extensive property damages, arising directly from out-of-control Airbnb parties. The group's intervention absolutely did save countless hosts from the nightmare of having their homes thrashed and destroyed by hundreds of marauding revellers, and that crucial little detail shouldn't be forgotten in all the hysterical hoo-hah either.
Several Blacklist group members actively sought out social media posts advertising upcoming parties in Airbnb listings, and dedicated a great deal of their own time and resources to tracking down the real identities of the guests and the addresses of the listings, and informing both the unsuspecting hosts and Airbnb itself of exactly what the guests were planning. It's important to note here that despite incontrovertible proof of the guests' nefarious intentions being provided to the company by the Blacklist group, in many such instances, Airbnb were either resistant to the host cancelling at all, or they re-housed the guests without ever letting the new hosts know why they were cancelled by the previous hosts. That's a fact, and I have the evidence to support it.
I couldn't agree more with @Christine615's point, that Airbnb's steadfast refusal to ban seriously problematic and troublesome guests from the platform, and abject failure to hold such guests accountable for their destructive actions - while simultaneously making it increasingly difficult for hosts to vet who will be coming into their homes - has undoubtedly created an insecure, unsafe operating environment where hosts feel that they need to engage in such groups, in order to protect their homes, their families and their income.
What a crying shame that its come to this.