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Airbnb Asks People to Donate Money to Landlords, Backlash Ensues

posted by Fnord666 on Sunday July 19 2020, @04:02PM   Printer-friendly
from the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished? dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Airbnb-asks-people-to-donate-money-to-hosts-15407730.php

Airbnb's latest attempt to appease hosts and customers amid a tumultuous year was met with a searing backlash on social media.

The online vacation rental marketplace, headquartered in San Francisco, initiated a feature this week offering customers the chance to donate money and "kindness cards" to hosts.

"Today we're introducing a new way to connect with your favorite hosts. Now you can create personalized kindness cards that make it easy to send a message of appreciation or encouragement, with the option to add a contribution. We hope these cards will make hosts smile, and bring a little joy your way," a message from the company to customers read.

"Airbnb has lost its f---ing head, why would I donate to my host? I can't even afford one house." Twitter user olenskae fumed.

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  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday July 20 2020, @10:41AM (11 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday July 20 2020, @10:41AM (#1024024) Journal

    Part of the problem is the building of ever more baroque regulatory systems, which incur costs, sometimes massive, for those who wish to play the game (c.f. taxis in NY) [...] to the poor business who were suckered into doing things legitimately

    Ignoring that it is likely that parts of the "poor business" paid for those baroque regulatory systems in order to create cartels, why do you perceive said baroque regulatory systems as legitimate in the first place?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 20 2020, @03:31PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 20 2020, @03:31PM (#1024136)

    Because they were approved of and enforced by a government. In the sense you're using it legitimacy can simply be defined as conformance to rules or laws. Unless you prefer anarchy, in which case there is never any such thing as legitimate. And even as captured as it is there are good public interest reasons why the supply of street-hirable drivers should be regulated and limited.

    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @01:25AM

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 21 2020, @01:25AM (#1024377) Journal

      Because they were approved of and enforced by a government.

      That's really flimsy.

  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday July 21 2020, @10:46AM (8 children)

    by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Tuesday July 21 2020, @10:46AM (#1024525) Homepage
    By understanding the definition of the word 'legitimate'. Don't they have dictionaries where you come from?
    --
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @12:05PM (7 children)

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 21 2020, @12:05PM (#1024540) Journal
      The thing is why am I to suppose that baroque regulation that creates cartels is more legitimate than work-arounds to that regulation? I'm just not seeing it, no matter how you feel "legitimate" should be defined.

      • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday July 21 2020, @05:01PM (6 children)

        by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Tuesday July 21 2020, @05:01PM (#1024647) Homepage
        Because many authorities have (independently) found Uber's operation to be not work-arounds for, but actually not compliant with local laws. I.e. illegal. I.e. illegitimate.
        --
        Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

        • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday July 21 2020, @10:52PM (5 children)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 21 2020, @10:52PM (#1024770) Journal
          Why do you accept those authorities as authorities? I'm sure many taxi cartels have independently found Uber's operations to be very harmful to their bottom line and got some authorities to protect their business model.

          • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday July 22 2020, @09:00AM (4 children)

            by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Wednesday July 22 2020, @09:00AM (#1024886) Homepage
            > Why do you accept those authorities as authorities?

            Because I'm not an anarchist.
            --
            Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

            • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday July 22 2020, @11:32PM (3 children)

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 22 2020, @11:32PM (#1025194) Journal
              Sorry I don't buy that failing to heed dumbass authorities pushing dumbass law is an example of anarchism.

              • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday July 24 2020, @09:25AM (2 children)

                by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday July 24 2020, @09:25AM (#1025705) Homepage
                Remember to put a dictionarry on your wishlist for christmas.
                --
                Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

                • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday July 24 2020, @01:05PM (1 child)

                  by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 24 2020, @01:05PM (#1025741) Journal
                  I already know what the word means. Why don't you look up "rule of law"? Rule of law means that authorities don't get to decide on the fly what the rules are.

                  • (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Friday July 24 2020, @02:21PM

                    by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Friday July 24 2020, @02:21PM (#1025773) Homepage
                    Which is an irrelevant straw man, as that's not what has happened.
                    --
                    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves