This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
“Cabin is referring to me, among others. I report listings that I find, including those of hosts who post here, that have discriminatory language and I make no excuses for it…”
While I am with the person who wrote this on her stance to call out racist statements +/or insinuations when they occur, I was mistaken in believing she meant she called out the individual directly, to his/her “face”.
I am appalled that a host on this form, a Moderator no less, would report to airbnb statements made by another member on their listing should she deem them discriminatory.
There is nothing “moderate” about that. I judge it a severe, unsavory, underhand and yes, appalling practice.
In previous posts submitted by me, I have referred to the group of hosts here as my “Forum Family”.
As in many families, some members display a treacherous lack of " face – face" communication, preferring to attack others secretly, rather than speak with them directly.
I must leave this forum as a stand against what I consider a breach of assumed, at least by me, trust amongst us.
Yes this forum needs to be independent of Airbnb, and we shouldn’t be like Hitler Youth snitching on each other. However the forum needs to take a stand on racism.
I understand. There have been times I just don’t understand people’s reactions to my comments or to the comments of others. I left for a while, came back, and now am taking a much more quiet role because of something similar to your event.
The reason I didn’t leave entirely is very self serving—-with all the ups and downs, insults, and judgements, I still find the information presented here beneficial. If it helps me, it helps my business.
Also if Everyone who had been insulted and beaten up by words left the forum, the bullies would win. Let’s not let that happen.
I also think it’s pretty shitty for a forum moderator to go report listings on AirBnB based on things seen in this forum. People that are putting that kind of hateful stuff on their listing are going to kill their own business anyway. I wouldn’t mind seeing people called out publicly in this forum about racism, etc. But to go tattle to the authorities, I think, is a little much. I mean, honestly, if I just happened to run across a listing that was racist while I was shopping for a place to stay for myself, I would absolutely flag it. But I’m not going to go out of my way to police other adults.
Is it possible that members here could realise that moderators are simply people, just like everyone else? To decry ‘moderators’ as though we were some sort of angelic, all-powerful beings is pretty daft.
Those of us who are moderators are here because we love this forum, we want the general public who read it to know that we are real people who care about our guests and not faceless hosts. We do it to help in some small way the owners of this forum who have set the place up, and pay all its running expenses out of their own pockets, so that there’s a place online for hosts to go that’s independent of Airbnb.
We’re not perfect. We are people with views just like everyone. We have our good points, we have our bad points. We’re mostly very honest and straighforward in our views. That’s because most of us believe in internet transparency. We’re not liars. We’re not yes-men.
We’re not always politcally correct. (well, I’n not). We’re not always correct even.
But basically we do this because we care about this forum and care about other hosts. We’re no better and no worse than anyone else.
It might interest you to know that several moderators have left this forum recently because of the behaviour of non-moderator members. I’ve felt like doing so myself. So it’s not moderators who are at fault, neither is it regular members. It’s human nature.
Well, my opinion stands for anyone here who feels the need to police other adults. But someone in the position of moderator, I think, has a responsibility to treat others with respect. I don’t think it’s very respectful to go and report someone anonymously rather than talking to them directly (if that’s what is happening.)
And maybe I’m just feeling a little extra sensitive about this issue as someone who just had her listing flagged (and then shut down by AirBnB) for something that if the flagger had taken the time to read the listing fully, they would have seen was not an issue of discrimination.
@jkamm - I have reported listings myself a couple of times. Why? Because the listings I have reported have been against the policies of Airbnb. We all know that Airbnb’s advertising says that the service is for everyone. Race, sexual identity, etc. etc. etc. are all irrelevant as far as Airbnb is concerned and therefore yes, I have reported some listings that have blatantly said that they do not host gay people, for example.
I am not gay. My sister is. Over the years I have known many people who are and I still do. I know that some of my internet friends (which includes people at this forum) are gay. So yes, when i see a listing that refuses to host people such as my own family or friends then I’m happy to report them. This is the twenty first century, after all.
And if I had listings that were bigoted in some way, then I’d expect to be reported too.
I apologise for my opinion. However it (and the opinions of all moderators here) are just that - their own opinions. As I said, we are no better and no worse than anyone else. I hope that we’re all entitled to our views and I truly hope that this forum is a place where we can all express them freely.
“Les absents ont toujours tort.” - It’s French and translates to something like “He/she who is absent is always wrong.” You say that participants of this forum should talk to other hosts instead of flagging their listings, which is a totally honorable opinion, but in that case please also just stay and talk to those participants.
I’m sure that the people, from this forum, who have flagged listings have only done so in the most extreme / blatant cases. Should they have done so without any reason, I’m sure they know that ‘karma’ (The general word, not the forum member. But pun intended! ) is hunting them down.
Anyway, @astralita12, your presence has never bothered me and I’m sure that you have made some valuable posts, so I hope you just stay on board and defend your views. No one is ever perfect, but we do learn a lot from other people’s imperfections, probably more than from our own.
It does suck to know that people favor “minding your own business” over limiting the effects of bigotry but I feel confident in my stance. One offender has removed the disciminatory language from his listing and if the reporting of it sourced from this forum is why I have no problem with that whatsoever.
Are your US Dollars green(ish)? Do you treat my property, neighbors & me with respect? Answer yes to the above and will cheerfully rent to you, again, & again, & again. But the way if you are under 25 and demonstrate maturity, I will gladly rent to you too!
) is hunting them down.