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by blahblahblogger 1754 days ago
I'm honestly not a fan of this, despite how well intentioned it may seem (road to hell?)

AirBnB is honestly trying too hard with this PR move, it boggles my mind that shareholders don't reign in corporate stunts like this.
4 comments
eat_veggies 1754 days ago
Who cares? People are getting shelter, if even for a little bit. This is honestly the most boring kind of cynicism because you've offered no real critique and no consideration of the people who have been forcefully displaced and can now have a place to stay.
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daniel_iversen 1754 days ago
Agree! Even if AirBnB didn't do it for the right reason (which I have no reason to believe they did - why always so cynical!?) the people in desperate immediate and "short term" need get help! (this is also why it's different to the homelessness issue, which seems more like a systemic issue that the cities and countries should honestly be ashamed of).
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Sebb767 1754 days ago
What would be a right reason? In my experience, all reasons boil down to either someone getting money or someone feeling good about themselves. It's just that, in this case, interests align - nothing more, but nothing less, either.
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TedShiller 1754 days ago
Exactly. If a company got money for hurting someone, then we need to have a conversation. If a company gets money for helping someone, my response would range anywhere from "Good for them!" to "What's for lunch?" at worst.
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batch12 1754 days ago
Yeah, unfortunately I default to cynic with just about all companies. I wish for a world where someone with the resources like this at their disposal thinks, "Oh shit, what can I do?" without thinking about the PR.
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jraby3 1754 days ago
What are they actually doing? Asking their customers to temporarily house refugees. Seems like it won’t cost them much, and there are probably enough seasonal homes that go unused in off season to make this viable.
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TedShiller 1754 days ago
If 20k people are helped, and it also happens to benefit Airbnb, then that's fine by me.

If, on the other hand, Airbnb benefits from HURTING 20,000 people, then we would have a conversation.

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bpodgursky 1754 days ago
What boggles my mind is that someone who in all likelihood has done absolutely nothing to help Afghan refugees feels the need to chime in and criticize AirBnb for pulling a publicity stunt.
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