[juliennakache]

Probably the darkest UX pattern I've seen in a while... It's not spam per say so I'm not sure if this can be reported to the FTC, but it sure is a dirty move. Whoever designed is either evil or had was forced by an evil organization who would do anything to make their stock go up after a rough SPAC introduction.

Does anyone know if this can be reported to a public agency?

[RajT88]

Next-door is filled with dark patterns.

Some, I actually admire. For example: Debates about national politics are against the TOS.

Makes sense, they don't want a locally focused forum turning into the usual partisan cesspool.

So when inevitably threads turn to national partisan politics, there seems to be some flag which is toggled. You might get notifications about replies to your posts, but click yields "This comment has been deleted". You have to use one of a few workarounds to catch up with the whole thread. Boom: Fewer shitposts by virtue of slowing down the whole discussion to a near-standstill.

[int_19h]

Anybody can flag a post or a comment on Nextdoor, and people do so quite a lot. Most of it is "this guy said something I don't like", but depending on the person reporting, they might be savvy enough to look up a rule that's actually violated by the post/comment they didn't like. Leads of neighborhoods where the post/comment showed up then get a notification to vote on whether to delete it or to keep it.

[RajT88]

Ah, but for these threads you get the "this post has been deleted" for many posts which 100% are still there. It just takes extra work to be able to see them.

Once you have seen it and dug into it a bit, it feels very intentional and sneaky.

[ausbah]

seems more like just a bad design

[dragontamer]

Dark UX Design is bad design on purpose.

If you don't want people unsubscribing, you just add more buttons and make unsubscribing harder to do.

[el_benhameen]

Yeah, I begrudgingly use Nextdoor to make sure I don’t get put on blast for going on a run or walking my kid to school too close to someone’s driveway, and the unfathomably bad design and functionality of their mobile site has me convinced that they’d be incapable of intentionally implementing dark patterns.

[dylan604]

>I begrudgingly use Nextdoor to make sure I don’t get put on blast for going on a run or ...

And so what if you are? Not being there and put on blast affects you how? Being there and put on blast is different because? You can respond by using gasoline to put out the fire?

Nextdoor is a great place to find out who you never want to associate in real life.

[wonderbore]

I don't know the dynamics of Nextdoor, but others complaining and organizing against me would scare me.

[dylan604]

You say this as if people are not complaining and organizing against you now. Are you sure that's not actually happening and you're just not on the same chat they are? Let that fester...

[turboponyy]

Information is power, it allows you to make decisions with greater expected value on average.

[el_benhameen]

That was mostly sarcasm, but I would prefer to know if my neighbors think I’m a burglar so that I can politely let them know that I’m not.

[dylan604]

Of course, that's what any self-respecting burglar trying to throw people off their trail would say.

[harry8]

What a brilliant business technique! You have to to consent or be punished for otherwise acting like a responsible human. Then they can monetize the engagement. Everybody wins!

Let's extend that. Publish any senior executive's home address to a list containing many militant communists unless they subscribe to your engagement platform themselves! High value info to monetize right there. Then do the switch because they clicked through something. Capitalism working just like we were told about as kids...

[honkler]

it's never bad to the users benefit. Always works in favor of the corp. I wonder why?

[tomcatfish]

How would it be "bad to the users benefit"?

[seoaeu]

"Bank error in your favor. Collect $200"

[dylan604]

You know, I had a litteral "Get Out Of Jail Free" card in my wallet when I was detained by police. It didn't work