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Post by High Priestess on May 30, 2019 15:59:54 GMT
Airbnb holds "town hall" on the hiding guest photos policy.
Quite interesting that Airbnb itself would host a host discussion on this topic, which is doubtless one of the most controversial issues they have faced, and one of the most controversial and heated within the host community, with people feeling strongly on both sides.
I wish they had showed more of the actual host discussion (only 4 hosts spoke, and very briefly, in this video), but this helps show the variety of views on the subject.
Current comments on the video:
shanniworld
Hey FREAKING Airbnb. In case you did not know there is a Constitution in these United States. There are laws governing property. This just sounds dangerous to the poor hosts. "We are giving you less and less and less information about your guests." LMAO We are giving you less and less and less. I hear you and I am taking it seriously but we are giving you less and less and less.
shanniworld
I like to book airbnbs hosted by single artsy ladies. I do not like to book with men, or couples. I just do not. So this guy would think I did not book him because he is black and it would not be true. It would be because he is a man. Many travelers want to stay with a 40 plus woman. I just don't get the whole stupid photo thing. It seems to me that Airbnb is forcing its corporate views on people. They are becoming like motels.. I will not be doing airbnb anymore if this is the direction they are going because I want to stay with WHOM I wish. i want a photo.
Jose Ruiz
PUES YO VOY A SEGUIR RECHAZANDO A TODOS MIS HUÉSPEDES A MENOS QUE LOS VEA ANTES. QUE PENA QUE POR CAUSAS DE DISCRIMINACIÓN NO ENTIENDAN QUE LA SEGUIRIDAD ES PRIMERO. NO TENGO NADA EN CONTRA DE NADIE PERO EN MI PAÍS LA SEGURIDAD ES PRIMERO.
translation: AS I AM GOING TO CONTINUE REJECTING ALL MY GUESTS UNLESS YOU SEE THEM BEFORE. WHO PUNISHES THAT FOR CAUSES OF DISCRIMINATION DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT SECURITY IS FIRST. I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST ANYBODY BUT IN MY COUNTRY SECURITY IS FIRST.
Shanniworld
The whole part where if you are a host with small children and female that you can specify NO MEN is NOT TRUE. I had a friend who was a host and she only wanted female guests. I know because I stayed at her airbnb and we became friends. Airbnb shut down her listing because she declined to much. this is total propaganda BS. I think more hosts should get their own websites and market outside of airbnb. There are many niches and airbnb wishes to close them all and be like hotels. That is why you now see hotels advertise on that site.
Shanniworld
I don't get it . Why would you want to stay in a house of a person that does not want you in there house? I mean what is wrong with a white person not wanting a black person in their home? And what is wrong with a black person not wanting a Mexican in their home. What is wrong with saying NO? Why do people insist on forcing themselves into situations where are not wanted? I would not want to stay in a home with a black person who did not want me there. I want to stay with people who are like me in spirit and color. Why is that wrong? Why is it wrong for one person to say no I don't want this person in my home? Maybe it is not because you are black, maybe it is because you are a man? HUH ever think about that? Lots of hosts don't want a single man in their house.
Kamadha 26
Ich persönlich finde es schon wichtig Gesicht zu zeigen. Auch möchte ich sehen, wer zu mir ins Haus kommt. Noch nie habe ich Gäste wegen Ihrer Hautfarbe oder Religion diskriminiert oder abgewiesen und werde das auch nicht tun. Aber wer sich hinter einem SIM-Bild versteckt, der ist nicht offen und hat was zu verbergen.
Translation: Personally, I find it important to show my face. Also I want to see who comes to my house. I have never discriminated or dismissed guests for their skin color or religion and will not do so. But who hides behind a SIM image is not open and has something to hide.
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Post by High Priestess on May 31, 2019 15:42:44 GMT
More comments
David Calderon
Me parece importante..........
Translation: I think it's important ..........
Cynthia Cornell
I have been an Airbnb host since the earliest years. Superhost for all those years. Things have changed. This is no longer a venue for real people opening their real homes for outside guests. This is now a corporate driven entity. I have gone from only 5 stars for years, going out of my way to host and happily take care of all kinds of people from around the world to, in the last year or so...problem after problem. Yes, we should be able to know who is going to share our house. I am not judging anyone by their skin color or weight, or whatever, but you can certainly get a feel of whether this is going to be a good fit or not by the feel of someone's photo. A good fit is everything. Bad experiences for us, no protection. I never wanted to be Booking.com.Hope the shareholders are happy. I am no longer a part of the Airbnb 'family'.
kelly clampitt
Then we should take the host pictures down as well! I could go on without a picture of the guest but why then is it not mandatory to fill out the guest's profile which can tell you much more than a picture.
Joan Alderman
If you are going to take away our ability to see what kind of a guest we are accepting, then Airbnb should require that they provide a written profile summary of who they are and what makes them special - sort of like a personal resume. We hosts provide this same profile information for the guest to look at when they choose our home to book. Why shouldn't a new Airbnb guest be required for the same personal bio that hosts provide.
Juan Mendez
If profile picture are not available till after booking why is it that for some is not an ACTUAL profile image. If you are allowed to put picture of your cat or a nice art piece or coffee table bookcover then whats the point of a profile image after or before. Why is short bio not mandatory and why cant host filter to more the one verification only bookings. At least give some hosting leverage to filter out incomplete profiles.
HappyMoms
Airbnb, please help us to feel safe when we accept a guest. In a country like Egypt, the law there will not allow any Egyptian or Arab couples to stay in the same place without an official marriage certificate, I put that as a requirement in my listing but I would prefer if there was a category like in the house rules (Parties are not allowed ) for certain nationalities. Also, in the Middle East terrorism exists more than it is in any other country. I really need you to allow hosts to get a copy of a photo ID of each guest over 18. Same as we do when we check in a hotel. Some countries are quiet safe but some are not while as hosts we can get in trouble with the state police. We need a firm rule to protect our families, homes and neighbours. Thank you Airbnb for being the best holiday homes website.
A Lund
In view of policy of no guest photo until after booking; host photos should also not be available until after booking
Tina Hartley
It is my policy to not rent to people under 23. The picture does help me know the age of my guests which is important for me.
W Queen
The Airbnb policy of hiding guest photos before booking is an unwise, badly conceived and inappropriate response to concerns about discrimination. Airbnb, you have touted your platform as being about "belonging", and being welcoming. How is it welcoming when guests are given the means to "trick" hosts into accepting them...when information about guests is withheld, so that hosts end up accepting someone whom they would not have accepted, had they seen the persons' photo prior to accepting them. How is it a good thing if guests end up in host's homes who dont' really want them there?
No one has a civil right to demand access to other's private homes. If someone doesn't want you in their house, and you demand to be let in, you become a bully. And how will you have a nice vacation, bullying someone in their home? Hotels accept all comers: private homes are not hotels.
If Airbnb is about welcoming and belonging, please let this welcoming be real and sincere, not fake. For it to be real, the host needs to be permitted to know enough about who is asking to be invited into THEIR PRIVATE HOME, to either extend a welcome or not.
As we all have seen, there are a huge number of problems with bad guests on the Airbnb platform. This problem is growing. People are booking Airbnbs to have illegal parties, trash the home, engage in prostitution, use illegal drugs, burglarize the home, or just be bad guests. In the face of this, hiding information about the guest shows great disrespect to hosts.
By hiding guest photos, Airbnb is effectively saying to hosts, "We dont' trust you not to discriminate." That is an enormously disrespectful thing to be saying to all hosts. Airbnb is also saying, "There is no good use for a photo of someone, other than to use to discriminate" which is ridiculous. Photos show all kinds of information. A photo that a guest uses to depict themselves can show whether they have good judgment (professional photo) or poor judgment (flashing gang signs and holding illegal drug paraphernalia). PHotos can suggest character. In host groups I'm in, I can't tell you how many hosts tell stories of bad guests, where the guest photo, if they had been able to see it before booking, would have prevented them from accepting the guest and then going through the hell they went through with atrocious behavior and damages.
Host's homes are our homes, they dont' belong to Airbnb, so have some respect for our need to protect our own homes and ourselves. Give us all the information we need about prospective guests including their photo.
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