Platforms like eBay, Swappa, AirBNB, Uber all started with good intentions but now are ruined due to greed.

r/

Platforms where people could buy and sell goods/services used to be good-intentioned, but now have become plagued with greed, mismanagement, ego and a desire to commercialize everything. eBay used to be a place where you could sell your old stuff and get something out of it, and now everyone treats it like a business where a used item is more expensive than a new one. A used item with no warranty, wear/tear, expensive and/or slow shipping, where one could purchase same item from Amazon and get it cheaper and sooner. AirBNB was a place that a person could rent out a spare bed to a fellow traveler, giving an opportunity for people to meet new people, build connections, and give travelers a place to live like a local. Now its plagued with crappy spaces and an overcharged mess where a person is expected to clean up a place and pay a $900 cleaning fee.

Comments

  1. AutoModerator Avatar

    Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day!

    I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

  2. SeraphielSovereign Avatar

    Because greed poisons everything it touches. Once money becomes the goal instead of the tool, the soul of a platform dies. It stops being about people and starts being about profit.

  3. GABE_EDD Avatar

    eBay is pretty good actually, I only use it for budget PC parts though. AirBNB is completely ruined with its extra fees, a hotel is better every single time now. Uber is still okay for what it is, pricing is pretty reasonable and much easier than getting a cab.

  4. Agouramemnon Avatar

    Every ecosystem is essentially in a constant state of warfare against parasitic infestation. Online marketplaces are no different.

    It just takes time for parasitic actors to figure out how to navigate the barriers. Once they’re established the system settles into a push-pull equilibrium between parasites and the “immune” system of the ecoystem.