This thread is funny. Back to the OP. As a society, we have many mechanisms in place for legitimate disputes and business that are acting in a manner untoward or deceptive.
You can easily file in small claims court and rely on the justice system. Also, a lot of our courts move beyond the defined hard limits of law for mediation or middle ground. For two parties whether in a business transaction or many other matters to meet in the middle.
I'd say most small businesses don't need the above. However, the consumer is being trained by big tech to be spiteful, hateful and exact judgement instantly.
As a business owner, it's in my best interest to put and gravitate around my customer but also the wonderful people that work for me and also for myself to create and add value for my customers.
Believe it or not, this is one of the greatest things about being a small business. Yet people who don't want to be objective just go into a fury.
This probably doesn't mean a lot to some of you but my give a #### factor is 12/10. Google can't rate that.
When a jerk company that rules the world (98% ad revenue) sets out a design to affront that and we bring it up and people defend them, it makes me wonder. Who made Google the judge and executioner but even scarier, why do people support them and call them fair.
At least Yellow Pages had the balls to say when you search we give you the person who paid the most, I respect that.
The simple complaints about the google monopoly (which anyone must agree, they are facing federal scrutiny in the US; but some of you won't agree because you just need to be contrary or eat big tech cake). Or maybe you are going to be intregrated into Zucker Meta. These companies are so off base, literally defending them is asking for your brain to be sucked out of your head. It's cool if you want that.
If you are not listed on google you are deleted, the definition of utility should not be in the hands of the private sector. I.e. if your electric was cut off because of your religion.
So monopolistically you are subject to playing by their rulebook, thus allowing them to keep anonymous fake reviews, that can be fake, false and racist in nature as marks against people trying to provide service and goods at a small business level.
Believe it or not, my small business has stellar ratings. So why am I complaining? Why am I posting this message?
I value my employees so much, my outrage for personal attacks on these social media services that are lauded because of their social economic position, the commentary on the way they look disgust me or sexual orientation. Their legal departments ignore defamation and slander and say,
WE HAVE MORE MONEY THEN YOU WILL EVER HAVE TRY US OUT. That is the basis of their unethical mechanism built on their model of the simple man being able to review for spite.
Facebook, one of those monopolistic companies has been exposed for their terrible conduct and using user information to fight back against the user.
Supporting global monopolies that have the chips stacked in their favour put you in jeopardy of being encouraged to be the mob. They want you to feel you can put anyone in the shackles, and toss your rotten vegetables at. If you align with this, you deserve the future you create. Cancel culture works outside the law, outside fair and is brutal MOB mentality.
I know some of you are going to respond to this, but please look up the definition of slander and defamation. It's a law that used to exist before these guys came in and with their size and power. You can't defame, slander or run people down but social media has injected that fervour into our society at their benefit. You can guise it as a protection for your right to rate a movie, but lets face it, our culture has shifted to the take down or ability to judge as our last little respite of supposed freedom.
Simply put, without throwback, if you don't have anything nice to say... but that value is long gone. Instead, it's about an individual who runs a small business getting a permanent mark on his forehead with no contestation or court or fair evaluation. It's kind of like a drive by shooting. I'm sure a 1 star person doesn't remember they did it. Most five star remember, because they actually loved their experience/product.
Why not reach out and work through it. Also, as a small business owner, we are openly active to input but we prefer it to be in person and direct. Or maybe via text or over the phone if that is easier.
We don't run away from our responsibilities we're engaged. The cancel culture is about getting out a magnifying glass to find and poison the well of anything good.
That's why nothing will come of this thread, because it's not a discussion, it's mostly posturing anonymously, proving the point that anonymous communication leads to no communication and fortified by unwillingness to be genuine.
The fabric and social nature of society is being connected locally, but look at the raisin hate for your local providers raising an issue. Pariah status for the minority.
The people that side with Global big tech. I'm like ? confused.
We are not privileged, we are stressed most of the time but we are also a minority but we are also happy for our customers and love to be engaged with them and our heartbeat is in pleasing them.
A lot of posts here pivot to create some kind of hateful, you must have a business, you must not like google therefore your business sucks and the best is I've figured you out as a person?
Simply being a devils advocate or beating your drum without reading or acknowledging any counterpoints is the downfall. Weighing in, without being genuine is exactly the destruction of our society.
I would argue anonymity, lack of community and lack of the benefit of the doubt. Lack of truly engaging a post without a position or thinking about it is just a useless exercise.Working together is a far better way. Instead, counter points are US versus THEM, while ignoring BIG TECH.
Who do you think pushes this agenda in everything you read?
Also, ignoring the mechanisms in place that protect the consumer. We have the Sale of Goods Act in Alberta which is a code of conduct, we have the Fair Trades Act in Alberta, yet many want to undo the legal system for the expediency of cancel culture, playing into the very hands that (up until this year) have evaded paying their fair share of taxes, whether it is GST, tax benefits from local governments (paid at the hand of small business) etc.
Being happy when google tells you what baby food to eat for your mind scares the crap out of me, forget small business reviews. I'm reminded of witch hunts by the Catholic church or book burnings.
True debate is not about championing your position continuously, it's about open mind. Beyond open mind it's about creating some definitions. Google is a monopoly. So is Facebook. Can we start there? What does it mean for you and your children or future children? Maybe you don't have children and you grew up with google as your parent. :-(
What's really disturbing is that the conversation is not a two way conversation here.
No middle ground or even a mental awareness to engage in that. Yet if we were in a coffee shop, you might be a little more open instead of polarizing every freaking post with an aggravated level of just championing the same thing or polarizing a counter point.
So, this long post, you've made it this far. I felt a need to post this because a guy who happened to be on the news for many many years stepped down two nights ago and he did the right thing, and he signed off with this. Let's choose to ignore his warning. Let's choose to be right anonymously and eat our google food.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...us_inside.html
You know, the institution isn't about the MOB, it isn't about polarizing and especially going after local. Instead so many are proponents of some box they are standing on instead of just being engaged and real and genuine.
Much like taking a walk through your neighbourhood and realizing how wonderful it can be and the people how hard they all work. It all starts there.
