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https://theconversation.com/airbnbs-ukraine-moment-is-a-reminder-of-what-the-sharing-economy-can-be-180506>
"As desirable vacation destinations go, war-torn Ukraine must surely rate low.
But in the first month of Russia’s invasion, Airbnb bookings in Ukraine boomed,
as people around the world used the accommodation platform to channel more than
US$15 million in donations to the country.
As with other forms of direct donation, using Airbnb to channel aid to Ukraine
has been problematic. The company was relatively quick to waive the 20%
commission it usually charges on transactions. But stopping scammers from
setting up fake accounts to collect money from well-meaning donors has proven
more difficult.
It’s a story that illustrates both the potential and limitations of the
so-called sharing economy.
Idealistic visionaries once imagined the internet would connect individual
buyers and sellers, peer to peer (or P2P), without the need for intermediaries
and their commissions. But this promise of market democratisation and
inclusivity has largely failed to materialise.
Instead, the platforms that have arisen – eBay, Uber, Airbnb and so forth – are
very much like traditional capitalist enterprises, putting the squeeze on
rivals, exploiting labour, and making their founders and executives among the
wealthiest people on the planet."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
