When Neighbors Step Up — and Platforms Step Back

I read about a story of a local contractor providing free holiday repairs to neighbors in need. No algorithms. No PR spin. Just people helping people.

👉 https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/business/local-business/local-contractor-seeks-help-to-meet-demand-for-free-holiday-repairs/

This is what real community looks like.

This contrasts with #Nextdoor, which is increasingly hard to ignore.

Nextdoor routinely highlights feel-good stories about neighbors helping neighbors — yet, in practice:

- Engagement is restricted or shut off entirely on LinkedIn posts

- Comments are deleted instead of addressed

- Shareholders, users, and advertisers are blocked rather than engaged

- Leadership goes silent when tough questions are asked

What’s even more striking is that #Amazon, #Meta, and #X all allow open interaction on their LinkedIn pages — questions, criticism, dialogue included. These are global tech companies operating at a massive scale, and they still understand the value of hearing from their audience.

So the question becomes unavoidable:

Why doesn’t #Nextdoor?

Decisions like disabling comments and avoiding dialogue ultimately rest with the CEO. Under Nirav Tolia’s leadership, this approach has continued — despite being directly at odds with the company’s stated mission of connection, trust, and community.

And where is the communications guidance here? How does a communications team not advise that shutting down public dialogue is a long-term credibility risk — especially for a platform whose brand is community?

The neighbors in this article didn’t wait for permission to help. They didn’t curate the conversation. They didn’t silence questions. They showed up.

That’s the standard #Nextdoor should be held to — not the stories it promotes, but the behavior it practices.

#Nextdoor #CommunityTrust #LeadershipMatters #Transparency #DigitalIntegrity

#CustomerVoice #ShareholderPerspective #Accountability #NeighborsHelpingNeighbor