Happy Labor Day — Day 85: Nextdoor, Did You Forget the People Who Do the Work?

Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸

Today is Day 85 of my continuing Nextdoor case study.

Before I get to Nextdoor, it's worth remembering what today actually represents.

Labor Day isn't simply the unofficial end of summer, a three-day weekend, mattress sales, barbecues or one last trip to the beach.

Labor Day recognizes the contributions and achievements of American workers and the labor movement that fought for better working conditions, reasonable hours, fair wages, and greater protections for working people.

It became a federal holiday in 1894, and more than 130 years later, it's still an opportunity to recognize the people whose work keeps businesses, communities, and this country moving.

Which brings me to Nextdoor.

Hello? Anybody Home?

As of this writing, I haven't seen a Labor Day post on Nextdoor.

Nothing from CEO Nirav Tolia either.

Maybe something will appear later today.

If it does, I'll happily update this post.

But right now?

Crickets. 🦗

And I find that remarkable.

This is a company whose entire identity revolves around neighborhoods, communities, local businesses, and the people who make those communities work.

Teachers.

Nurses.

First responders.

Restaurant workers.

Retail employees.

Construction workers.

Delivery drivers.

Small-business owners.

Landscapers.

Electricians.

Plumbers.

Mechanics.

And, yes, the employees who actually keep Nextdoor operating.

If there were ever a holiday that practically writes itself for a company claiming to be the “essential neighborhood network,” wouldn't Labor Day be it?

Talk About Out of Touch

This isn't about whether every corporation is required to publish a social-media post for every holiday.

Of course not.

It's about awareness and consistency with your own brand.

Nextdoor has plenty to say when there's an opportunity to talk about advertisers.

It has plenty to say about businesses building brand recognition.

It has plenty to say about reaching verified neighbors.

It has plenty to say when there's a new product, advertising opportunity, or monetization strategy to promote.

But Labor Day?

A day specifically recognizing the people who actually do the work in those neighborhoods?

Nothing so far.

From my perspective, that's another example of how out of touch Nextdoor's corporate communications can appear.

And this isn't exactly a surprise holiday.

Labor Day has been on the calendar for a while.

You can even schedule a post.

Nobody needed to abandon the barbecue this morning to log into LinkedIn.

Meanwhile, I Worked Saturday

While Nextdoor was apparently enjoying the holiday weekend, I sent another email on Saturday.

Yes.

Another one.

The subject remains the same issue I've been documenting for nearly three months:

Where are the two detailed Insights studies?

These are the two studies where Nextdoor's own published material told readers they could reach out for additional information, including detailed data, additional audience segments, and strategic recommendations.

I followed the instructions.

I've followed up.

I've clarified that I'm requesting the detailed data—not links to the summaries I've already read.

I've expanded the email beyond Jacob Chavis to include others at Nextdoor who can answer the question.

And now we're at:

Day 85.

At this point, the answer doesn't even need to be complicated.

Yes, Niel, here's the information.

Or:

No, Niel, we're not providing it.

Or:

It's only available to certain customers, advertisers, or partners.

Pick one.

I'll take clarity over silence.

The Irony of Labor Day

Maybe that's what makes today's silence particularly interesting to me.

Labor Day is partly about recognizing the value of people's work.

And one of the themes I've repeatedly raised throughout this case study is whether Nextdoor adequately recognizes the value created by the different people surrounding its platform.

Neighbors create the conversations.

Neighbors provide the recommendations.

Small businesses provide the services.

Employees build and operate the platform.

Advertisers provide revenue.

Investors provide capital.

Every one of those groups contributes something.

A healthy organization understands that relationships with those stakeholders require more than polished marketing language.

They require communication.

Listening.

Trust.

Transparency.

And accountability.

Day 85

So, Happy Labor Day to everyone working today.

Happy Labor Day to everyone fortunate enough to have today off.

Happy Labor Day to the small-business owners who don't really get holidays.

And Happy Labor Day to Nextdoor's employees too.

As for Nextdoor and Nirav Tolia:

Maybe the Labor Day message is coming.

Maybe somebody will answer tomorrow's email.

Maybe I'll finally receive those two detailed studies.

We'll see.

But as of this writing, Day 85 looks remarkably similar to many of the previous 84 days.

.I'm still waiting for somebody at Nextdoor to demonstrate that communication and accountability aren't just words used when they're convenient for the brand.

Happy Labor Day. 🇺🇸

Follow the continuing Nextdoor case study at NielFlamm.com/blog.

Recovery Update: THE DOT IS GONE! 👁️🎉

Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting this update when I woke up this morning.

I got up to head to dialysis, did my usual check of the left eye, and went looking for my little unwanted passenger — the mysterious “air bubble” that has been hanging around in my vision.

And it was SUPER, SUPER SMALL.

We’ve gone from something noticeable at the bottom of my vision, to roughly the size of a 1-cent euro coin yesterday, to something this morning that looked almost like a pinhole.

It was so tiny that it looked different, too.

Before, the dot had been translucent. I could sort of see through it. This morning, it was so small that it just looked dark.

And it was moving around a little.

There were also a few other floaters joining the party, because apparently my left eye needed one final going-away celebration.

Then I got to dialysis.

I looked for the dot again.

Nothing.

Looked around.

Nothing.

Moved my eye.

NOTHING.

THE DOT IS GONE!

GONE! 👁️🎉

After days of calling it a horizon indicator, vinaigrette, an eclipse, a euro coin, and whatever else I could come up with, the mysterious dot that my doctor thought might be an air bubble appears to have finally disappeared from my vision.

I am certainly not declaring the entire eye adventure finished. I still have healing to do, and after everything this eye has put me through, I'm not tempting fate by announcing that Left Eye Airlines has permanently landed.

But today?

I'll take the win.

Now, about that arm...

Yeah.

While the eye seems to have decided it wanted some positive attention today, my arm apparently looked at the assignment and said:

“Don't worry. I'll keep things disgusting.”

It is crusty.

It is dark.

It looks nasty.

And judging by the picture, it may actually be getting more impressive in the grossness department while it heals.

So today's scoreboard:

👁️ Eye: DOT GONE!
🫧 Bubble: Apparently departed.
👀 Floaters: Still making occasional appearances.
💪 Arm: Crusty as hell.
🩹 Recovery: Still moving forward.

There have been a lot of strange developments during this recovery, but watching that dot get smaller day after day and then finally disappear is one update I've been waiting to write.

Sometimes progress happens slowly.

And sometimes I get to dialysis and realize...

THE DOT IS GONE!

Thank You for Reading My Stupidity

A quick and sincere thank-you to everyone who visits this page.

Traffic took a strange turn over the last month, dropping by almost 50 percent at one point. I’m not sure why it happened, but this past Saturday, both the number of unique visitors and total page views finally returned to roughly where they were before the dip.

Over the last 30 days, the page received about 1,000 unique visitors and 1,300 page views. What surprised me most was where everyone came from. The China led the way with 710 visits, followed by the United States with 249, plus readers in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

Nearly all the traffic was listed as “direct.” I believe that means many of you are typing in the address, using a bookmark, or otherwise arriving without another website getting credit for sending you here. However you found the place, I’m glad you did.

So, thank you to the folks in The China—and to everyone else, wherever you may be reading my stupidity from. I truly appreciate every visit, every page view, and every person who keeps coming back.

How Did the Date Go?

Remember the big news?

After weeks of The Hinge Experiment™, endless “Good mornings,” unanswered questions, Kelli being sent to the unmatched graveyard, and Steve the Iguana patiently waiting for his opportunity to become my wingman...

I HAD A DATE!

Well, potentially.

Sort of.

Maybe.

Okay, fine.

So, Niel... How Did the Date Go?

Great question. I would like to know.

Because...

She never responded.

Yep.

Welcome back to online dating, everybody!

Last time we checked in with “Missing Me,” things had taken an almost unbelievable turn.

I asked:

“Whatcha doing this weekend? Can I take you out?”

Eventually, she responded:

“That would be nice.”

Holy crap!

We did it!

Two people matched on a dating app and were potentially going to use the dating app for its alleged intended purpose:

GOING ON A DATE.

I asked about Saturday.

She couldn't do Saturday.

But then came the magical words:

“Sunday I could be.”

SUNDAY IT IS!

I suggested Tydz because it kept appearing in my algorithm. I'd never been there. I've barely explored Myrtle Beach or Surfside. It seemed like a fun place to grab something to eat and actually meet each other.

And then...

Nothing.

Houston, We Have Lost Contact

Saturday evening arrived.

Still nothing.

So I decided to eliminate another obstacle.

I sent her my real number.

Basically:

Here's my number. If you'd like to grab a bite, call or text me.

Easy.

No pressure.

No carrier pigeon.

No Morse Code.

No requirement to solve a CAPTCHA proving she could identify all the motorcycles in nine squares.

Just...

Call or text.

And then I waited.

Sunday morning came.

No response.

Sunday afternoon?

Nothing.

Sunday evening?

Still nothing.

At some point, Schrödinger's Date stopped being both alive and dead.

The cat was dead.

Wait... Weren't We Going Out?

This is the part of modern dating I genuinely don't understand.

She said:

“Sunday I could be.”

I responded:

“Ok, Sunday it is!”

That seems like progress!

Now, yes, we hadn't agreed on a time. She hadn't confirmed the restaurant. Technically, we didn't have a fully confirmed date.

But I wasn't exactly being subtle about my intentions.

Would you like to go out?

Yes.

Are you available?

Sunday.

How about this place?

...

Hello?

Anybody?

Bueller?

One Last Message

Yesterday morning, I sent one more message:

“I hope you are well. If you aren't, what can I do? When you are ready to meet, you have my number. Hope to hear from you.”

And that's where I'm leaving it.

She has my number.

She knows I wanted to meet her.

She knows I was willing to drive.

She knows I wanted to take her out.

There really isn't anything else for me to do.

I'm certainly not going to keep sending:

Good morning!

Good afternoon!

Good evening!

Good night!

At some point I'd stop being a potential date and become a talking grandfather clock.

Maybe Something Happened

I also want to be fair.

I don't know what happened.

Maybe something came up.

Maybe she got nervous.

Maybe she changed her mind.

Maybe life happened.

Maybe she's talking to someone else.

Maybe she opened Hinge, saw the message and thought, “I'll answer that later,” and then forgot.

So I'm not angry.

I'm not offended.

I'm mostly...

confused.

Because we're right back to the question I've been asking throughout this entire experiment:

How do people actually date anymore?

If you're not interested, that's okay.

If you've changed your mind, that's okay.

If you're not ready to meet, that's okay.

Just communicate.

Even:

“Hey, I've changed my mind.”

That's a complete sentence!

I'll survive.

The Hinge Experiment Continues... Somehow

So, for anyone eagerly awaiting the first official date report from The Hinge Experiment:

There isn't one.

No dinner.

No awkward first-date conversation.

No debating who pays the check.

No wondering whether there will be a second date.

No opportunity for me to completely overshare and tell her about this blog.

Nothing.

“Missing Me” lived up to the name.

She went missing.

And somewhere along the South Carolina coast, I can only imagine Steve the Iguana staring out toward the ocean, thinking:

“You should've called me from the beginning.”

You're right, Steve.

You're right.

The Hinge Experiment continues.

But the reptile plan is looking better every day.

Finding Emily: Sometimes I Just Need a Rom-Com

People getting unalived. Dinosaurs. Jason Statham kicking everyone's ass.

Apparently, I needed a break.

So I watched Finding Emily, a British rom-com involving a musician who loves love, a mysterious woman dressed as a fairy, a phone number missing ONE FREAKING DIGIT, and a psychology student who thinks our entire notion of romantic love may be archaic.

What could possibly go wrong?

It reminded me a little of a John Hughes movie with its use of music, while the British humor brought back some of what I love about Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Love Actually.

There's even Minnie Driver—and an Emily who kept making me think of a young Amy Adams in Enchanted.

Is it predictable? It's a rom-com. Of course it is.

But sometimes I need some music, British cheekiness, romance, and maybe even an inner—or OUTSIDE—cry.

🎬 Watch my full Finding Emily movie review at NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews