[LINK] Eight links on the problems and challenges of Airbnb

[rfmcdonald]

Over the past few months, I have been collecting links about Airbnb.

• In November 2015, Wired noted in "San Francisco Is Ground Zero for an Airbnb Freakout" that Airbnb was trying to avoid a backlash in that city as it successfully opposed a binding referendum that would have limited its influence. (In a subsequent article, Wired noted that Airbnb compared its influence to the NRA's.) Airbnb is trying to look like an ally.


• At the same time, Bloomberg View's Justin Fox argued this whole episode showed the desperate need of San Francisco for more housing, while wondering if the city could become denser.


• Zak Stone's "Living and Dying on Airbnb" draws from the sad story of the accidental death of his father at an Airbnb location, noting that the service does not adequately engage with local laws, local regulations, and local circumstances.


• Bloomberg noted, also last November, that the Russian recession was encouraging many Moscovites to open their doors.


• Recently, Davey Alba of Wired noted Airbnb's push for diversity in its workforce.


• The Guardian has an interview with Airbnb cofounder Nathan Blecharczyk, looking at his life and the challenges for Airbnb ahead.