Site of the Day: Rotten Neighbor.com
I thought this was an amusing idea: A way to anonymously bitch about the jerk who lives down the block. No wonder NYC is the top listing -- imagine all of the Coop and Condo residents who hate each other! I'll play -- it sounds like good clean fun . . .
One of our idiot neighbors -- a mortgage broker no less! -- leaves their poor dog tied up in the front yard all day long. Rain, snow, freezing, Nor'Easter, it doesn't matter. Selfish to others, mean to the dog.
My first draft was pretty brutal takedown, and I was about halfway through the posting process -- when I realized that the end result of this was creating a searchable, permanent online record that would only serve to make it harder to sell my own house. I ended up toning it down ALOT, making it more about the dog, and less about what bad neighbors they are.
Gee, that's a slight flaw in their business model . . .
via boingboing
Saturday, February 23, 2008 | 07:33 AM | Permalink
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Good idea to tone it down...makes me think a much better site would be "Great Neighbor.com". I nominate myself. Yesterday, without being asked, I shoveled snow for my neighbor who has a heart condition and now my back is stiff.
Posted by: Steve Barry | Feb 23, 2008 7:47:48 AM
You know Barry, I don't like that site. I'm kind of surprised you would feature it. We need more pent up hostility in this world like we need more crack, orphans, or Charlie Gasparino rumors.
It just amazes me how angry we have all become. Kudos to Steve for being a real neighbor.
Posted by: American ZIRP | Feb 23, 2008 8:30:50 AM
If they really treat the dog that bad, you should call the ASPCA. Or send me their address and I'll do it.
Posted by: Lenkei | Feb 23, 2008 8:44:37 AM
I featured it because it was an interesting concept -- a Zagats for neighborhoods -- but poorly executed.
You are right in suggesting its too mean -- if they are smart, they should have a parallel entrance Good Neighbor.com
Posted by: Barry Ritholtz | Feb 23, 2008 8:47:22 AM
We've got a pathetic system here in the UK. If you ever have an argument with your neighbour it's a legal requirement to disclose the details to any subsequent purchaser of your property.
This law, like much of todays legislation had an unintended consequence. It was meant to protect buyers inadvertently moving next door to "neighbours from hell", but in prctice it has become a charter to give free reign to bad neighbour behaviour. Good neighbours must accept whatever their neighbours do now, one cross word and they may not be able to sell their house.
Posted by: John East | Feb 23, 2008 9:04:44 AM
From a quick glance at the site, it's worth noting that there's also an option to leave feedback on your good neighbors, too.
Of course, as negative as people are these days (and I'll readily admit I can be guilty of that too), the negative feedback far outweighs the positive feedback...
Posted by: David Edmiston | Feb 23, 2008 9:12:42 AM
Yea, your right about making your home lose its value. I found the site a couple of weeks ago and came way with the same idea.
Might be a better biz model for apartment complexes.
Posted by: Donald | Feb 23, 2008 9:20:01 AM
I'm just rather shocked that you thought they had a business model.
Posted by: Damian | Feb 23, 2008 9:23:01 AM
I predict an L&O episode in the near future revolving around a NY co-op owner who posts a complaint about a rowdy neighbor on RottenNeighbor.com. The complainant ends up dead, with the rowdy neighbor being the initial prime suspect. Complications ensue.
Posted by: bluestatedon | Feb 23, 2008 9:26:01 AM
A sad commentary but I dare say most people who live in the 'burbs' don't even know their neighbors.
Good for the Steve Barrys of the world.
Posted by: Ross | Feb 23, 2008 9:55:51 AM
It's a flaw in something, anyway...
Posted by: Soullite | Feb 23, 2008 9:58:20 AM
How long will this site survive? A great site for renters but in middle-upper class neighborhoods only a fool would post and hurt property values. Great timing for a site like this one - not!
Posted by: Bud | Feb 23, 2008 10:18:22 AM
I've got a barking dog next door, and I'm putting pre-filled complaint forms for our local Animal Control agency in a brochure envelope on the sidewalk outside the house.
I will keep it stocked until the barking stops or they move.
Posted by: Bob A | Feb 23, 2008 10:29:30 AM
I suggest that the site is a reflection of everything else in our society these days
we hate the economy
we hate our jobs
we hate our politicians
we hate our "sports heroes"
we hate ourselves
we hate our country
Those are the typical subjects , and then the ensuing commentary , that I see on blogs these days
It's a reflection on the decline of our society and how we express ourselves .
It's refreshing to hear a good story every now and then , but then people go back to bitching and moaning again ... it's so much easier to be mad and disillusioned about our surroundings than to be happy
Maybe we should appreciate the good in our lives .... it's how I live my life
Posted by: JJ | Feb 23, 2008 10:44:45 AM
when I realized that the end result of this was creating a searchable, permanent online record that would only serve to make it harder to sell my own house.
Every letter you type onto a webpage creates a permanent searchable online record. At this point in the game are you really still that naive?
Posted by: yoshi | Feb 23, 2008 10:56:57 AM
It's too easy to post something on the site like, "I think my idiot neighbor is running prostitution out of his garage," or "I think he's been to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan."
Then the geniuses at Homeland Security will get ahold of it, and it becomes somethin' else entirely. I say avoid such sites like the plague, only bad can come of them.
Posted by: Graffiti Grammarian | Feb 23, 2008 11:11:32 AM
Sorry to hear about your dog problem.
I used to like dogs. Now, all I see are barking sacks of crap. I've had to train most of my neighbors to take better care of their animals. I used the son of a bitch method. I'm not popular, at least in the preferred way of being popular. But it is a lot quieter. To them, I'm probably the neighbor from Hell because I don't let them ignore their animals. Screw 'em.
Posted by: cinefoz | Feb 23, 2008 11:12:07 AM
Oh, what the internet hath wrought!!!!!!
Posted by: Chief Tomahawk | Feb 23, 2008 11:44:34 AM
I don't like sites like rottenneighbor.com. They are more about given a megaphone to someone with a beef about their neighbor than anything. They are not objective or fair, and they do not even have the benefit of many reviewers to get a sense of consensus or offer countering views. (So the comparison to Zagat is inaccurate.) Imagine if your neighbor who is annoyed at you about something trivial posts a flaming review of you, that exaggerates every possible offence you may have made. How is this a good thing?
Posted by: Mmm Donuts | Feb 23, 2008 12:05:47 PM
Mmm Donuts - Your innocence is sickening. Americans are generally becoming pigs; fat and whinny victims that want the Dems to rescue them. Don't believe me? As you drive to a mall, check the trash/litter on the side of the road, then sit at the mall and look at all the fat, poorly dressed slobs that live in houses they can't afford, have massive credit card debt and really just don't give a s**t about you or this Country. All they want is the government to take car of them. This is not the 1950's or even the 1970's. People are much different - and attitudes toward civility and the role of government is too..
Posted by: triestobegood | Feb 23, 2008 12:50:07 PM
Yoshi, pretty funny, acusing Barry of being naive about the Internet. I'm assuming you were being sarcastic. Otherwise, a simple case of ignorance.
Posted by: wnsrfr | Feb 23, 2008 4:08:49 PM
triestobegood - Your innocence is sickening. Corporations are generally becoming pigs; fat and whinny victims that want the GOP to rescue them. Don't believe me? As you surf the news, check the trash/PR spin filling the screen, then pause and look at all the slim, slickly dressed smooth operators that live in houses that no one else can afford, have massive credit lines while forcing others to be saddled with fees and debt, showing they really just don't give a s**t about you or this Country. Oh! They will drape themselves in the flag AND the Cross in public, but all they want is pay (bribe) the politicos, so they can use the government to take care of them. This is not the 1950's or even the 1970's. People are much different - and attitudes toward civility and the role of government is too..
(Read "Free Lunch" Perfectly Legal" and "Gotcha Capitalism". After that, if you still believe what you believe now, there is no hope.)
Posted by: Francois | Feb 23, 2008 4:11:02 PM
There is a disconnect between man and nature when people get freaked out about an animal being outside in normal weather. I consider cold & wet to be normal. I consider a human monkey to be an animal. I spent almost my entire youth outside in the elements and our dogs (cats, chickens, etc...) spent 100% of their lives outside surrounded by all of gods creatures.
A better bitch would be how white America doesn't give a rats ass about black (intercity) America. Don't believe me. Here in Ohio we have Ohio State. They make $10,000 per hour, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week tax free. They monetize predominantly poor black kids that can throw a football to the tune of 100 million per year. What goes back to those black communities. Nothing. Talk about a bad neighbor.
But who gives a shit about that.
Posted by: Steve | Feb 23, 2008 11:29:27 PM
Black athletes and entertainers are doing well without Steve's advocacy, I'm sure.
May we stay, forever young. That is all there is I think. I have really wonderful neighbors. Maybe I should tell them.. yea, I better say that.
I hope we all heard the English man loud and clear. They are deep, deep, deep into Orwellian space. America does not wnat to go there, please dear higher power.
Posted by: blam | Feb 24, 2008 3:08:08 AM
There's another possibility for this site. You could use it to drive down property prices in your INTENDED neighborhood! I've decided that the Norman Rockwell types surrounding that Tudor-style four-bed I have my eye on are running a satanist coven. But I'm sure my benign influence will reform them once I move in.
Posted by: Pete Nichol | Feb 24, 2008 6:34:07 AM
Evil but brilliant!
You are Wall Street material!
Posted by: Barry Ritholtz | Feb 24, 2008 7:02:40 AM
Please call the SPCA about the dog. I'm assuming you live in a nice neighborhood, the SPCA might actually make themselves useful and do something. You might contact a local vet who will give you the numbers of local rescue groups who might also help take action.
Posted by: steve | Feb 24, 2008 10:17:43 AM
Jezus Barry, if he's abusing his dog like you describe, then call the ASPCA on that MF.
Posted by: Ghawier Downing | Feb 24, 2008 10:27:27 AM
I wrote about the issues with this site regarding selling your home a few weeks ago...
http://www.amybergquist.com/blog/2008/02/11/love-thy-neighboror-not/
Posted by: AmyBergquist | Feb 24, 2008 11:13:44 AM
Why does any and every public forum need to have the race issue tossed into it(ahem, Francois...)?
Posted by: realist | Feb 25, 2008 5:48:00 PM
