Why NextDoor.com Permanently Banned Me

(I Threatened a Predator)

I don’t use any social media for anything outside of entertainment; Instagram is my go-to for my anon accounts that never have my name tied to them, nor do I ever post anything to them.

I just follow either entertainment accounts, or alt politics/news accounts to keep up with current events.

NextDoor sounded like a great concept; similar to Facebook, but specifically catering to neighbors and local community.

What could possibly go wrong.

The platform, like most now, puts people through an identification process. If you’re into privacy enough and it matters to you, one can always find ways around this so that one can still participate on the platforms without giving away too much information.

So I did just that.

This would be my chosen platform where I can perhaps form local friendships and bonds, and look out for each other in an era where safety and security are becoming more and more an issue.

(I could thank specific responsible parties-pun for this, but I’ll resist the temptation).

Welp, I was disappointed pretty darn quickly. Almost immediately.

Although the platform now deletes posts routinely that get out of hand, I was surprised at how often they got out of hand, and how often people not only in proximity of each other, but also with their names and basic locations revealed, would readily go far beyond civil debates, and engage in nasty ad hominem attacks and worse.

Then I learned the hard way how irresponsible people are with pets and animals. That’s a whole other topic, but it clarified for me how little I wanted to do with this platform.

NextDoor decided the same about me. They wanted so little to do with me, they booted me off, and did so permanently.

Why?

Because I threatened a predator with possible physical violence.

I thought it was entirely justified. You decide:

One early summer a man described as in his 30’s was going around neighborhoods…right in the vicinity of where I live…talking to young pre-teen boys who were alone. He’d drive up to them while they were on their bikes or walking, and engage them.

More than one boy reported it to his parents, which then resulted in the events being posted on NextDoor.

Turns out it happened to another young boy as well, and the descriptions of the vehicles were matching.

So something was happening, and considering the details, the probability that something bad was afoot was pretty darn high.

Word was put out on the platform, and the best thing that could’ve happened, happened: large numbers of locals became aware of the situation, and, it never happened again.

But when the first posts about it were made, you can be sure a lot of people had a lot to say about it. None of it good, and most of it aimed at whomever the mystery creeping stranger was.

This was one of those times when I felt absolutely obligated to give my input, to share my stance on it.

I speak my mind very readily. I’m well-researched, very open minded and can see multiple sides of a debate, and therefore have strong opinions about what is and is not correct.

That can, has, and will always create the opportunity for me to get in trouble, to be “canceled,” or to be called an A-hole (it happens on the regular these days).

I simply stated what countless other people would’ve stated, and what countless others readily agreed with:

…That our mystery man with an interest in young boys “needed to be introduced to the business end of my pump shotgun.”

Nothing more than that.

But was apparently enough to get me a permanent ban on NextDoor.

Which then made me question NextDoor. I mean…do they NOT feel that a predator needs to be “taken care of” in a manner that would resolve the issue with a high degree of equally permanent success?

Hmph