alexandec

I had an experience where an Airbnb host canceled on me at the last minute because they "forgot" they had double-booked the apartment on a competing service. I was unable to leave a bad review because I had not stayed in the apartment. I contacted Airbnb and they confirmed that this is their policy. They claimed an automated message would appear on the listing indicating the host's cancellation -- but it never did.

I've had bad experiences with multiple Airbnbs including:

  - showing up at night with the key not in the agreed location, and not being able to contact the owner until the next day
  - showing up and someone else was already in the unit
  - a webcam was plugged in and placed on the bedside table with no warning
  - conditions in the unit were significantly worse than those shown in the photos

All these listings had great reviews. Airbnb needs to make some real changes or they will lose further trust among customers.

My philosophy degree has been extremely helpful throughout my software engineering career, for many of the same reasons. Clear, concise writing is crucial in code reviews, documentation, product requirements documents, and all sorts of ad hoc communication (Slack, emails, wiki comments, Jira cards, etc). This is doubly true for remote work.

Just like writing code, written communication is a difficult skill requiring lots of practice and feedback. A liberal arts degree provides that in spades!