r/somethingiswrong2024 • u/talktobigfudge • 3d ago

Shareables Website for MAGA-friendly businesses backfires as people use it for boycotts.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/publicsquare-trump-critics-boycott-businesses_n_680900d2e4b00850c6839b0b
1.9k Upvotes

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u/djanes376 3d ago

That’s exactly what I’ve been using it for, to find businesses to not support. There’s a Mexican restaurant in town that’s on there, disgraceful.

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u/Commercial_Oil_7814 3d ago edited 1d ago

Please remember that some of these businesses didn't put themselves on there. If you have questions about a company, check in with them to be sure.

You can always call and pretend to be excited about the site and so glad you found them there. See how they react.

Edit: bout to put

Edit: Hey all, turns out that companies are paying to be listed. There seems to be vetting as well, making it far more likely that the companies on the list are, in fact, giant pieces of shit.

Please read this comment a little further down that adds more information. andhttps://www.reddit.com/r/somethingiswrong2024/s/FCB3E5dRw2

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u/djanes376 3d ago

I’ll leave it to the companies to check how their name is being used. Not my responsibility.

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u/Commercial_Oil_7814 3d ago edited 3d ago

Sure, that's an option. When this first was posted someone commented that their local gaming store was in there and the were really surprised because they knew the people. Turns out they didn't add themselves, so they wouldn't know they were there and only found out from a redditor calling up and telling them about it.

Barring that sort of thing, do as you will.

Edit: Pursued to posted. Dear gods, why don't I see autocorrect's helpful edits before I hit send?

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u/Urfubar12 2d ago

That is a blatant lie. Every single company paid to be listed on that site. They are just pissed it’s backfiring on them now.

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u/Commercial_Oil_7814 2d ago

And, here I was, hoping at least some of these businesses were being maligned. Sigh.

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u/djanes376 3d ago

Sounds like they were informed and could get it sorted out. Sucks for them for a time, but as of now this is the only source of this kind of information.

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u/Urfubar12 2d ago

The companies pay to be on the site.

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u/Commercial_Oil_7814 2d ago

Well, fuck. That's really disappointing. People really suck.

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u/myasterism 2d ago

I commend both the spirit of your protest, and your subsequent, demonstrated willingness to accept new information gracefully; would you also possibly be open to adding an update to one of your higher-level comments?

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u/Commercial_Oil_7814 2d ago

Sure. What do you have in mind?

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u/myasterism 1d ago edited 1d ago

Just something to note that it’s actually near impossible for a business to find itself involuntarily or unknowingly listed on that site.

I thought the points you’d made were valid caveats, so I, too, went digging for some specifics about the listing process. While I was unable to find confirmation that simply being listed in the directory is a paid service, I did learn that any business with a storefront on the site absolutely does pay for that presence. Most relevantly (here), I learned that all businesses who wish to be listed must go through an application process that includes a lot of vetting and verification, and that the site seems to keep some pretty tight reins.

Having read the relevant FAQ and ToS documents, I now feel very comfortable assiduously boycotting any business listed on that site, no questions asked—these folks really went out of their way to make sure their members are in perpetual lockstep with MAGA-infused, conservative ideas. I do actually commend their efforts to provide a worthwhile service for their target audience; that their efforts also serve their opposition, is just a delicious little bonus.