Hater Network - The idea

Social networks like Twitter have created a world of constant public commentary, much of which is banal.  However, there have been campaigns born on Twitter that have lead to real change. For example, Bank of America a few years ago wanted to increase debit card fees; It didn’t end well thanks, in part, to Twitter. Large groups of people can have a real impact when they act with a single voice. However, Twitter is not a great platform to affect things on a small scale.

Hater network would be a centralized place to complain about the (fixable) things that bother you in your day-to-day life. For example, you get a coffee to-go from the local coffee shop, when you get home and try it you, realize that it’s marginally stronger than water. You find the business and explain (colorfully) about what went wrong and what they could do to fix it. When you go into a business that people have been hating on a lot recently, your phone would let you know that you may want to go somewhere else. You can also search for local businesses that people haven’t been hating on very much. If something really bothers you and it’s something you can fix on your own, you can start a hater petition. As other people hate on the same place, they can see the petition and sign on. As it grows, other people who are similar to those who have signed the petition will see it and get a chance to get onboard. The goal would be to get the business to make a change, such as a change to a company policy.

On the flip-side, hater network would be a source of honest feedback for businesses. This would allow them to spot problems as they arise instead of finding out about them after they snowball or make many customers angry.

So far, this social network doesn’t sound very social. I think the sharing/social model would be to see what people similar to you are complaining about or global trending in hatred. If someone is really colorful in how they hate, then you would ‘follow’ them a la Twitter.

Hater network could also be an opportunity for non-hated businesses to get new customers. If you say you are really fed up with Starbucks, you might be interested in another coffee shop nearby.

Hater network could also be great tool for civil engagement. If a traffic light is programmed poorly and is super annoying or there is a nasty pothole on your drive to work, you could hate on it. Also, if you are irritated that you don’t have any real choice with your cable provider, hater network could inform you about political organizations that are trying to get real competition in that space.