You’ve probably been there. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be searching for an article like this.
Like most community pages on Facebook, the Westlake Community Page is hot garbage.
5 years ago, it was fun and something new, but much like Facebook itself, it has run its course.
Here’s why.
Too Many Repetitive Recommendations
How many times can someone ask who the best plumber or landscaper is?
And most of the replies aren’t even recommendations. They are just listing off a friend they know that does plumbing or whatever it is you are looking for. It doesn’t really matter if they are any good at it or not.
The page is also loaded with self-promoters ready to spring into action any time they see someone asking for whatever their trade is otherwise you never see them.
Then you get people asking who the best gynecologist or urologist is.
Something tells me you can often get better answers from Google than you can from the community page. And I am no fan of Google.
Too Many Pompous Asses
You all know this one is true: someone who thinks they know everything and also fancies themselves a comedian.
The jokes were funny the first couple of times, but now they’re just tiresome. These folks dominate conversations, offering unsolicited advice and sarcastic comments that add little value. They seem to forget that a community page is meant for sharing useful information and fostering genuine connections, not for showing off or belittling others.
It can be frustrating to sift through their noise to find the helpful and supportive interactions that make these pages worthwhile.
That said, with some of the idiotic posts, it’s hard to resist.
The Set-Ups
Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. Someone posts, “Give me the best pizza place in Westlake,” and then all of a sudden, there are a disproportionate number of responses saying a pizza place that is mediocre at best is the greatest pizza place in history.
I understand that sales can get slow, and you may need a little boost but try to be less obvious. Maybe take a look at your pizza or whatever it is you are selling and ask yourself why sales are down before jumping into fake and obvious self promoting on the community page.
Also, I’m pretty sure your friends get tired of helping you promote your business time and again. Once I can see, but multiple times, it just makes you look bad.
Anonymous Commenters
Over the last couple of years more and more people on there are using the Anonymous feature for fear of retribution from all the thugs that comment on the Westlake Community Page.
90% of the time, it appears there is absolutely no reason to be commenting anonymously.
If you are really that terrified of commenting maybe you shouldn’t be on social media in the first place. And the fact that the mode let’s people get away with it is pretty annoying.
I distinctly remember an anonymous poster doing a hit job on a Westlake restaurant, saying they always get food poisoning. Luckily, commenters called out the obvious hit job, and the fact that they were hiding behind anonymity made it even more obvious.
The admin should crack down on the anonymous commentors, but instead, she has a hissy fit when people complain. Maybe she likes to use the anonymous feature herself, which is why she gets so mad.
It’s Still Better Than The Rocky River Community Page
As bad as the Westlake Community Facebook Page may seem it is still way better than the Rocky River Community Page.
Rocky River’s page is a complete disaster and is too irritating to even follow. I think I unfollowed it in about 1 day, and I grew up there; it was just too irritating.
It’s like the Westlake Page, but multiply all the bad things by 10, and you get the Rocky River page.
Just unbearable.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, the Westlake Community Page has devolved into a mess of repetitive recommendations, self-promotion, and unhelpful comments. What was once a vibrant community resource has become a platform for anonymous critiques and pompous contributors who add little value.
While there are still moments of genuine interaction and useful advice, they are increasingly rare. The anonymity feature has only worsened the situation, allowing for baseless accusations without accountability. If the page is to regain its former utility, it would need stricter moderation and a return to its original purpose: fostering a supportive and informative community.
Or maybe the whole Community Page thing has run its course, and it just won’t get better.