I’m not crazy about the use of the word “hire” in that summary. I’d like to have a chat with that AI! In all seriousness, I’d get in touch with the company and let them know that the summary is misleading language. Then again it’s possible the homeowner did use that language. But certainly the system doing the summary, or a human who reads the summaries as a back up could change the language to make it more exchange friendly, eg: “hopes to invite the sitter back in the future”
Wow. That’s interesting. I think I might be running this by an intellectual property rights lawyer at the next family gathering. Truly terrifying if I’m understanding this correctly and I’m having trouble believing that this wouldn’t conflict with other laws.
So it is my info when I direct THS to delete it but it is theirs when I want to share with another company?
Love to hear what your IP lawyer says.
Not sure you can have it deleted in the US. Isn’t that an EU thingy?
I do not see any geography-based considerations.
Interesting. In other words, one can only become a THS member by assigning to THS intellectual property rights in user-generated FRR content.
Even Meta does not claim ownership or intellectual property rights. By agreeing to Meta’s Terms of Service, users “merely” grant Meta a license to use, distribute, display, and monetize (and some more) their content, while still retaining the ownership rights, intellectual property rights, right to license or sell that content to whomever they please. In case of (for example) reviews written by a third party, it is the third party who owns all intellectual property rights.
Not all user-generated content. Just the FRR stuff.
The work around to me would be relatively simple. Sitters need to copy the actual reviews. The AI summary is probably good enough for the purpose, but sitters can and should share links to their THS profile and reviews when the apply. Since anyone can see the link, homeowners could take a look.
And at this point it’s all about the workarounds and ultimately deciding at what point you just delete your account. My own take is no longer sharing the code, not planning to ever give the complany another dime. Not going to pay anyone else’s fee. No problem with off-site for repeat sitters if they’ve left the platform. No longer recommending to friends and family. I can still get value out of the site as an occassional sitter and host.
Also certain that the day TPTB decide this forum is too critical in tone, they’ll shut it down and replace it with nothing or a much more limited “help” forum as opposed to a community.
I just took a look at those summaries, and they are pretty poor. They do not say very much and are beyond impersonal. The instructions given to the AI need significant improvement.
The good news is that they can be edited, but only during the transfer. The drawback is that they are quite short, 500 characters, leaving little room for a detailed description. After all, they are only summaries.
It’s true @Twitcher I just read the update from Global Pet Sitters about the legal challenge. They don’t say it’s THS but who else could it be? Here’s the screen shot.
Screenshot it before it disappears. They must be worried.
Great communication from GPS, makes me want to support them.
I presume THS legal expenses were covered by our booking fees? 
Don’t forget the marketing budget!
Thankyou! I’ve been wanting to say something similar.
pretty much all sites own what you upload – it is in the terms of agreements and why i deleted all social media.
You can screenshot anything but how would you use it? I presume you’re suggesting a screenshot of reviews written about you by another THS member. If so, you’re screenshotting verbiage you did not write and therefore have no claim on. If you post it on GPS or your own personal blog, you’re in a copyright gray area even without THS’s aggressive enforcement of their dubious ownership claim.
THS was worried about FRR content back when they inserted T&C 12.3 which, I suspect, wasn’t recent. That makes total business sense. If you look at THS’s tangible assets, their software and the FRR Content is about it. Lose control of either jeopardizes the business. GPS importing THS FRR is a definite threat.
What I meant was screenshot the above communication from GPS. Surprised it is still on here.
Controversial posts/copies of correspondence have been removed before and the following comments no longer make sense. If it is removed and anyone else wants to know what it said I have a copy for reference. Hope that is a bit clearer.
Thank you for posting this. I’ve been a host on THS for a decade and have been thrilled by the chance I’ve had to meet so many wonderful people. I have always been a supporter of THS (as I am sure most of us have been) but there have just been too many issues recently that convinced me that I am more than uncomfortable with the direction in which the investors are taking the site. It’s almost as though Mary Shelley has written the plot. I have some great (repeat) sitters and a couple of (for me) newer ones lined up until the end of the year. But after that, it’ll be “Goodbye, farewell and good luck” to THS. The site needs good sitters and hosts and it’s royally ruined the relationship with this host. But hey, the investors probably couldn’t give a hoot
After 10 years with THS I’m no longer supporting or recommending them. Globalpetsitter is a great new site and I suggest you take a look and sign up. Quite a few of us are migrating there and THS clearly don’t like it. Please go take a look.