Indylist FAQ
Is Indylist anti-corporate?
No. We’re pro-local, not anti-corporate. While we generally think that large corporations are very consumer-unfriendly, this site’s purpose is not to gripe about it. Indylist is designed to help users find places that will make them happy, and we think that the chance of this happening is higher at local businesses.
Besides, there plenty of sites that will list every Starbucks in town, but none that will show you all of the local coffee shops. Indylist fills this gap.
Why is big business bad for consumers?
Think of the anti-consumer or anti-community practices invented by big business:
- Contracts with early termination fees for services that were once month-by-month (cell phones, high speed internet access)
- DRM on music and movies, making it harder to use content that was legally purchased
- Confusing websites and huge multiple-choice phone systems that make it nearly impossible to speak to a human about a problem
- Anti-union actions / sweatshop labor / outsourcing
It would appear large companies have decided to increasingly employ practices that can objectively identified as not being in a consumer’s best interests. The cost of doing business with such companies, while potentially smaller upfront, carries with it a larger expense over time to both the individual and the surrounding community.
Please keep in mind that a business being small and local doesn’t automatically make it customer friendly. It takes a lot of effort to offer great customer service, and the goal of Indylist is to help customers find the places that offer the very best customer service.
Why do you only support Chicago?
Because we live here, and it seemed like a good place to start. Focussing on one locality allows us to offer the best possible site- we wouldn’t be able to have public transportation maps for every city in the country or world. At least not yet.
As site traffic goes up and we receive user feedback, we will be planning out how to support a broader area.