Don't Use Instagram
Ashe Dryden 🙆🏼♀️🐈🐈⬛I am begging you, if you are a restaurant, you need to have a web presence other than Facebook and Instagram. I don't have those, and therefore can't see anything about your business!
Trey
Massimiliano@Ashedryden I suppose every business is listed on Google Maps these days.
@garak the address, but not a website. Hard when you need information about menus for restaurants, for instance
Chris Mackay 🇨🇦@Ashedryden @garak Also? Google Maps gets lumped in with Facebook in this case.
Soozcat@tantramar @Ashedryden @garak OpenStreetMap is very incomplete, but a non-corporate alternative put together by volunteers.
f*cking b*tch club@Ashedryden @garak but isn’t having the web address on google maps up to the restaurant?
I look at photos of menus that people post in their reviews on google maps
Vincarsi@Ashedryden @garak I usually scroll through the pictures on Google Maps. More often than not, someone has posted a photo of the menu. I also prefer staying off Meta properties and find it irritating that so many places use them exclusively. Like our local free mask org only has an Instagram and an email. I've only accessed them once when a friend linked me to a giveaway cause I literally can't follow them cause I never made an insta
MarkNW@garak @Ashedryden I wouldn't count on it. Admittedly not a business, but one of the 6 churches I was responsible for was removed from Google maps, despite being in existence for 250 years, because we couldn't prove to Google's satisfaction that we existed! Photos, website, electricity bill, bank statement not sufficient apparently
noplasticshower
Natalie@Ashedryden And post menu sheets on it! (You'd think it was obvious, but...)
Kat the Leopardess@Ashedryden I have been saying/thinking that for 15+ years . Sadly, we are all paying for that complacence in the current day
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺@Ashedryden I thought this was only a thing here in France. Drives me bonkers!
The Turtle@Ashedryden "DOWNLOAD OUR AAAAAAAAAAPPPP!!!"
Pomegranate_Stew@the_turtle @Ashedryden
“Will you be using our mobile app today?”
“Are you a rewards member?”
Just take my order. Please.
@pomegranate_stew @Ashedryden during the covid shutdowns, a lot of restaurants stuck QR codes on the tables in lieu of handing you an actual menu.
The ones that still do, I tell them, "I don't have a phone and I'm not downloading your app."
They miracyuuulously discover a current printed menu.
Miakoda 
@the_turtle @pomegranate_stew @Ashedryden "I'm here for a nice quiet meal, not to play with my phone. If you can't accommodate that, you're a pretty lousy meal serving place."
Mad Dog Ace Run@pomegranate_stew
No kidding.
No kidding.
@the_turtle @Ashedryden I so much love when people demand I install an app, I say I can't, and I get my favorite question...
"Is it iPhone or Android?"
"No."
This is my favorite Linux Mobile feature.
I still run a Blackberry, though admittedly an Android berry, not BBOS10.
Billy O'Neal@Ashedryden @catsalad and even someone who has them may not ever use them
Mre. Dartigen [maker mode]@malwareminigun @Ashedryden @catsalad Tbh , a lot that I've seen don't consistently maintain their FB/Insta/whatever pages either. Makes me think that they were probably set up by the one staffer who thought it would be easy and then predictably didn't really have time for it (or eventually left) and nobody else is doing it.
Which, yeah, a lot of cafes and restaurants don't really have the budget to pay someone for that either, but I'm sure there's ways to streamline things like updating the menu and opening hours (that are probably much easier for a website). There's plenty of free or very low cost Web hosts out there too, templates to make setting up the website as simple as typing in some details and having someone upload a couple of photos... (but if they're anything like the last place I worked for, the owner wants it all done and maintained for life for free, and that tends to not happen unless the owner does it themselves).
Jason Petersen (he)@Ashedryden @catsalad no need to beg, just never go there.
👩🦯The Blind Fraggle@jason @Ashedryden If we went by that rule though we'd almost never get to leave the house or try anything new.
ts 🚇@Ashedryden yeah Meta is nasty
@tsyum
Fakebook... Full of trolls...
Fakebook... Full of trolls...
@BluesHarp and I don't get on IG much, but like 3/4 of the content is *not* people that I follow. Just ads and "suggested" content - bleh
Gary 
@Ashedryden @cstross 100% this. Same also goes for any sort of event, but particularly (for me) music gigs.
The Great Llama 
@WiteWulf @Ashedryden @cstross
I got in an argument with a friend a while back about this. I was talking about a couple of bands and how they never update their website to reflect current tours. He responded that they update FB and IG. I got into why those weren't acceptable substitutes and only interacting with the public there was a copout that's bad for everyone. He took it as a personal attack and got defensive - I think because he primarily interacts with those and YouTube. 🤷🏼♂️
I got in an argument with a friend a while back about this. I was talking about a couple of bands and how they never update their website to reflect current tours. He responded that they update FB and IG. I got into why those weren't acceptable substitutes and only interacting with the public there was a copout that's bad for everyone. He took it as a personal attack and got defensive - I think because he primarily interacts with those and YouTube. 🤷🏼♂️
Fazal Majid@Ashedryden Funny, I was looking for restaurants for my wife's birthdays just a couple of hours ago and rejected one for that very reason.
derekheld@Ashedryden to add to that: please, please claim your business on various map platforms! You can add so much information and you don’t need a full blown website or web skills.
Isocat@Ashedryden I sometimes(!) give such businesses the benefit of a (1) try at phoning them. Otherwise, or if phoning doesn't work, I look elsewhere.
Kim Possible 
@Ashedryden right? It's crazy. And, IDK, at least give me an example of one of your menus. Include your address.
@Ashedryden ditto for businesses which sell only on Amazon. Not going to buy.
Dana das Grau 🧙🏻🧝♂️@Ashedryden I have neither of those too. Don’t want none either
Neil@Ashedryden I'd be happy if the Washington State Patrol would stop using X for Amber and Silver alerts
vaughnhannon@Ashedryden I can't boost this enough.
West Northants Greens@Ashedryden We trying to encourage the rest of the team to be using tools such as @FedicaHQ so that posts will show up correctly across our platforms rather than just a direct image link.
Nix is Ready for Spring@Ashedryden holy crap this! Same with contests. "Follow us on x and Y to enter!" Nope.
Juan Manuel Cabrera@Ashedryden this happens too often. Same for some other activities, this is very annoying
Alison Meeks@Ashedryden I have one 85% complete for a client. Hang up final content and the dispute about a live screen reader friendly menu which is in place vs replacing it with JPG's her pref. There will be a waiver protecting my ass if she insists on JPGs.
Ray Gulick, he/him/wtf 🇺🇦 ❌👑JPG menu is 90s crap...
@rgulick And against accessibility standards. I saw what happened in the Domino's case - I'm not interested in becoming another example of FAFO. @Ashedryden
Cegorach…and giving opening times and a rough approximation of your menu is a must too!
Add a phone number and you got yourself a CHEAP way for people to order take-away or book seats? (just imagine: not giving large corporations money for that!)
There's even paid services that set all that for you up AND let people book places online if you really need to.
AlDownunderSimilar thing with social sports clubs. Cannot communicate outside of fakebook anymore. Bloody infuriating!
Ben@Ashedryden This bothered me when I was looking for a DJ and a photographer for my wedding. Friends kept sending me recommendations with links to Instagram, but I didn't want to get an Instagram account just for this purpose. Fuck those walled gardens.
the elder sea@Ashedryden
I make sure to thank local businesses that maintain a website, especially if it has an updated calendar. Many of them even have a widget feed of their social media, which is useful since I don't need a login, but it's definitely not as good as an updated site.
I make sure to thank local businesses that maintain a website, especially if it has an updated calendar. Many of them even have a widget feed of their social media, which is useful since I don't need a login, but it's definitely not as good as an updated site.
Epic Null@Ashedryden AND HIGHLIGHT BUISNESS LOCATION AND HOURS. YOU KNOW. THE THINGS PEOPLE NEED TO PATRONIZE YOUR BUISNESS.
Koantig@Ashedryden And when you do, please make your menu available on a webpage and not just in PDF.
Vertimyst@koantig @Ashedryden Or worse, a picture of the menu. PDF at least is more legible and searchable.
Flipper 🐬🏳️🌈@Ashedryden Them: Follow us on Instagram!
Me: with what?
Me: with what?
mae 
@Ashedryden depending on their age, most people have one of them. We who have neither are in the minority so dont expect businesses to accomodate for you if its not going to be profitable for them.
John Kennedy@Ashedryden
I had to travel to Egypt for work and the only ways to contact the Egyptian embassy were Facebook and WhatsApp.
I had to travel to Egypt for work and the only ways to contact the Egyptian embassy were Facebook and WhatsApp.
leftofseatac@Ashedryden echo this for musicians/djs/venues listing show info only via instagram.
Joan of Contention 😷@Ashedryden Oh my god, THANK YOU for putting this so succinctly, this sends me bananas every time
Killa Koala@Ashedryden It's not just restaurants, so many businesses assume everyone is on FB and/or Instagram. It drives me nuts.
Make Websites Great Again.
Mike@Ashedryden Maybe mention the city, state and country you're in too, just a thought 🤔
StenPett / St Midium@Ashedryden I once went to a restaurant, sat down at a table, and was told to scan a qr code to get the menu.
It was a link to their Facebook page.
They didn't have any printed menus.
I left said restaurant, and never came back...