"Hey everyone, my neighbor is really bad at her job!"

Thank goodness for the Stapletonion, coming to the rescue once again to help us laugh at the utterly ridiculous Stapleton Moms Yahoo List.

Twice in the last week, the Stapleton Moms Yahoo Group - which is no relation to this site - has trashed a local business. Full disclosure: I do not have anything to do with the Yahoo Group: I do not run the group or moderate the group. I am simply a mom blogger.

It's happened before, it will happen again, but it's worth a reminder that these local business owners are our neighbors and our friends. They chose to locate their businesses in our neighborhood to make Stapleton a better place.

These are the people you see at the pools, at the local restaurants, dropping their kids off at school.

They have invested their savings, their time and their dedication to running their business - whether it's a karate studio, a dentist office or a realtor business. They are just as invested in this community as you are. They work really hard to earn our respect - and believe me, every business knows and fears the power of that Yahoo! list - not because the list is right, or accurate, but because the list makes it so easy to complain. It's like a swarm of stinging hornets.

The damage to someone's reputation that can be done by one thoughtless email is irreparable. 

Do you remember all the numerous times the list publicly complained about Perk'N Play, a great local coffee shop/play area for the kids? Many would argue that the list drove them out of business. 

Do you remember the time someone publicly accused Udi's of having a used condom on the floor of the bathroom in the middle of the day? Turns out it was a food service glove.

Do you remember the time someone asked if they should let their next door neighbor know that she suspected her husband of being gay? How about the time someone publicly trashed a Stapleton teenager who had babysat for their kids?

Since when did the public forum become a good place to take issue with your neighbors?

What happened to taking the civilized approach and picking up the phone and calling someone when you have a problem? Why is it acceptable to trash someone in public without trying to resolve the problem in private?

Since when does public shaming work to get things to go your way?

Luckily, these things get posted on the list under your name. You are not anonymous. This is not Yelp! Readers of the list know who the constant complainers are. We know when to take your "advice" and "reviews" with a huge grain of salt. We know who to ignore.

Next time you're ready to hit that send button with a scathing attack on someone's personal reputation, try a little bit of compassion. If you call a locally owned business and they tell you that they have a family emergency and will be out of the office, believe them. How many times have you been able to resolve an emergency in a 60 minute timeframe?

Next time you're ready to publish a personal attack on your neighbor, try a little restraint. A realtor is not the same as "cockroaches in a restaurant."

Next time you're tempted to criticize a local business in public, pick up the phone. If your complaint isn't legitimate enough to talk to the business owner, it's not relevant to the list.