BeWelcome FAQs - Check-up and Update

This page is written in the context of BeWelcome.

This page sould be edited only by volunteers involved in the Support group or of the "FAQ update" task force.

It is important to regularly check and update our FAQs for BeWelcome users. Please use this site to

• indicate that you have checked a particular section of the FAQs (by going to edit and inserting 4 ~ , which will display your username and the date)
• mark an outdated FAQ by inserting OUTDATED
• mark wrong links by inserting WRONG LINK and preferably try to find out the correct link and also insert it
• suggest better wording by inserting SUGGESTED WORDING and the text you suggest
• Suggest new FAQs by inserting NEW
• Ask for help by inserting HELP NEEDED

In order to get your proposals in green please add :

<div style="color:#009000"> 
 Your proposal in green 
 </div>

none

Using the Site: Profile

1. How can I change my password?

To change your password click here: change password

Fine for me Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

2. How can I change my profile?

If you want to change your profile, just use the edit my profile link. You can change every entry there and decide what you want to hide or set visible.

Fine for me (I removed the outdated part, to avoid confusion from now on)Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

3. How can I change my email address or physical address?

If you want to change your email or your street address, go to the contact information link section in edit my profile. You will be able to enter your email address there. Click on Submit and it's done. This email is the one we use to send you messages and notifications, so please make sure that your mail provider and also your email safety settings accept emails from BeWelcome.

To change your location, from the same page click on update my location (in front of your address). Then, just enter the new address and click submit. The change will be done automatically. However, for safety reasons, our volunteers will check if the address you provided is a valid one. Providing us your real address is mandatory, you can always hide it from members.

Fine for me Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

Done. I reformulated a bit. --Sitarane 11:45, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

4. How can I hide/unhide my name or physical address?

Just use the edit my profile link. You can change every entry there and decide what you want to hide or set visible.
Don't forget to click on Submit at the end of the page. If the changes are not visible straight away, you should use the 'refresh button' of your browser.

Fine for me Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

5. How can I change my user name?

While it is not a common procedure to change usernames, we do allow it for the moment, if you have very good reasons for it. Please contact us and we will try to find a solution.

Fine for me Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

6. How can I upload, change or delete my profile picture?

You can upload, change or delete the picture of your profile using the edit my profile link. Although your profile itself contains only one picture, you can upload as many pictures as you want on the Gallery (that will be displayed on your profile) and get comments from the other members.

Done. @bikepunk: ATTENTION! In english the question mark is put after the text without a space. Example: "What the fuck?" I say that because you got english translating rights. --Sitarane 11:51, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

I think adding a link would be nice (this FAQ has to be written Bikepunk 06:25, 25 November 2009 (UTC):
see also : Using the site : Cool tools / Gallery

7.What is the purpose of comments, and how do I submit a comment about another member?

The purpose of the Comment System is to improve the security of BeWelcome. By sharing one's hospitality experiences, it will be easier for members to see whether or not they can trust a certain member. In order to make this system effective and trustworthy, please provide accurate and reliable information.To post a comment, go to the profile of the member you’ve met. On the left side of the profile page under "Action" you find a link entitled "Add Comment".Thanks for using this feature and making our project even safer!

OUTDATED: We don't have the "Action" headline in the profile anymore. Globetrotter tt 21:06, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

My proposal for the end. Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC) :

In order to make this system effective and trustworthy, please provide accurate and reliable information, about people you met in real life only.To post a comment, go to the profile of the member you’ve met. On the left side of the profile page under "Send message" you find a link entitled "Add Comment".Thanks for using this feature and making our project even safer!

8.Can comments be edited?

In the future it will be possible to edit or up-date positive and neutral comments. This is important, if for example you met somebody at a party first, but are their guest a couple of months later. We do, however, keep the history of comments, so older versions of the comments can still be checked. We have decided to make negative comments unchangeable so they are very authentic and people trust in them. This is a matter of security in order to prevent recipients of negative comments to put pressure on the sender to get this comment changed. If you have some good reason for a negative comment to be changed or deleted you can contact us and we will forward your request to the volunteers in charge of comments!

CHECK: if negative comments are really unchangeable -Globetrotter tt 21:06, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

Done. I left you a negative and changed it right away to a positive. Baaad! Let's keep the FAQ and have the comment issue fixed. --Sitarane 14:39, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

Rephrase suggestion:

Only positive and neutral comments. If you visit the profile of a member to whom you have given a reference in the past, you will see a "edit comment" link on the left pane. This is important if, for example, you met somebody at a party first, but are their guest a couple of months later. We do, however, keep the history of comments, so older versions of the comments can still be checked. We have decided to make negative comments unchangeable so to keep their authenticity and avoid blackmail. If you have some good reason for a negative comment to be changed or deleted you can contact us and we will forward your request to the volunteers in charge of comments!

9.Can I write a comment on myself?

No, it is not possible to post a comment on your own profile. We plan to have a 'reply' function for comments where you can reply to a negative comment you have received and consider unfair. The comment volunteers cannot always find out who is right of course, so having both point of views on your profile (the comment you received from a member and your answer to it) is really the best and most fair solution.

10. What is a group?

Groups are described there.

Link added --Sitarane 15:03, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

11. I would like to promote BeWelcome by adding a link to the signature of my email. How do I do that?

How to add a signature to your emails will vary depending on your email provider. Usually, there is a link for mail Options or Preferences where a signature can be created. Also, once the signature is created, some email providers require you to add the signature to the end of each email yourself, while others will add it automatically. You will have to check out how your particular email provider does this. * If you use MS Outlook, go to "tools" > "options" > signature and then add a signature, and select for which emails it will be automatically included, or if you want to add it manually in each email, hitting the "signature" button * If you use Thunderbird, first you have to create a .txt file (with notepad e.g.) that contains the text of your signature. Then go to "tools" > "account settings", and for the account you choose tick the "join a signature" box, and select the address of the txt file you created.

What? Do we need a FAQ for that? How about a "I want to put a BeWelcome bumper sticker"? --Sitarane 15:01, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

I agree to remove this FAQ. Bikepunk 06:16, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

12. How can I change or delete my profile picture(s)?

I think this question should be replied above (question 6) I rewrote the question to make 2 in one. Bikepunk 01:38, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

Done Bikepunk 06:41, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

13. How to add a special relation in your profile ?

Text missing - Globetrotter tt 21:36, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

14. I have seen that several people have a profile in different languages. How does this work?

Every member can make several version of their profile in over 25 languages. To do so, go to your profile ; on the top right of the page, there is a "Profile Translations" section. Click "Add language" and chose the language you want to translate your profile to.
Then you're getting on the Edit My Profile page, filled with informations in your first language. Just translate all the fields needed and click "Submit form" at the bottom of the page.
From now on, you can use Edit My Profile in different languages (change it in the top right section).

Done --Sitarane 15:09, 19 November 2009 (UTC)

Corrected. Note that the Add Language button in the profile summary box does not work ! Bikepunk 06:44, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

15. Can I ask help to translate my profile?

When you want to travel in a new area, if you are to request for host it could be a very good idea to have a good profile well translated in the local language.We have an experimental feature wich allow you to allow someone you trust edit your profile in a Language he speaks and which you choose.To do so, click on "my translators" enter the username of the member you wich to give access to a version of your profile and the language in wich he will edit it. Then, when this member will surf your profile and select (by clicking a Flag at the bottom of the page) the corresponding language he will be able to click one edit this profile link and to create a version of your profile in the chosen language.However, because this allow someone to edit a version your profile, be very careful to give this right to people you really know.

It's not clear to me where i can find the link "my translators" -Globetrotter tt 21:36, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

I think this is the only link to this page on the whole website. This function is not so essential though. (I dont' really get the point with having your profile translated in a language you cannot speak :S )Bikepunk 02:16, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

the faq is incorrect english, needs to be rewritten! (claudiaab)

16. Who owns pictures that I uploaded to BeWelcome (e.g. profile picture or pictures in the Gallery)

The person who uploads one of his picture on BeWelcome will always be the only owner of that picture. So if you upload a picture you will always remain the owner and BeWelcome cannot use it let's say for promotion material or newspaper articles unless you explicitly allow us to (we might ask you). You do, however, give permission to BeWelcome to use and display your picture on the BeWelcome website.

For the future we should consider an "creative commons" option for photos. -Globetrotter tt 21:36, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

I agree with you, but since this feature does not exist, there is nothing to discuss in the FAQ.Bikepunk 02:17, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

Using the Site: Contact

1.How can I contact another member?

You can contact a member by clicking on the member's username, which will lead you to the profile of that member. From there, you will find a link called Send Message" on the left of the profile under "Action". Just click on it and write your message in the blank field provided. You can attach your profile picture, if you tick that box. To send the message to the respective member you have to agree to the Spam Checking Rules by ticking the box 'I agree' and then click on Submit. The member will receive your message in his BeWelcome mailbox but all messages will also be sent to his/her email address

OUTDATED: "Action" headline is there anymore. --Globetrotter tt 21:38, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

2.Can I display my email address in my profile?

By default, a member's email addresses is not displayed on their profile. If, however, you wish to have your email address visible for every member (if your profile is a public profile, your email will also be visible to non-members), please go to edit my profile and put your email address in your profile summary. Please note that this will increase your chances of getting spam!

An easy trick to prevent spam is to write your email adress as : nickname [at] mailservert [dot] whatever Bikepunk 02:23, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

3. What is spam?

You can find some information about our spam policy here We will soon provide you with a more detailed page giving examples of spam messages and borderline cases. Please also check out our Do's and Don't s for sending messages.

REWRITE: --Globetrotter tt 21:51, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

4. Can I contact members in languages other than English?

You can contact members in any language specified on the members profile which also indicates how well that person speaks the said language. If you write to them in a language they don't understand, they won't be able to answer you!

5. Do I have to provide my phone number? I don't like being contacted by phone at all.

You are not required to provide your phone number at all. If you don't want people to contact you by phone, you can either remove or hide your phone number in your profile. Other members can contact you using the secure message mechanism on the site and those messages will be sent through to your email address.

I would add that BeWelcome strongly not recommend to put phone number on the profile as most abuse cases happenend by phone contact --Globetrotter tt 21:51, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

+1Bikepunk 02:29, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

6. How can I find out whether messages sent to several members were considered spam?

You will always be notified if messages were considered spam.

7. How can I see all the messages I’ve sent through the BeWelcome site?

Please go to "My Messages" in the menu bar and then click on the "Messages Sent" tab.

8. How can I delete messages in my BeWelcome inbox?

On the message page, you will see the link 'delete' to the left of the message. Just click it and your message will be deleted. Please note that this won't delete the message of the member the message was exchanged with.

REWRITE --Globetrotter tt 21:51, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

9. Can I stop messages from going to my email account? For me it's enough to read them on the website itself.

Sorry, but this is not possible. We did not want to create yet another online community, the idea of BeWelcome is to bring people together in real life and we consider a working email account as one link to you in real life. We do not want to oblige people to regularly log in to BeWelcome, even though this would be nice :). Especially for people with limited Internet access it is much more convenient to get messages to their email accounts automatically and thus be informed about members coming to their area.

10. I'm looking for travel companions. Can you help me?

We have a special category for people looking for Travel Companions in our forum, just use this link . What makes BeWelcome special, however, is the system of Tagging that will be integrated more and more into the site. By combining several tags (for example Travel Companions - South America - May 2008) your post can be found easily by exactly the people that should read it. Of course you, too, are able to look for people planning to travel in the same area at the same time as you. We hope you will love this feature as much as we do :-).

Is it the last sentence needed ? Bikepunk 02:33, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

11. Are there older people using BeWelcome? How do I find them?

There are definitely older members in our project! While the majority of our members are certainly quite young, the number of older people will also grow quickly.

Missing How do I find them? Bikepunk 02:41, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

12. I have found a dead link / other problem on the site. What can I do?

Please contact us , tell us the problem and we will try to find a solution. It will help us a lot if you provide information such as the exact link that doesn't work. For bugs please tell us the browser you are working with (Internet Explorer or FireFox or others) and describe in detail what is wrong (if there is an error message, please copy that into the bug report). Thanks for helping us!

Shouldn't this Question stay in the "Using the Site: Bugs, Problems, Abuse " section ? Bikepunk 02:43, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

13. How can I find other members' email addresses?

By default, members' email addresses are not displayed on their profiles in order to protect them from getting spam.
You can always contact members through our integrated message system. Clicking on the member's username will take you to the profile of that member. Once there, you will find the link "Send Message" on the left of the profile underneath "Action". Just click on it and write your message in the blank field provided. Of course, you are always welcome to ask specific members to provide you their personal email addresses.
You might also want to check if the member you want to contact has an instant messenger username such as Skype, MSN, Yahoo or ICQ in the profile.

Here my proposal Bikepunk 02:46, 16 November 2009 (UTC) :

By default, members' email addresses are not displayed on their profiles in order to protect them from getting spam.

You can always contact members through the integrated message system. Clicking on the member's username will take you to the profile of that member. Once there, you will find the link "Send Message" on the left of the profile. Just click on it and write your message in the blank field provided. Of course, you are always welcome to ask specific members to provide you their personal email addresses.

You might also want to check if the member you want to contact has an instant messenger username such as Skype, MSN, Yahoo or ICQ in the profile.

looks fine, bikepunk! (claudiaab)

Using the Site: Accomodation

1. How long can I stay with my hosts? Will my host be able to accommodate more guests?

All of this only depends on the member hosting you. Some members specify in their profiles the maximum number of guests they can accommodate and the maximum time they can stay. You should speak to a member directly about anything not made clear in their profile. As common courtesy we ask you to respect the host's plans and restrictions and not to impose yourself on your host longer than they would like.

2.What is the usual duration of hospitality? Is there a minimum period of time hosts should be able to accommodate guests?

Hosting arrangements are up to guests and hosts to decide. Usually guests do not stay more than a few days with their hosts. As a host, it is important to communicate exactly how long you are willing to offer accommodation. You can specify this in your profile or treat each guest individually. Please note that nobody is obliged to offer anything, it is important that hosts feel comfortable with whatever arrangement they offer.

3. How do I find accommodation?

Very simple: you go to the search member page. You enter the name of a place in the text box (a country for example, or a city) and the website will give you all the profiles in that place. You can take some time to view a couple of profiles and you can write a message to the ones you like from their respective profiles.

Done --Sitarane

4. I need a last minute host (for today or tomorrow) what can I do?

At the moment you can only check, whether some members have included phone number or Instant Contacts in their profiles. If they have, you can contact them and ask them if they could host you on short notice or help you find another solution. Please understand if some members do not feel comfortable with hosting somebody on very short notice!

5. I need accommodation for a month or longer, can you help me?

As a member of BeWelcome, feel free to contact other members to make such requests. It is up to your potential host whether or not they feel one month is too long. You can also check their profiles to see how long they are willing to host other members.

6. Can you help me find a family to host my child for one year?

At the moment we do not offer this service at BeWelcome.

7. A member has contacted me and arranged a date for his stay with me. He never turned up, however, nor did he notify me of any changes in his plans.

We recommend you to contact this member again. As there are sometimes communication problems, allow a week or two for them to reply. If you still have not heard anything and you are sure that there was a definite date arranged at which this member was supposed to arrive, please post a (neutral) comment on the member's page since this is the kind of behaviour we do not tolerate in this hospitality exchange network. It is of course common courtesy to let your host know if you change plans and cannot stay with them. Members who do not show up should be aware that they inconvenience the host as well as other members who maybe were turned down in your favour. BeWelcome will not, however, get directly get involved because the comments system is perfect for exchanging this kind of information.

8.How can I contact another member?

You can contact a member by clicking on the member's username, which will lead you to the profile of that member. There you will find a link "Send message". Just click on it and write your message in the blank field provided and click on "Send". The member will receive your message in his BeWelcome mailbox but it will also be sent to his email address.

I updated and shortened it --Sitarane

Slightly corrected Bikepunk 07:04, 25 November 2009 (UTC)

Using the Site: Bugs, Problems, Abuse

Isn't it a need to extend this FAQ section (about the abuse I mean) ? Bikepunk 02:49, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

1.I found a profile that does not comply to the rules and the values of the site (e.g. there is a link to a pornographic website). Can you remove this?

Please send an abuse report to us ( feedback ) and tell us the username of that member. We will contact the concerned member, and tell him to change his profile (delete that link). Links to pornographic web sites are often entered by a malware program running on the infected person's computer. Whenever that person fills in a form on the Internet and there is a homepage field, this program enters the porn URL - so it's not necessarily an abuse from that member. We will, however, keep an eye on them.

2. How can I leave BeWelcome? How to delete my profile?

You can use the make a profile inactive or leave bewelcome
You can also send us feedback telling explaining that you would like to be removed from BeWelcome and why you want to leave. We will then remove your profile as quickly as possible.

I think this part should go to the section "Using the site: Profile" The link to http://www.bewelcome.org/login/bw/retire.php should be also in the profile settings. That's where i would expect it --Globetrotter tt 08:04, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

REWRITE: better only link to the 'delete profile page, also explain a bit the 'inactive' option (claudiaab?

3. I have found a dead link, a weird profile or another problem on the website. What should I do?

Please send a bug report to us.

"Weird profile" is already explained in part 1 --Globetrotter tt 08:04, 14 November 2009 (UTC)Insert non-formatted text here

BeWelcome organisation in general

The order of the FAQ has to be changed, I don't know how to do it Bikepunk 20:21, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

1: How can I help BeWelcome?

Being an active member is the first way to keep BeWelcome running. Keep it in mind.
Then, to help further, you have actually two possibilities :
* Get involved as a volunteer
* Donate to bear the expenses of the project.

2: How is BeWelcome organised?

A diagram would be more than welcome with : BoD, GA, Volunteers, members...Bikepunk 20:21, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

BeWelcome is a project completely run by volunteers.
The legal structure behind BeWelcome is BeVolunteer, a non-profit organisation.
* BeVolunteer concept
* Mission and objectives of BeWelcome
* Organisational values
* Statutes of BeVolunteer
Note that being a member of BeVolunteer is not required to volunteer for BeWelcome.
Long-term members of BeWelcome (over 6 months) who have been active volunteers on one of the teams are invited to apply for BeVolunteer membership.

I'm not shure the invitation for applying for BeVolunteer membership is necessary. I think it fits better in the "Do I need to become a member of BeVolunteer in order to volunteer for BeWelcome?"

why don't we write it here AND there? PEople normally don't read the faqs from a - z so it's fine to have it twice (or maybe rephrase it once) 84.195.161.74 22:03, 29 October 2009 (UTC) (Claudiaab)

I think this is a bit off-board, about a "detail" wich people concerned will be aware and won't need the FAQ to know that anyway... ("Long-term members of BeWelcome (over 6 months) who have been active volunteers on one of the teams") Bikepunk 23:34, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

3: How is this project financed?

Here everything is based on volunteer work.
Thanks to that we have very few expenses, such as server rent, domains, administrative fees, security certificates... Those need to be paid, however.
The project financially relies on the shop but above all on donations.

Please note that our volunteers (including the members of the Board of Directors always pay their expenses themselves, so no donation money is used for accommodation or travel costs for volunteer meetings or conferences.
If you have some good ideas about financing the project, you are welcome to post in the forum or contact us directly.

We believe in transparency. Our accounts are published once a year to be checked/agreed on by the general assembly of BeVolunteer. During the year the board of directors - and the treasurer as the responsible delegate - take care of financial matters and are also your contact persons for related questions.

More information about BeVolunteer finances and accounts in the wiki library.

4: Do I need to become a member of BeVolunteer in order to volunteer for BeWelcome?

No, as mentioned above, being a member of BeVolunteer is not required to volunteer for BeWelcome. Just get active !

Long-term members of BeWelcome (over 6 months) who have been active volunteers on one of the teams are invited to apply for BeVolunteer membership.

Being a BeVolunteer member allows you to take part in the General Assembly (GA) and to vote for the Board of Directors (BoD).

Using the Site: Cool Tools

1. How does the Forum work?

We are still working on making the Forum easier to use... 'The tool is acessible from the top menu : Explore > Forum You can easily post in 'categories' like Technical Help, travel companions, Travel Tips, Meetings or in the geographic categories. Apart from posting in the displayed categories you can label your post with different tags to help other members find your post. If you need information on Paris you should type 'Paris' in the field for keywords. Other users looking for information on 'Paris' can easily find your post and all the replies to it by searching for 'Paris'. See also: Howto Forum wiki page

2. What is the "Add a relation" tool?

With this tool you can describe a special relationship you have with a BW member.
To use the tool, go to the profile of the member you have a special relationship with and click 'Add a relation' on the left-hand side of the page. You will be taken to a window where you can specify your relationship (close friend, partner, family, flat mate) with this member and also add a short personal comment to describe that relationship.
Once the member confirms this relationship, a picture of this member is being displayed on your profile.
The purpose of this tool is not only to allow couples and families to display exactly how they are connected, but also to help other members understand a little bit more about who a specific member is and who they might meet on a visit.