BeWelcome FAQs - Check-up and Update: Difference between revisions

[[Wiki.trustroots.org]] is an independent wiki with information for people who are actively exchanging hospitality.
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:Checked [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 02:08, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
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:Checked [[User:Sitatara|Sitatara]] 23:05, 4 January 2013 (CET)
:Checked [[User:Sitatara|Sitatara]] 23:05, 4 January 2013 (CET)
:Checked [[User:Globetrotter tt|Globetrotter tt]] ([[User talk:Globetrotter tt|talk]]) 20:37, 7 January 2013 (CET)
[[User:Claudiaab|Claudiaab]] ([[User talk:Claudiaab|talk]]) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET)should be modified since we do allow family profiles. Still, the problems should be made visible...
[[User:Claudiaab|Claudiaab]] ([[User talk:Claudiaab|talk]]) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET)should be modified since we do allow family profiles. Still, the problems should be made visible...



Revision as of 20:37, 7 January 2013

BeWelcome Logo.jpg
This page is written in the context of BeWelcome.

This page should be edited only by volunteers of the Support group or the "FAQ update" task force. at BeWelcome

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  • mark an outdated FAQ by inserting OUTDATED
  • 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 :

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


General Questions / Registration

Is membership free?

Yes the membership is free. The open source website is run by BeVolunter a non-profit organisation of volunteers who created BeWelcome to promote "friendship and better understanding across boundaries" and not for personal gain.

Sitatara 19:49, 2 January 2013 (CET): I would change the question to: "Is the membership free? However, this question is bascially identical to question 4 (Is joining free of charge? How can you provide a service like this without a membership fee?). Should we really keep both? I think it would be better to merge them (see suggestion there).

yes, these two sections need to be merged --Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:05, 7 January 2013 (CET)

I am a new member. How can I be sure that other members from BeWelcome are trustworthy?

Here are the features at your disposal to improve the safety on BeWelcome network.

  • the Friends network
  • the Comment system
  • the Verification system

Of course, your own judgment is the your best security. If you are nervous about hosting or meeting someone, just don't do it.

Checked Bikepunk 01:37, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
I agree with the new suggestions from sitatara. I am not sure about the warning message from BW on a member's profile. I have never seen this on a profile, nor I am aware of such a feature. --Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:18, 7 January 2013 (CET)


Sitatara 20:07, 2 January 2013 (CET):
The current wording is wrong. It claims that BeWelcome offers a friends network as a Safety feature and in fact there is no such a feature. The link goes to a wiki page which argues against such a feature. That's a little weird.
SUGGESTED WORDING of the question: How can I be sure that other members of BeWelcome are trustworthy? (Drop the first sentence; it's irrelevant if the member is new or not; anyone can have that question.)
SUGGESTED WORDING of the answer: Your saftey is very important for us. That is why BeWelcome offers several features to help you make informed decisions about who you think is trustworthy enough to be your host or guest:

  • A person’s profile is the most important place to get information about this person on BeWelcome. Essentially, it is a self-presentation and you should always keep this in mind. However, a profile can give you a first impression of that person, how he/she presents him-/herself and what are his/her interests, preferences and quirks.
  • A profile may also include comments from other members. If you do not want to rely on self-presentation only, these comments will tell you what experiences other members had with this person.
  • The section "Family and close relations" on the profile shows you who this person lives with or who are his/her best friends. This means that you will probably meet these people too if you are staying with this member. Check out their profiles as well to find out more about them too.
  • The profile will also inform you if a person has been verified, that is if his/her identity (and possibly also the address) has already been confirmed by other members. There are several levels of verification, you can read all about it in our wiki library: verification system.
  • In cases of serious complaints against a member we might put a warning on that member's profile (or depending on the situation, remove this member from BeWelcome completely) to make sure you are aware of any safety issues with this member.

Please always remember that your safety relies on your own jugdement and decisions and is your sole responsibility. If you are nervous about hosting or meeting someone, don't do it. Always use common sense in protecting yourself and your property.

BeWelcome is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions about hosting/staying with other members and to supporting you in critical situations. However, we cannot take any responsibity for your personal safety.


Can anybody become a member of BeWelcome?

Yes. Everybody who likes to travel, wants to share stories of their adventures, and would like to meet interesting people is invited to sign up for BeWelcome. This website is a significant resource for travel information and provides many tools that can help you to plan your next trip or document a previous journey. BeWelcome is also a great way to meet friendly and like-minded people from all over the world.
If during the sign-up process you are not accepted due to your age, please contact us and we will try to find a solution.

Checked Bikepunk 01:38, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Sitatara 21:39, 4 January 2013 (CET): I this up-to-date? Isn't there any age limit that we should communicate openly? What kind of a solution is there if someone is too young? Other than that, I would suggest to change the order of information in the answer a bit.
Claudiaab (talk) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET) : you have to be 18 to join BW. We should include this in the FAQs SUGGESTED WORDING: Yes. Everyone who likes to travel, wants to share stories of his/her adventures, and would like to meet interesting people is invited to sign up for BeWelcome. BeWelcome is a great way to meet friendly and like-minded people from all over the world. This website is also a significant resource for travel information and provides many tools that can help you to plan your next trip or document a previous journey.
If during the sign-up process you are not accepted due to your age, please contact us and we will try to find a solution.

no, we can't really provide a solution for people not yet 18. Claudiaab (talk) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET)

Is joining free of charge? How can you provide a service like this without a membership fee?

Joining BeWelcome is free of charge. However, we encourage you to dedicate some time, if you can, and contribute to the community through hosting, meeting other members or helping to run the site.

Although the website is completely run by volunteers, we do have some costs (servers etc.). We hope to cover those costs through donations. We also have an online shop where you can buy some souvenirs or presents for your hosts, family, friends ... BeWelcome is a non-profit project, so all generated income is only used to pay for the bills. See: How is this project financed?

Checked Bikepunk 01:45, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
Agreed with sitatara's suggestion --Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:21, 7 January 2013 (CET)

Sitatara 22:03, 4 January 2013 (CET): I would suggest to merge this with question 1 (since they are basically the same. The information about the online shop is outdated.
SUGGESTED WORDING: Yes, joining and being a member of BeWelcome is free of charge. The open source website is run by BeVolunter, a non-profit organisation of volunteers who created BeWelcome to promote "friendship and better understanding across boundaries". We encourage you to dedicate some time and contribute to the community through hosting, meeting other members or helping to run the site.
Although the website is non-profit and completely run by volunteers, we do have some costs (such as servers, domains, administrative fees, etc.) which we hope to cover through donations. For more information, please also read the FAQ about how the project is financed.

I am very interested in joining: can you tell me how this works?

BeWelcome is an hospitality exchange network. It's very simple: Everyone on the network has a profile. Members can look for other members' profiles in their travel destination, check out their profile and if they wish, send a message to that person. Most members in BeWelcome offer hospitality to travellers and/or can show you nice spots. If that sounds good to you, sign up, fill in the form and submit it. You will need to give your email address as well as your physical address. Though both are required to sign you up, your email address will be invisible to other members by default and your address and real name will be accessible only by registered members. Of course, they can also be hidden. We will immediately send an email to the email address you supplied and ask you to confirm your registration. You can browse the site straight away, but will not yet have access to other members' profiles nor will you be able to use some tools. That's because all new profiles must be approved by volunteers. This should only take a few hours (or a few days if volunteers are traveling themselves :) )

Checked Bikepunk 01:53, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
Agreed with sitatara's suggestion --Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:23, 7 January 2013 (CET)


Sitatara 22:48, 4 January 2013 (CET): I thought the question was about how the sign up process works but the answer is, at least partly, about what BeWelcome is about. So, I would definitely suggest to change the question. Parts of the answer are outdated.
SUGGESTED WORDING for the question: How does BeWelcome work? What is it all about and how can I join?
SUGGESTED WORDING for the answer: BeWelcome is a hospitality exchange network. The idea is very simple: Every member of the network has a profile. Members can search for other members at their travel destination, check out their profiles and send them a message. Most members of BeWelcome offer hospitality to travellers and/or can show them around. If that sounds good to you, just sign up, fill in the form and submit it.
You will need to enter a username, your real name, an e-mail address, your birth date and your physical location (only city and country, no detailed address). Although this information is required for signup, your e-mail address, real name and birth date will be invisible to other members by default. Only your username, age and location will be visible for other members (in your personal settings you can later choose to hide your age, too). After you submit the signup form we will immediately send you an e-mail to the e-mail address you provided and ask you to confirm your registration. Once you've clicked the confirmation link you can browse the site and use all its features straight away.

Is your service intended for families as well as individuals?

Yes, of course! We do ask people to sign up individually, since every profile is associated with one member, so the information about hobbies, interests, gender etc. does not get too confusing.

It means we don't have family accounts, but we encourage families to join and use BeWelcome. You can even show you are a family by adding a relation to your partner or children.

We also have a group you can join called Families where you can find other families using BeWelcome or members willing to host / meet families!

Checked Bikepunk 02:00, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Sitatara 23:00, 4 January 2013 (CET): SUGGESTED WORDING: Yes, of course! Families are very welcome to join and use BeWelcome. We ask people to sign up individually though, since every profile is associated with one member, so the information about hobbies, interests, gender etc. does not get too confusing. This means that we do not have family accounts but you can link all family members' profiles by adding each other as "family and close friends".
We also have a group for families where you can find other families using BeWelcome or members willing to host/meet families.

Claudiaab (talk) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET)this is outdated. We do allow family profiles, members should just be aware of the problems and think about how to distinguish interests, hobbies etc. of different family members.

Why are couples required to register separately?

First of all, it is difficult to keep profiles 'clean' if they refer to multiple persons. Secondly, groups often travel or host separately and therefore need individual profiles in order to clarify contact information and comments written about individuals.

We also have taken into account the experience of Servas, a hospitality website that has had many problems when couples split.

We therefore have decided to ask people to sign up for individual accounts if they both want to log into the site. You can show your relation with your partner or roommate. Thus your profile picture will be connected to your friend or partner's profile and vice versa. Still, you will have two independent accounts for practical purposes.

Checked Bikepunk 02:08, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
Checked Sitatara 23:05, 4 January 2013 (CET)
Checked Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:37, 7 January 2013 (CET)

Claudiaab (talk) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET)should be modified since we do allow family profiles. Still, the problems should be made visible...

I have a second address and I can also host there. How can I inform other members about this?

At the moment you can only be listed with one address. You could add your second address to your profile summary and thus inform people about it. Please be aware, however, that you cannot be found in the city's list of your second address. In the long run we hope to be able to provide a better solution than that.

Checked Bikepunk 02:11, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
Checked Sitatara 23:07, 4 January 2013 (CET)
Checked Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:30, 7 January 2013 (CET)

How can I get information about my potential hosts or guests? What is my protection against criminals coming to visit me?

Of course we cannot guarantee your safety. However by reading the profile of the member carefully and also comments that other members wrote, you can make an informed decision whether to trust this member or not. If there has been any really serious complaint about a member, we will either put a warning on that profile or remove this member from BeWelcome. We will not tolerate abuse to this site or to our members. If you are a woman, you might want to take a look at this information for female travellers. For additional security, we have a verification system. So, if on a profile it says 'Checked Identity', the chances that the registered name is not real is very low.

Checked Bikepunk 02:18, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Sitatara 23:11, 4 January 2013 (CET): I would basically suggest the same answer as for question 2. Maybe we can merge them or make the answers more specific (if we keep them separate).
SUGGESTED WORDING: Your saftey is very important for us. That is why BeWelcome offers several features to help you make informed decisions about who you think is trustworthy enough to be your host or guest:

  • A person’s profile is the most important place to get information about this person on BeWelcome. Essentially, it is a self-presentation and you should always keep this in mind. However, a profile can give you a first impression of that person, how he/she presents him-/herself and what are his/her interests, preferences and quirks.
  • A profile may also include comments from other members. If you do not want to rely on self-presentation only, these comments will tell you what experiences other members had with this person.
  • The section "Family and close relations" on the profile shows you who this person lives with or who are his/her best friends. This means that you will probably meet these people too if you are staying with this member. Check out their profiles as well to find out more about them too.
  • The profile will also inform you if a person has been verified, that is if his/her identity (and possibly also the address) has already been confirmed by other members. There are several levels of verification, you can read all about it in our wiki library: verification system.
  • In cases of serious complaints against a member we might put a warning on that member's profile (or depending on the situation, remove this member from BeWelcome completely) to make sure you are aware of any safety issues with this member.

Please always remember that your safety relies on your own jugdement and decisions and is your sole responsibility. If you are nervous about hosting or meeting someone, don't do it. Always use common sense in protecting yourself and your property.

BeWelcome is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions about hosting/staying with other members and to supporting you in critical situations. However, we cannot take any responsibity for your personal safety.

Will other members be able to see all my personal data?

BeWelcome allows you to decide for yourself what kind and how much information you want to make visible on your profile. The only required information that will be made visible on your profile is your user name and the city and country you reside. You can hide your real name (or part of your real name), address, birth date and even your gender. Since your email address will not be displayed for spam and other security reasons, members have to contact you through the site. All other display information is optional.
However, keep in mind that the site is about making connections between real people and most people are very hesitant to reply to or contact users with empty profiles. For this reason, we recommend that your profile adequately presents your personality without revealing your private information such as your address or phone number.

Checked Bikepunk 02:19, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Sitatara 23:22, 4 January 2013 (CET): Parts of the answer are outdated.
SUGGESTED WORDING: BeWelcome allows you to decide for yourself what kind and how much information you want to make visible on your profile. The only required information that will be made visible on your profile is your username and the city and country you reside in. You can hide your real name (or part of your real name), address, birth date, age, and gender. Since your email address will not be displayed for spam protection and other security reasons, members have to contact you through the site. All other information that you can enter in your profile is optional.
However, please keep in mind that the site is about making connections between real people and most people are very hesitant to reply to or contact users with empty profiles. For this reason, we recommend that your profile adequately presents your personality without revealing your private information such as your address or phone number.


OUTDATED Is there a way to speed up the signup process? I would like to use the site as soon as possible.

Normally our signup process is quite fast. If you are having problems, please contact us and we can check your status and tell you what is missing.

Checked Bikepunk 02:22, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Sitatara 23:22, 4 January 2013 (CET): This shouldn't be an issue anymore. Members now get a confirmation e-mail automatically and can use the website immediatly. So this question is probably OUTDATED.

Claudiaab (talk) 00:30, 5 January 2013 (CET)if they can't use the site immediately something might be wrong with the email confirmation or so. So maybe we should modify in that direction.
Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:33, 7 January 2013 (CET)This part should be removed, as we there is no accepting by volunteers anymore.

I have lost my password. What can I do?

Get a new password here.

A new password will then be sent to your mail account. Please change the password soon to prevent abuse and to make sure you will remember your password more easily.

Checked Bikepunk 02:25, 15 August 2011 (UTC)
Checked Sitatara 23:22, 4 January 2013 (CET)
Checked Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:31, 7 January 2013 (CET)

What is hospitality exchange?

Hospitality Exchange, also known as accommodation sharing, hospitality services, and home stay networks, often refers to centrally organised social networks of individuals who trade accommodation without monetary exchange. While the concept of free accommodation could also include house swapping or even time share plans, it is associated mostly with travellers and tourists staying with one another free of charge. Polish sociologist Paula Bialski even calls it "emotional tourism", because meeting locals indeed involves a lot of emotions and maybe this is exactly how it differs from the mainstream package tour. Since the 1990s, these services have increasingly moved away from using printed catalogues and telephone lines, but members often use Internet websites. These have grown exponentially since 2000 and as of March, 2007 over 500,000 people are registered users of these networks, which vary in operational structure, layout and geographic focus.

However, hospitality exchange offers much more than just free accommodation. Some members do not offer a place to stay, but instead provide dinner, a guided tour, tourist information or will help find a cheap hostel or alternative means of accommodation. Also those travellers who face most difficulties - like people with disabilities - find great opportunity and help in networks like BeWelcome, where members can both invite travellers with wheelchairs (according to the accessibility of their place) and use the search function to find the very same hosts.


Motivation and quality of social networking

Why do people join social hospitality exchange networks? The basic motivating factors for membership - and they very much influence the quality of later social exchange - include:

  • to meet interesting, open minded, people
  • to meet locals and to gain an insider view
  • to save money through the offer of free accommodation
  • the wish for flexibility and freedom of choice when travelling
  • to get contacts, pursue effective networking
  • to improve language skills


Factors influencing the quality of exchange within hospitality and culture exchange networks

Based upon those motivations the main factors which influence the quality of exchange have been identified to be:

  • the need to be ready and willing for interaction with other members
  • a friendly approach of members resulting in interest and curiosity
  • the mutual seriousness and effort put into the process of establishing contact between two members
  • an open and positive atmosphere within the network
  • an un-judgmental approach towards other cultures
  • A common ground facilitating successful communication


Opportunities, risk and limitations

But what are the opportunities, risks and limitations of how Hospitality Exchange Networks can influence the quality of social exchange between host-guest relationships?

The opportunities include:

  • to discover culture and traditions through the eyes of a local
  • an understanding of cultures which can remove stereotypes and misunderstandings
  • broadening of education
  • promoting peace
  • make people care about situations and conflicts in other cultures
  • make them realise differences and help overcome them

The risks include:

  • incomprehension, misunderstanding and stereotype thinking based on individual experiences with members
  • generalisation of culture according to experience
  • ‘Black sheep’ abusing the network (burglary, spam or dating)
  • failure to cope with confrontation of different habits and customs

The limitations include that:

  • Hospitality Exchange networks mainly address open-minded and curious people
  • a high level of tolerance is needed
  • members are not representative for entire culture
  • access may be excluded to some part of the community : lack of technical equipment, financial resources, old people, social prejudices

(Taken from a bachelor's thesis written by BeWelcome member kiwiflave.)


BeWelcome: one project, many target groups

BeWelcome is a project open to many different interest groups and backgrounds. Leisure travellers, ex-pats and business travellers, scientists, local communities and the tourism industry as a whole - all take advantage of BeWelcome.

You want to know more?


List of significant Hospitality Exchange Communities

  • BeWelcome
  • Couchsurfing
  • GlobalFreeLoaders
  • Hospitalityclub
  • Servas



Sitatara (talk) 23:40, 4 January 2013 (CET): Some bad formatting, spelling and links on the FAQ page. Please correct to this version.
Globetrotter tt (talk) 20:34, 7 January 2013 (CET) Not sure if this should be included in the FAQ. This is way too long

Using the Site: Profile

1. How can I change my password?

You can change your password in My account > My preferences .

Checked Bikepunk 23:57, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

2. How can I change my profile?

You can edit your profile in : My account > Edit my profile . You can change every entry and decide what you want to hide or set visible.

Checked Bikepunk 23:58, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

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

You can change your contact information in : My account > Edit my profile in the Contact information tab. 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, on the same page, click on Update my location (in front of your address). Then, just enter the new address and click Save location. 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.

Checked Bikepunk 00:00, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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

Go to My account > 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.

Checked Bikepunk 00:01, 15 August 2011 (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.

checked Bikepunk 00:02, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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

You can upload, change or delete the picture of your profile from My account > Edit my profile. 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.

Checked Bikepunk 00:08, 15 August 2011 (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, 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 you find a link Add Comment. Thanks for using this feature and making our project even safer!

Checked Bikepunk 00:11, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

8.Can comments be edited?

You can edit comments 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 visible. 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.

Checked Bikepunk 00:13, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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.

Checked Bikepunk 00:15, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

10. What is a group?

The Groups are accessible from the top menu: Explore > Groups..

Checked Bikepunk 00:17, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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

"Go to the profile of that special person. In the left sidebar below the profile picture you will find a Add a relationship link. On the next page you just have to fill out the form and follow the instructions provided. After adding the relationship, you will see the profile picture and your description about that special person in your profile above your comments.

Checked Bikepunk 00:25, 15 August 2011 (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).

Checked Bikepunk 00:32, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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)
Checked Bikepunk 00:37, 15 August 2011 (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.

CheckedBikepunk 00:54, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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)
Checked Bikepunk 00:59, 15 August 2011 (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.

Checked Bikepunk 01:10, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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).

Checked Bikepunk 00:53, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Using the Site: Cool Tools

1. How does the Forum work?

The tool is acessible from the top menu Explore > Forum You can easily post in 'categories' : "General", "BW Citizen", "Technical Help", "Politics" 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. See also: Documentation for BeWelcome forum

Checked Bikepunk 00:50, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

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.

Checked Bikepunk 00:50, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

What is a group?

The Groups are accessible from the top menu: Explore > Groups.

What is a "Blog"?

The term "blog" is derived from "Web log." A blog is a kind of online diary with entries made in journal style. For more information on blogs in general check out Wikipedia. In BeWelcome you can use the Blog Tool to display stories, ideas, essays, and even as a personal travel journal.

Checked Bikepunk 00:50, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

How does the Chat work?

Join our IRC Channel #bewelcome on irc.freenode.net. Use your own IRC client or this webclient.

Checked Bikepunk 00:50, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

How does the Blog tool work?

The Blog tool within BeWelcome, which was developed by MyTravelbook, offers more features than a normal 'online diary'. To start a Blog click on the Blog tab in the menu and then select "New blog entry". The next page will give you space to add a title and enter the text of your entry. In addition to this basic function, there are some unique features that make the BeWelcome Blog special. One feature is the ability to add tags. You can click on the tab "tags" to add keywords to your blog entry and make it easier for other members to find your blog when they search by blog topic. For instance, use the tab "trip" if you add a location (with Google Maps) and a date for your trip. This way your blog might be found by members who are planning on traveling to the same destination at the same time! Use the tab "settings" to determine who should be able to see your blog: everybody, friends only or maybe just you.

Checked Bikepunk 00:50, 15 August 2011 (UTC)