BEWELCOME NOVEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

Welcome New Feature Launch

(NEW) MEMBERS HOSTING INTEREST BEWELCOME APP

DEMOCRATIC, VOLUNTEER LED, NON-PROFIT HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE

WELCOME TO
(NEW) MEMBERS
In 2007, volunteers launched BeWelcome with the
promise we would be a new form of hospitality
exchange. As other platforms disappear, change
business models or add fees, BeWelcome remains
democratic, open-source and free to use. It remains
volunteer led and run, and a permanent non-profit
means of exchanging hospitality. We kept our promise.

DID YOU KNOW: BEWLCOME WAS

LAUNCHED AS A NON-PROFIT
HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE IN
2007.
Because of COVID-19, it’s hard to think about travel and
physically meeting travelers or locals. There is a time
you will. Hospitality exchange will continue to be a
beacon of hope and trust in futures unknown, and in the
possibility of a better, more equitable world after the
pandemic.
BEWELCOME VOLUNTEERS
 NEW DESIGN AND IMPROVED
FEATURES
We resigned the platform in 2019, and added a HINT: FOLLOW US, SHARE YOUR
host of new features. Member search now
PHOTOS, GET INVOLVED ON OUR
returns better results, even for regions and
entire countries. You can also search for
IG PAGE-
members based on their username or part of it. HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/
BEWELCOME.HOSPITALITY/
We also introduced new search options like:
member “has profile picture”, improved
DID YOU KNOW: BEWELCOME
translations, and rewrote some old code
(safety, about, community, FAQ and legal DOESNT SHOW ADS, HAVE AD
pages). We fixed many, many reported issues TRACKERS, THIRD PARTY
and member reported bugs and feature COOKIES OR ANY TYPE OF
requests.
SESSION RECORDING.
 THE BEWELCOME ANDRIOD
APP HAS LAUNCHED.
Android users can now install the “BeWelcome HINT: YOU CAN ALSO
– Hospitality Exchange” app from the
CREATE YOUR OWN ONLINE
PlayStore, or download the installation file from
BeWelcome. It is a Progressive Web App
ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
which lets you access the website from the ON BEWELCOME. WHY NOT
home screen of your Android device almost as CREATE AN ONLINE
if it was an actual native app.If you don’t have ACTIVITY FOR YOUR AREA?
an Android phone, or want to access
BeWelcome without installing an app, you can
simply put a shortcut to BeWelcome.org on
And yes, before you ask – volunteers are now
your smartphone or tablet. Our FAQ article
working on an app for iPhone and on a
explains the three clicks it takes in the most
complete native app.
popular browsers.
FIX AND SAVE YOUR LOCATION

WIn BeWelcome, you can set a more precise HINT: FANCY A BEWELCOME T-
home location. After visiting
SHIRT OR FACE MASK - VISIT
https://www.bewelcome.org/setlocation you
can drag and reposition the little orange
THE BEWELCOME SHOP AT:
location cursor/pin, to put it closer to where HTTPS://SHOP.SPREADSHIRT.DE/
you live. This tool is particularly useful in large BEWELCOME/
towns and cities.

DID YOU KNOW: OUR GOAL IS TO

For privacy, best NOT to pick "exact" location.
It could a nearby cafe or pub etc for example. TRANSLATE THE COMPLETE
SITE TO AS MANY LANGUAGES
AS POSSIBLE. WE NEED YOUR
HELP TO TRANSLATE EVEN
MORE.
 VOLUNTEERING
FOR BEWELCOME
BeWelcome is run by the non-profit While Volunteers with IT support and
association BeVolunteer, and its sole purpose, development skills are particularly needed,
by statute, is “to develop, maintain and there is also work for non-technical volunteers.
promote the practice of hospitality and cultural Check out the ‘Volunteering’ page and get in
exchange”. There are no shareholders or contact.
investors. There are also no paid employees.
Everything is done by volunteers, including site
support and development.
HINT: A FULL PROFILE
WILL HELP YOU FIND
So, we know that we are far from perfect, but HOSTS & THE SEARCH
we are trying. :-) And we need everyone’s help ALGORITHM FAVOURS
to improve. Please get involved in the local
HOSTS WITH A FULLER
groups, or set up new groups where these
don’t exist. ( Please check using the group PROFILE.
search.)
WWW.BEWELCOME.ORG/VOLUNTEER
 THE WORLD IS A BOOK
AND THOSE WHO DO NOT
TRAVEL READ ONLY
A SINGLE PAGE
KIMBERLY ANNE LEE
 HOSTING INTEREST - EDIT YOUR
PROFILE TODAY
We have replaced “Maybe” (offering a place to This setting influences where your profile
stay) with a new setting system. It’s called appears in search results. In the future you will
“Hosting Interest”. In the past, you had to be able to see when a member’s hosting
choose between “Yes”, “Maybe” and “No” to interest setting was last updated, and display
indicate if you wanted to receive hosting your Hosting Interest on your profile.
requests. Many of you were unclear about the
difference between “Maybe” and “Yes”. We have HINT: BEWELCOME HAS A
simplified this to “Yes” and “No”. If your setting VIDEO CHANNEL AT
was “Maybe”, this was converted to “Yes” with a
HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/BEWEL
Hosting Interest of “medium to high”. You can
adjust this hosting interest setting up or down at COME
any time in the Accommodation section of “Edit
my profile” to indicate how interested you are in
receiving Hosting Requests.
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE
WORLD, BUT I AM AFRAID
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
AFRAID OF THE WORLD.
ELIZABETH GILBERT
WE WILL BE READY
WHEN ITS SAFE TO
TRAVEL AND HOST AGAIN

Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon

IOS APP TRIPS FEATURE A NEW BOARD

DEMOCRATIC, VOLUNTEER LED, NON-PROFIT HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE