Newsletter
BeWelcome Novinky September 2026
Ahoj anonymous,
Počas celého roka členovia BeWelcome po celom svete cestujú, hosťujú, stretávajú a zdieľajú skúsenosti. Dúfame, že byť súčasťou BeWelcome pomohlo urobiť niektoré z tvojich ciest a stretnutí príjemnejšími a možno viedlo k novým priateľstvám a nezabudnuteľným chvíľam na cestách.
Ak BeWelcome malo pozitívny vplyv na váš život, zváž, ako aj ty môžeš pomôcť udržať našu komunitu v chode a prispieť k jej rastu. Viac informácií nájdete na konci tejto správy.
Table of Contents:
- AI is affecting us all
- Stay alert: protecting our BeWelcome community
- Behind the scenes: What it takes to keep BeWelcome running
- Feedback wanted
AI is affecting us all
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life, and BeWelcome is no exception. We do not want to prevent members from using AI. It can be helpful for translation, writing, or understanding a language. But please use it responsibly.
Think twice before sharing profile content
If you copy or scan another member’s profile, comments, or other personal information with an AI service, you may be acting against our Terms of Use. You are sending personal data to a third party, where it may be stored or used to improve AI systems. Information submitted to AI services can potentially become accessible through their systems in ways you cannot control.
Please remember: just because information is visible on BeWelcome does not mean it should be given to another service.
Keep your communication authentic
AI translation can also create problems. If your translated text gives a false impression of your language skills it can lead to an unpleasant surprise and hosting experience. If you do write with the help of translation tools, say so.
Please read profiles and comments yourself and make your choices personally. BeWelcome is about human connections, not automated profile analysis.
That's also true for your profile description, and comments. Don't list languages in which you cannot communicate. Different language versions of your profile can show your language level. They don't have to be on par with each other. Show who you really are; guests won't be hosted by AI.
If you do use AI, keep the information you submit anonymous. Instead of copying an entire profile, use only the relevant highlights without names, contact details, locations, or other identifying information. This is not only safer for privacy; it can also produce better AI results. Less irrelevant information means a clearer request and gives the AI a better chance of focusing on what is important.
Use AI as a tool, but keep BeWelcome personal.
Stay alert: protecting our BeWelcome community
AI is making many things easier — unfortunately, it is also making it easier for scammers to operate. Like other online platforms, we are currently seeing an increasing number of suspicious accounts and messages created with the help of AI tools.
Fake accounts impersonating BeWelcome have messaged members claiming immediate identity or credit card verification was required. This is not how BeWelcome operates.
BeWelcome is free to use for all, maintained by its members and volunteers with support from donations. You do not have to pay to use the platform, and BeWelcome does not ask you to verify your identity by credit card or bank data.
Please be especially careful with messages that create a sense of urgency, or contain suspicious links. Any link not directing to the bewelcome.org domain is likely a fraud!
One important point: you will receive a notification from "message@bewelcome.org" for all messages sent by another BeWelcome member. So the address itself or an official-looking profile do not prove that the message is genuine: it may be from a fake profile.
The only official profiles used by our volunteer teams are "SafetyTeam" and "ForumModerators": any other profile trying to look official is a fake. You may be contacted by one of our volunteers using their personal profile, but if in doubt, log in to BeWelcome and check the profile before answering! Or ask us for confirmation using the "Contact us" link on the BeWelcome site (in the footer of every page).
How can you help?
- If you receive a suspicious message and the profile is still visible (i.e. it has not already been deactivated), please flag it as spam using the reporting link on the message. Do not reply, click on suspicious links, or provide payment information.
- As an additional precaution, do not send links or phone numbers in your first reply to someone you do not know. Wait until you have received a sincere response and are confident that further contact is appropriate. Please follow our Terms of Use here.
- Our Safety and Development teams work hard to identify and block scammers fast. Your reports help us protect the whole community.
Stay alert, trust your instincts, and help us keep BeWelcome safe for everyone.
Behind the scenes: What it takes to keep BeWelcome running
BeWelcome is free for everyone because all work is done by volunteers, but keeping the platform online comes with real costs. We need around €3,000 to €4,000 per year, mainly for servers and other technical infrastructure. These expenses are funded entirely by donations from our community.
At the time of writing, we have reached just over 64% of our annual donation target. Our financial year ends on September 30, so there is still a gap to close.
We won't go bankrupt if we end the year with a deficit, but reaching a balanced budget gives us more freedom to plan ahead and invest rather than to keep reserves to cover annual costs. If you enjoy travelling and connecting with people through BeWelcome, please consider making a small donation.
You can follow the progress of donations, which is updated regularly, on the BeWelcome homepage.
And if you have time, skills, or ideas to share, consider joining one of our volunteer teams.
BeWelcome exists thanks to its community!
Feedback wanted
We have been sharing BeWelcome news, advice and stories in newsletters usually two or three times per year.
We'd like to hear from you: Have you found these newsletters useful and interesting, or are there other things you would like us to share? Perhaps there's something you, yourself, would like to share with the community?
Tell us at survey@bewelcome.org
or on the Contact form, category: "General feedback"!
Thank you for reading,
We wish you always happy travels and wonderful encounters!
Your Communications Team