Is there anywhere on the website that lists changes and developments ( aside from technical ones, which I cannot comprehend )? I have noticed - while on the road - that there seem to have been a few Good changes lately, but I would like to know more about them, or even if they ARE changes. I would like a quarterly Newsletter that simply lists any changes , with a short rationale for each. Does this exist already ?
For example, I noticed the Front Page now distinguishes between "Active Hosts" and Other Members. I have also noticed , while using the App on my own tour, that some Profiles now list " last log in" as " null" - which I take to mean that that Profile fails a credibility or bona fides test, (long overdue in my opinion). I even noticed that clicking on one Flag on the map resulted in a message describing the Profile as to an ex
member ( less useful - why not just delete the Flag / Pin ?
Edit: pls excuse iPhone typos)
Anyway, knowing when and why these changes are made would be interesting, as opposed to ex-cathedra developments.
Dear Bicycle Fish
I first of all apologize for our late reply and lack of communication in the past few weeks. Indeed, there is a list of changes and ongoing developments and we have lately had quite a few substantial changes about which you will receive a newsletter hopefully still this month. We have a new Executive Director and the board has also changed over the past months: Several members have left, including the board chair, and me and Len Bulmer have taken on the role as a chair and vice-chair of the board since August.
On another topic, we have distinguished active hosts from other members for a long time and we delete inactive members who haven't logged in after several mails from Warmshowers once every year. Due to some technical difficulties associated with the sudden departure of our former ED, we weren't able to do this last year and it is definitely high up on our priorities list. In addition, we verify all new accounts on a daily basis to assure that there are no spammers or people violating our policies and terms. It is strange however that you can find ex-members on the map. If you can replicate this, please send me the member and I will make sure this is on our issue queue.
You will soon be informed in more detail about ongoing changes and developments via mail. Thank you for your interest!
Kind regards,
Cyril
I just got a new issue of the newsletter in my mail.
There was a suggestion to "start a local forum under the Community Networking subheading in Community Experiences". I looked there and I only saw a Los Angeles forum. Which was swamped with pharmaceutical spam.
https://www.warmshowers.org/forum/63
That Networking subforum is a bit difficult to find. A better place might be in the same section as the language subforums. And Facebook would probably work even better than that.
Dear Pieter
Thank you for your remark. I will forward it to Ken Francis who manages the forums and deletes spam.
Best regards, Cyril
Another suggestion would be to divide up "Region and Country-Specific Information" into continents and subregions.
As it is now, it is not region-specific at all.