Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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meic
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Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by meic »

I have just had the email that a few of you will be getting now about the new system for Warmshowers membership and its fees. It sort of suggests that you now have to pay to be a member, if anybody was about to quit because of this, you dont have to.

I have been hosting Warmshowers for a long time now but never actually stayed at any other hosts place.

There is a free option for hosts but that sort of defeats the original point of joining which is that it was a reciprocal agreement possibly one year I will do a tour and I would feel that I had contributed my share prior to taking back.

Any way it appears that you can do a trial free membership and that you can extend it indefinitely, though that option is not obvious.

I do understand that the admin and website which was previously provided by volunteers has got too big to handle on that basis and they now need to pay staff, If I actually go on my tour I may cough up a membership that year but for now I dont feel like paying in order to provide hosting nor do I feel like becoming a free "provider only" member.

They have rather sensibly left a loophole for people who feel as I do, that you can renew a free membership forever but if everybody does that they will not get the funding which they need. :?
Yma o Hyd
gplhl
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by gplhl »

There's options for amounts to pay from as little as $10 a year. Peanuts if you use it.

In the last years tour I've stayed probably 28 nights plus with Warmshowers hosts so it's nothing. Even if it had been one or two it'd still be worth it.

Gary
www.longbikeride.co.uk
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jamesgilbert
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by jamesgilbert »

I really like Warmshowers, and I think I'm breaking even in terms of nights stayed with a host and nights hosting other cyclists.

I'm fairly happy paying something to use this service, although I agree that it's good that there is a loophole. I would also like to point out that as far as I know there is zero advertising on the website, and also it is a not for profit organisation.

Although it's on a very different scale, there are some parallels with what happened to Couchsurfing; there's a good article here if anyone's interested: http://bollier.org/blog/lessons-corpora ... uchsurfing
theDaveB
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by theDaveB »

To be honest I would feel better paying as I can't really offer to host due to house size, we don't have a spare room.

Never used the service due to this.

Dave
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Farawayvisions
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by Farawayvisions »

I've hosted a few times but haven't managed to find someone to host me. My experiences have been enjoyable. I received a rather lengthy email from warmshowers during the week that I didn't have time to read, but will dig it out now. Thanks for the heads up.
Pickers
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by Pickers »

To be honest I would feel better paying as I can't really offer to host due to house size, we don't have a spare room.


This has been my point of view so far, I'd really like to use this as a visitor but I wouldn't be able to reciprocate.
I've never thought it fair to use the offer of places but not be able to host in return. Maybe paying a fee will ease this, but I do think it defeats the object somewhat
PJ520
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by PJ520 »

To be honest I would feel better paying as I can't really offer to host due to house size, we don't have a spare room.


+2 I've had people that I've met on the road give me a night's stay but they had a chance to look at me and vice versa and I've been very grateful. But I just can't bring myself to ask people I've never met to put me up. Further, motels, B & Bs and the like have to conform to some kinds of standards: liability insurance, fire regs etc. To me that's worth paying for.
You only live once, which is enough if you do it right. - Mae West
johnjo
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by johnjo »

I joined early last year and following that we hosted about seven or eight visitors. I joined because I thought the idea of reciprocal hosting was inherently a good one and I believe that people who tour on bicycles are generally sound folk who are likely to share my views on the outdoors, the environment, sustainable transport etc. This has been confirmed by the visitors we had from all over Europe last year. Now I am a few days away from taking my bike to Barcelona and cycling back to my home in Paisley. It will take me about five weeks and I already have confirmed offers from warmshowers members for 12 nights. This, together with some budget hotels and hostels plus a few campsites should mean very little need for wild camping en route. I think the biggest challenge of a trip like this is going to be the loneliness factor. Hours on the road with no conversation and having the prospect of a night in a family home sharing stories will be a great comfort. Hotels and B&B's may have standards to meet but they are primarily money making enterprises and you are a customer. The accommodation you will get as a guest in the home of another cyclist is offered purely on the basis of their generosity, humanity and willingness to share what they have. All attributes to be commended in my opinion. I willingly responded to the email by making a contribution and would do so even if I didn't use the site because I believe that any medium which allows people from different countries and cultures to meet and socialise with each other is inherently a good thing and worthy of my support. I will try to keep up a blog en route at barcataeborrheid.wordpress.com if anyone is interested in following my progress.
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meic
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by meic »

To be honest I would feel better paying as I can't really offer to host due to house size, we don't have a spare room.


None of this money (or any other money) will be going to the people who host you.

The rewards for hosts are some interesting company, getting to meet and talk to people from other countries and cultures (even those who you are not disposed to like but you get a chance to meet them and hear how they see things).

When I am doing my faster touring I do not want to use warmshowers as really I only want to eat, wash, sleep and leave. I consider a bit of socialising with the host to be expected of me.

There is also the big idea of reciprocity, I do not expect any payment from my guests because I have already been paid up front, tens of times over, by people across the world who have put me up on my travels.

Further, motels, B & Bs and the like have to conform to some kinds of standards: liability insurance, fire regs etc. To me that's worth paying for.


There are different styles of traveling, I noticed people traveling on three different tiers on my world trip.

There were those who went to "Western hotels of the five star variety" and they were predominantly from the USA.
Those who went to budget hostels which were mostly travelers from other nations and enjoyed socialising with other travelers but doing so in the environment and style of that country.
Then there were those who wanted to mix with and if possible stay with local people.

To me that third group are the ones who have really experienced a country rather than being tourists.
Yma o Hyd
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bigjim
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by bigjim »

There is some serious bickering going on on the WS site over this issue. The cost of making a member of the board a Consultant with a salary of $50k plus is not going down very well.
randonneur
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by randonneur »

Having hosted numerous long distance tourers over the last 15 years whilst living in various locations in Africa (due to work), and although a regular tourer in the UK and Europe when work permits have never used the Warmshowers as a guest. I believe it is a little unacceptable to expect to be forced to pay a subscription.
I have hosted 4 groups in the last 6 weeks, provided clean bedding, hot water, (and often the the first hot shower for weeks), laundry facilities, food and drink at my cost, why would I wish to pay for providing this service??

I also note from the Warmshowers website, donations run into the 10's of thousands, surely this can cover costs/expenses for volunteers instead of paying full-time salaries greater than the average UK salary
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meic
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Re: Warmshowers "membership" charges.

Post by meic »

I have hosted 4 groups in the last 6 weeks, provided clean bedding, hot water, (and often the the first hot shower for weeks), laundry facilities, food and drink at my cost, why would I wish to pay for providing this service??



Just to make it clear, if you are a "host only" member that is entirely free, they are not expecting people who only host to pay anything.
On reflection I may join as a host member for now and just upgrade to free if I ever want to be a guest.

We have been lucky to have been provided with a free admin service for our hobby and it does seem ungrateful to begrudge something now because we had it for free for so long.
On the other hand, those of us who host have done so also for free and are willing to continue to do so. So some people starting to expect payment for their participation doesnt quite fit the ethos, yet we only host occasionally, not as a full time commitment.

So even though I dont like it much, it doesnt seem unreasonable and if those who are the more obvious beneficiaries (the guests) are happy enough to pay a small fee and it covers the cost, then we could reach a compromise. The existence of guest and temporary free memberships implies they may have thought the same.
Yma o Hyd
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