“may be a phone thing.”
(Oh. I hadn’t considered that it was caused by a device. I really was interested in reading her post and it was so difficult because of the format.)
The posters (@LetsShareThoughts and @MistressoftheManor) are using their phones to compose and send long messages; not the reader…
Then I guess it makes me even more impressed they are able to compose and execute as well as they do on a hand-held device. So many posters working off their phones have issues with auto correct, etc., but those two are excellent at composing and/or editing off that small screen.
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When do you add the AirReview extension?
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When.?!!! Now! No time like the present! 
LOL!!! I meant how/where do you add it? I can’t seem to get it to work?
You have to install it from Chrome, into Chrome. Search for “add ons” with the name of the widget to locate and install.
Oh! If it is added already, test it. Go to any profile and see if you can see the host reviews! It only works when you have the profile page of the guest open.
Yay to you and smtucker!!! I added it and it works beautifully!!! Cuts down on my sleuthing time remarkably!!! Woo-hoo!!!
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I rely on reviews of guests from other hosts. It is the FIRST thing I do when I get a request. My husband looks at the money. Priorities! Our first guests were a very noisy bunch, they were first timers,
Then we had the garden produce thieves who sprayed the apartment with perfume that took 6 hours to air out, hiding cigarette smoking I assume. Ashtrays were left spotless, nothing else was. They also entertained friends their whole stay. The friends were at our place more than they were at their own airbnb rental. If I’d known that this would have happened I would have declined. Who needs the aggravation. These guests didn’t have reviews, so it would have happened anyway. But to have hosted them and know that they are undesirable guests I would feel guilty at not telling other potential hosts of a possible issue. I expect the same consideration from other hosts. It really is the core of the whole enterprise isn’t it. It is a community of sorts and we are here to help each other.
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I have never understood the community thing, perhaps we have different definitions of what that term means.
Interested to see your comments @Como who are you leaving the reviews for…if not for other hosts who maybe considering hosting the guests who stayed with you and guests looking for somewhere to stay?
Everyone has a different definition of what community means. This forum is a community. Airbnb is a community. An area is a community. A rambling group is a community.
It is a group or individuals who share common interests.
With Airbnb we are part of a sharing community. As hosts we share our homes (unless you are a host who does this on a large scale commercial basis).
As part of that community I feel it is important to leave a personalised review of a guest both to help the guests themselves secure future accommodation and to help my fellow hosts who are considering whether to host the guests.
It takes me a minute or so to do, so would seem selfish not to.
I always check a guests reviews and any reviews they leave before confirming their booking.
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My reviews are totally generic depending on what I encounter from the guest, I don’t have the time to write a personalised greeting card about them! I just get in and get it done (ranges of friendliness, communication, quietness, cleanliness, voila!).
I don’t understand how you think this is no help? It’s because the majority of guests are perfectly fine and it’s non eventful, with a few special ones sprinkled in to test you. If hosts don’t review these troublesome guests honestly, that’s a real problem, but a generic review to me means the guest is just totally normal
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I assume most of us do it to make money, sharing is not a word I use for a commercial transaction. They share their money with me, I share a room with them?
Community and using a Booking system seems an odd use of the word, certainly share a common interest which is why I am here.
I am also then part of the Visa community, the Nat West Community, where does it stop?
I would much rather not have to write a review, but appreciate you need to work the system and do so.
It makes sense that people who rent a room in their home sometimes sharing the bathroom and kitchen table, feel more of a sense of community than someone who rents a stand alone vacation rental. Many VR hosts never meet any of their guests. I meet almost all of mine. I do agree that if someone doesn’t leave reviews it’s rather selfish but we see that everywhere in society so Airbnb is not immune just because they throw around words like community and belonging.
Although I think the reviews are mostly for the hosts, they also help or hurt the guests. I get many first timers and I always write a review the next day if they were a 5 star guest. In turn they usually write me a review in the next day or two. If they want to IB hosts who will only take recommended guests on their current trip they need to get those reviews quickly. I had a guest with a 4 star average and he was 5 star with me. His “score” was lowered by being part of the group that got a bad review. I don’t know what part he played in that but it was 3 years ago and if he learned and improved he deserves to have his star average go up…or he can just keep IBing with hosts like me who don’t have any requirements.
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Most hosts on sites like Airbnb rely to some extent on the reviews left by other hosts to help them decide whether to host a guest.
As a host you decide whether you want to take an active part in being part of the community by leaving a meaningful review and in other ways such as providing advice on forums or lobbying for Airbnb in an area. I don’t really understand your comment about ‘working the system’.
A review helps your fellow host out, just as when you join a forum like this you benefit from the free advice and support your fellow hosts offer.
There are lots of commercial activities that have forums of interest: Wordpress, Nike etc, so not sure why you wouldn’t associate the two.
Also not sure how you missed the many references Airbnb makes to ‘community’ on its website and in all its advertising.
Comparing it to being a member of a bank is just being rather facetious.
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If you are talking to me @Happyfrog I didn’t say there was anything wrong with writing a general review
Just that it takes me on average 60 seconds to write a couple of personalised sentences about each guest 
So I can’t see a reason not to do this.
It’s hosts who knowingly write good general reviews of bad guests that I have a beef with.
I have my standard sentence and will normally put their name in, sometimes that is all I know. If they have other members of their group unlikely I have remembered their names.
Problem I sometimes have is remembering who was who, especially of the photo is not clear.
I am thinking of signing up for the Booking.com Community, I know I am missing business by just using ABB.
Any other recommended Communities?
We’ve had this discussion before. I don’t usually write a review for meh guests. I just don’t want to prompt a bad surprise in return. I only write reviews when:
—The guests are horrendous and I need to share something with other hosts about their stay or personality. Very rare
—The guests are fabulous and they leave glowing and we’ve had an agreement between each other to write each other five star reviews. More common.
I agree that the sharing and belonging tropes are only really applicable if there’s no money involved… such as in “couch surfing.” Otherwise it is simply a transaction of a super personal nature because it is your home.