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What is Kind Visitor?
Kind Visitor is an online community of travelers who seek opportunities to help people and animals in the places they visit. Read stories from others and share your own at KindVisitor.org. Be more than a tourist!
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What is a kind visitor?
A kind visitor is someone who takes a little time out of his or her travels to help a person or animal in need. A kind visitor also takes a few minutes to describe his or her kind act at KindVisitor.org and to post a photo of his or her kindness partner.
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What is a kindness partner?
A kind visitor is the person who performs a kind act and describes it at KindVisitor.org. A kindness partner is the person or animal that benefits from your kindness. Think of a kindness partner as the recipient of your kind act. We prefer "kindness partner" to "recipient," because a kindness benefits the giver as well as the receiver.
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What is a KiVi?
A KiVi is the description of the kind act that you’ve performed. "I wrote a KiVi about buying school supplies for students in Bolivia." A KiVi is also the name we've given to the kind act itself. "I performed a KiVi while traveling in South Africa." The "Ki" comes from "Kind" and the "Vi" comes from "Visitor."
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What is a helper?
A helper is someone who steered you to a kindness partner. Example: A taxi driver tells you about a shelter for rescued rhinos and takes you to it, where you pay for a rhino's meals for a week. The taxi driver would be a helper. We ask for his or her contact info, because it might help other kind visitors reach the rhino shelter and do more good.
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Am I going to need to know more Kind Visitor terms?
No. If you know what a kind visitor, a kindness partner, a helper and a KiVi are, you're a star!
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Why should I register with Kind Visitor?
Registration allows you to post KiVis and to comment on KiVis at KindVisitor.org. Registration also allows you to create a Profile page, where your KiVis will be lovingly displayed and where you can choose to tell other kind visitors about you.
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Are you going to spam me?
No. We hate spam as much as you do. So, we'll keep our contact with you to a bare minimum and we'll keep that contact to email only. We don't ask for your street address, because we won't send you snail mail. We don't ask for your phone number, because we won't text you. And we will never share your information with a third party, because that's not the kind of thing kind visitors do.
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How do I create my Profile page?
Follow these steps:
(1) Go to www.kindvisitor.org;
(2) Click the Login button and enter your email address and password;
(3) Click the Profile button that appears atop the Home page after you log in;
(4) Click “Click to Select Wall Art” and select a photo you like;
(5) Now click on the edit tool (it resembles a pencil) next to the head shot;
(6) Next to the word "About" write one sentence that describes you;
(7) Select one of the Inspirational Messages that speaks to you;
(8) Under “Choose Profile Photo” click on “Open File” and from your computer select a photo of you that you like (perhaps the one you use for Facebook or Twitter);
(9) Now, click on the “Update Profile Information” button to create your Profile page.
Voila! Your Profile page exists!
There's a 10th step that I recommend, but it's not necessary:
(10) If you’d like the ability to easily share a KiVi to your Facebook page—a good thing—open another window in your browser, go to your Facebook page, copy the URL atop the page (it should look similar to https://www.facebook.com/joe.smith.125), go back to your Kind Visitor Profile page, click on the edit tool next to the photo of you, and paste your Facebook URL into the line beside the words “Facebook link.” Next, click on the “Update Profile Information” button again.
By doing this 10th step, you'll have the ability, when you’re logged into Kind Visitor, to click on the Facebook Share button beneath every KiVi photo and quickly share that KiVi to your Facebook page. If you use Twitter, click on the edit tool next to the photo of you and look for the place to enter your Twitter ID to quickly link a KiVi to your Twitter page. Your Twitter ID begins with the “@“ symbol (like @joe_smith).
And that’s how you would fully complete your Profile page!
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Is Kind Visitor limited to kind acts performed while traveling?
No. We're pro-kindness in every form, so we encourage you to perform kind acts and write about them whether they were performed 10,000 miles away or just down the street. You can even perform KiVis while seated at your desk and to write about them. For example, online donations to worthy groups help countless people and animals every year; there is no disputing that making such donations are kind acts.
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How do I write a good KiVi?
A well-written KiVi contains: (1) a description of a problem (the old women would starve without the kindness of strangers; the veterinarians needed medicine to treat the sick elephants); (2) a description of the kind act that you performed; (3) the reason why you did what you did; and (4) how you felt about your kind act.
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What about the KiVi photo?
Your KiVi should be accompanied by a large and preferably horizontal photo of your kindness partner. If you can, please crop the photo to 1600 pixels wide by 900 pixels tall in 72 dpi. If the photo is vertical in format, please crop it to 900 pixels wide by 1600 pixels tall in 72 dpi. Don't have a photo? Don't worry. Post a KiVi minus the photo and we'll find a representative photo or drawing for you.
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Can I write about a kindness I've experienced?
Have you or someone close to you been the beneficiary of a stranger's kindness? Perhaps someone mailed your lost, cash-filled wallet to you? Or perhaps you were amazed by a kindness a stranger showed to someone close to you? We'd love to read about it and no doubt so would others. Don't have a photo? We'll do our best to find a representative photo for you.
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How quickly will my KiVi appear on KindVisitor.org?
When you hit the "Publish KiVi" button, your KiVi is sent to Kind Visitor's editors for review. Once approved—usually within 24 hours—it will appear on the Show page and be searchable and you will be notified. You and other registered kind visitors can post the published KiVi to Facebook and Twitter, and "like" it and comment on it at KindVisitor.org.
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Where do I find my Facebook link for my User Profile?
Sign into your Facebook page. You'll find your Facebook link in the address line that appears above the Facebook navigation bar. Your Facebook link will start with "https:www.facebook.com/" followed by your name and possibly other information. Your Facebook link could resemble: https:www.facebook.com/joe.smith.123
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Where do I find my Twitter ID for my User Profile?
Sign into your Twitter page. You'll find your Twitter ID directly under your name and profile photo. Your Twitter ID will start with a "@" symbol followed by your name or whatever you chose for a Twitter ID. Your Twitter ID could resemble: @joe_smith
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Does Kind Visitor do pass-through donations?
Pass-through donations are donations made to one party with a request to pass the donations through to other parties. Kind Visitor does not do pass-through donations, because we cannot verify that every kindness partner is legitimate.
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What are Kind Visitors' Terms and Conditions
Please click "Here" to read our detailed T&Cs. In a nutshell, they say we won't spam you, we don’t allow profanity or mean content on our site, and that you give us the right to edit your KiVis and to use them as we see fit (for example, we might want to feature one of your KiVis on Kind Visitor's Home page).
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How can I recover my password?
On the Home page, simply click on “Login" near the top of the screen, then click on “Forgot Password?” and follow the instructions that appear.
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Who created Kind Visitor's Home page illustration?
That would be the incredibly talented Elia Murray of Berkeley, California.
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How can I contact Kind Visitor?
You can send an email to Info@KindVisitor.org with comments and questions and we will make every attempt to reply quickly.