BootsnAll Insiders

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are Insiders?
A: As you may know, BootsnAll Insiders has been a great resource for people planning trips around the world by connecting them with Insiders, people who know a certain place and are willing to share that expertise. Up to now, all this great content has been traded over email, and nobody else got to see it! That's why we've built BootsnAll Insiders 2.0, where travelers can ask questions, get answers from Insiders and 'regular people' alike, and then choose the best answer so everyone benefits.

Q: Who can answer questions?
A: Anyone can (once you confirm your email to prevent spam). If an Insider answers a question for a place that they are an Insider for, then their answer sticks at the top of the list.

Q: How does it work?
A: We've tried to make it as simple as possible.

• To ask a question, just navigate to the place you'd like to ask about and click 'Ask a question about...'
• See a question you can answer? Just click 'Answer' on the question.

And if you can't be bothered with all that navigating, there's a link at the top of the main Insiders page that says, "Ask a New Question" - and before you type your question you can choose the location it's about right there. Easy peasy. If you have any thoughts on how we could make it better, we'd love to hear them.

Q: Yuck, I found spam! What do I do?
A: Just click the 'Spam' flag on the question or answer to flag it for us. Not sure if it's spam? Click it anyway and we'll review.

Q: How can I become an Insider?
A: Is there a place you know really well, and you'd be willing to tell others about? Apply to be an insider by navigating to that page and clicking the 'Apply to be an Insider' link. Tell us why you should be an Insider! We'll review your short application and from then on, you'll be a recognized expert for that area and will receive email notifications when people need your advice. Oh, and you'll have a lot better chance of your application being accepted for a country like Chile rather than an entire continent.

Q: What is the difference between Insiders and the BootsnAll Forums?
A: Insiders is meant to complement the BootsnAll Forums, not replace them. Questions for Insiders are meant to be short, quick and very specific - they're questions you can't find answers to in guidebooks. We hope that Insiders 2.0 will attract people from the boards and also draw people new to BootsnAll as well. The forums are also a place to hang out and connect with other travelers, while Insiders is more about getting the information you need quickly. A question to an Insider is a direct email to someone who likely knows the answer, whereas a forum question can sometimes be missed or replies can wander off track since you're asking everyone.

Q: Is there a point system?
A: Not yet. If we do build a point system, it will be based on how others rate your answers rather than sheer quantity alone. We'd keep a close eye on it to avoid abuse.

Q: I don't think the geographic categories make sense!
A: There are some places with counterintuitive geography. We're working on this. Help us by becoming an Insider for that location and we may come ask you to help us organize your area in a way that makes the most sense.

Q: Does Insiders 2.0 have RSS feeds?
A: Yes. Navigate to the location or question you'd like to subscribe to, and click the red RSS button.