TentBox Group Chats

1. What is a TentBox group chat?

A TentBox group chat is a Whatsapp group chat about a certain topic.

It's a great place to have a dedicated, ongoing chat about a certain topic, with highly relevant people who are also interested in being part of that chat and want a bit more than what a Facebook group can offer.

You are welcome to join them, or create your own! (see details about creating one below).

Check the bottom of this page, for rules on group chat etiquette. If you are concerned about any activity or conduct within a group chat, please read our safeguarding information here, or contact support@tentbox.com

2. How to join a TentBox group chat

You will find group chats on the TentBox Community Facebook group, the Ambassadors Corner group, or could be invited in person at a TentBox Takeover.

Don't forget to use the search tool on Facebook groups to look for existing chats!

You may also like to write a post, to ask if there is an existing chat about a particular topic.

Group chats will be shared via an invite link, either in posts / comments, or through a DM.

Before joining any group chats, we ask that you read the sub-group etiquette guidance at the bottom of this page.

3. Creating a TentBox group chat

We actively encourage our TentBox Ambassadors to become TentBox Community Leaders. A Community Leader is someone who is actively helping to make the community a fun, welcoming and sociable place.

One way to do this is to set up fun, interesting and useful TentBox group chats on WhatsApp, in order to foster a sense of community & belonging amongst the Community.

If you have a TentBox, but are not yet a registered Ambassador, sign up to be an Ambassador here.

Ideas for group chats:

• Certain hobbies or interests (i.e. surfing / fishing / skiing)
• A one-off trip you want to try to arrange (i.e. the NC500)
• A certain geographical location
• A certain car (i.e. Land Rovers, Mini’s or ‘small cars’)
• Anything else you think is relevant!

Creating your group chat:

Because these group chats will be using the TentBox brand name, and will be promoted on the TentBox Community Facebook group, it is important that the below guidelines are followed, to ensure a sense of consistency & also safe practice for our members:

• Name the group ‘TentBox |’ followed by your choice of name. (I.e. TentBox | Surfers Chat or TentBox | Land Rover Chat)
• Make sure you use a relevant chat icon picture, that fits the chat you are creating
• Always follow the group chat etiquette, at the bottom of this page, remind members of the rules, and remove them if they continue to break them. The TentBox Community should be a safe space for all. You can read our safeguarding information here.

4. Sharing your TentBox group chat

The best way to get people to join a WhatsApp Group chat is by sharing an ‘invite link’. People can click this link to join immediately, without having to share their phone number.

You can share this link with other TentBoxers by DM or by replying to relevant posts on TentBox-owned Facebook groups. You could also do your own post, introducing the chat and its purpose, and inviting people to join.

How to create a WhatsApp chat 'invite link':

You must be an admin of the group chat in order to create an invite link. The admin can reset the link at any time to make the previous invite link invalid and create a new link - this might be helpful if the original link is getting overused, or being overshared.

1. Open the WhatsApp group chat, then tap the group subject.
• Alternatively, swipe the group to the left in the Chats tab. Then, tap More Group Info.
2. Tap Invite to Group via Link.
3. Choose Share Link, Copy Link, or QR Code.
• To reset the link, tap Reset Link Reset Link.

Privacy note:

Any WhatsApp user you share an invite link with can join the group, so only use this feature with trusted individuals. It’s possible for someone to forward the link to other people, who could then join the group without additional approval from the group admin.

5. Group Chat Rules & Etiquette

It is hugely important that the below rules are followed, to ensure that the TentBox chats remain a safe space for all. If you are uncomfortable in a chat, please leave it immediately and contact support@tentbox.com to make us aware of your concerns.

1. Respect the purpose and objective of each chat. Uphold a respectful manner towards other members in the chat. Any complaints, bullying and other forms of discrimination to be found taking place on the group chats will be investigated by TentBox which could lead to a ban from the main group.
2. If you feel uncomfortable in a chat for any reason, please feel free to leave, and/or make TentBox aware. TentBox will take action where necessary.
3. Don’t get angry if someone doesn’t respond to your messages in a chat. No one is obliged to do so. However, you should always try to respond if you can!
4. Before sending a video, picture, meme or any content, analyze if such material will be in the interest of the majority of the members of the group. Please remember that once content has been shared to a group chat this becomes visible to all members. TentBox cannot control what is shared, please be cautious of these facts before sending content. Equally, we ask that you do not share other group members' content without asking for permission from the owner first.
5. Unless it’s a thematic group on politics or religion, avoid placing such content since hardly all will have the same religious beliefs or political preferences. Avoid unnecessary debates.
6. When noticing that you’re having a dialogue with a single member of the group, consider changing the conversation to a direct message, because the rest of the group may not be interested in reading your conversation with another person. Please avoid spamming the group chats with unnecessary content, it is not fair to all members.
7. If you’re lurking in a group chat and ‘seeing’ every message, occasionally respond with *something* to remove the stalker vibe that inevitably develops. Lack of messages may cause concern and discomfort to other members.
8. Don’t create huge group chats. If you find the group is overwhelming with members, consider reverting back to the Facebook group / sub-groups instead.
9. All group chat members must be over the age of 18
10. Set boundaries for your group chat, we recommend not to post in the group chat between 21:00 and 07:00 unless it is an emergency. However, this can be altered if all members agree.
11. If you are not sure, ask yourself these four questions before you send a message: Is this relevant? Is this necessary? Is this a good time to post? Does it go against the guidelines?