I agree systaran. It is a risk issue on both sides so should be equal in the process.
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Haha it is a bit weird that you never saw/met some of your hosts but glad to hear it went well! I do definitely agree that ideally a sitter would meet the HO or at a minimum have a clear idea of what they look like, but I still think the detailed photo (if in lieu of a video call) could be saved for later in the process.
Internet safety is a bit of a minefield. Usually security in anonymity is totally adequate (is that the right term? What I mean is being among thousands of others on THS makes any single individual an unlikely target to a casual browser.) I also agree that most people viewing THS profiles are probably other THS members. Even so, thereās no reason to make yourself a more appealing target if you can avoid it! Itās frightening how easy it is to find individuals on the internet, and scarier still to see how much information is available, whether it was posted by the individual or available in public records. Iām not sure about other countries, but in the USA a personās home address is part of public records and thus is something that can be found on the internet. Heck, I just did a quick search and found my own address along with my previous addresses on some random website. I didnāt even need to sign up to see that info!
I will readily admit that I err on the side of caution. For my particular situation where I live with large loud dogs and a partner, I wouldnāt personally feel vulnerable if I were suddenly required to put up a bigger profile photo. However if I lived alone with a small dog/cat, or if may partner and I were both 80 and had a home full of expensive things, I would not at all feel comfortable advertising my detailed physical state along with all that. A very niche concern to be sure, but still applicable to some. But again, I donāt want to downplay how important I think it is for sitters to see their hosts!! Photos/videos should definitely be part of the exchange in the application process. Background checks for HOs too, even though we all know THS will never make that a requirement 
Sitters also think about internet safety. But if we donāt post photos we would never get sits.
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Itās a bit different since sitter photos are not tied to their home address, which is the point about safety that Iām trying to make. Iāve also booked a great sitter who had no photos in their profile (we did see each other before the sit was confirmed, over a video call) though I do recognize that a newer sitter with fewer reviews may struggle to get a sit with no photos.
Regardless, Iām certainly not saying HOs do not need to post any photos. My stance is more nuanced than that. Iām saying I think the current little photo is no big deal as an entry point, provided a more detailed photo/video is shared on an individual basis. Looking over the other comments in this thread, it seems that the primary reason sitters want a large photo is for trust and communication, and that isnāt impacted if a sitter doesnāt see a hi-res photo until they start to talk to the HO in the application process.
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I understand your points, I just donāt agree that the risk is significantly more for the HO. But HOs can certainly choose not to include a photo, and Iām free to scroll on and not apply to those sits. Itās about finding the right fit.
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Yes 100% and thank you for saying so! Among all the posts with blanket statements saying āHOs should do thisā and āSitters shouldnāt do thatā, itās important we all remember that this platform is connecting unique individuals. If a particular individual not the right fit, move on to the next!
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I donāt know what Iām missing here. First, you do get to see what pet parents look like from the small thumbnail. If it isnāt enough, you could try looking on it on a larger screen. Or the system could be refined to make sure it is a shot of a humanās head. Thatās reasonable to ask THS to do. Iām noticing on my email, I have sitters, combined members, and hosts all responding. On the email, everyone is a small round photo, but for some homeowners, there is no person in that circle. That should be changed. I 100% agree with that. The system should tell homeowners, thatās not an acceptable head shot. Where you lose me is the need for a homeownerās photo on the deck of photos showing the property and the pets. You also get to see homeowners on video before you accept the sit. But some sitters seem to be stuck on the idea that for things to be equal, youād need a full shot of the homeowner on the deck of photos including property and pets. Homeowners already have to post photos of all revlevant rooms and all pets. Now they have to add a nice full square shot of themselves. So if weāre talking about āequalityā wouldnāt that involve sitters showing photos of their homes?
As a sitter, what I look like is also irrelevant. But Iām selling myself as provider of a service in exchange for the use of someone elseās property. Showing photos of me with pets is relevant. It would NOT be relevant for a sitter who is NOT a combined member to show photos of their home as well. If THS suddenly said, āHomeowners have asked that they know more about how petsitters live, so from now on petsitters will need to provide photos of their homes. Donāt forget the bathroom and where you sleep!ā How would that sound to you? Would that be the equality youāre asking for?
Is the issue a concern about bias or an invastion of pricacy? Those are legit complaints. If someone hasnāt signed up, they can still see those photos of smiling sitters, just like they can see photos of great homes. Maybe that piece has to have an opt out for security concerns or even an opt in for a discount for both kinds of members. Personally, Iām not comfortable with the fact that THS gets to use both the image of my home and the image of me in random site searches by potential members. It could be used in other ways. If THS were considered an apartment share in the same way as Airbnb, I could get in trouble if someone recognized those home photos.
It might also be a good idea in order to lessen bias, if instead of having sitter photos appear in sitter searches, pet parents could still run the filters and get a list of links to profiles by name and āstarsā but with no photo, or an option to have a cartoonized version, or a place instead. However, even then, sitters who donāt show photos of themselves with pets on their profile page are going to get fewer sits because their profiles will look less appealing to most homeowners.
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I would look at this way. If as a sitter, I view THS as free places to stay (in return for house/petsitting) sort of like Airbnb but with pets ā which is in fact how I view it as a sitter. Then just like Airbnb, I need to see photos of the properties and read descriptions of them. I also need photos and descriptions of the pets and their care instructions as that is the ācurrencyā Iām using in this exchange to get the place to stay. Is it worth it? I really donāt need to see a photo of the homeowner to make that assessment, but if I am communicating with that person, than sure I should see a clear image in the little thumbnail show on the listing page and in my email.
As a homeowner, if I were using a paid sitter from Rover or another site or app where individuals advertise themselves on the site or app, Iād expect a description of the personās experience that also gave me a sense of their character, and built trust, and photos of them, especially with pets, would be helpful. I would think it very odd if a paid sitter asked to see a photo of me before agreeing to watch my cat.
I also think if a sitter thinks not being able to see a homeowner in the circle photo is a reason to reject a homeowner, thatās fine! Do whatever you need to do to feel safe and comfortable. If a sitter demanded a larger photo of me than the image in my listing as a precondition to a video interview which is a must for me, than I probably wouldnāt be bothered with the sitter. It wouldnāt make sense to me as a demand. Weāre going to see each other on video before either of us confirms the other.
I guess we see housesitting/pet sitting very differently Marion. I donāt consider it to be anything like āAirbnb but with petsā at all. Taking responsibility for someoneās home and pets is nothing like staying in an Airbnb.
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Again room for everyone. And I wouldnāt take a sit where I didnāt have a video chat with a homeowner and feel comfortable. But I just think given the different roles the profiles will look different from listings and I donāt think thatās a slam on sitters. I do both and there are HOs I wouldnāt be comfortable with but I donāt think a photo of them is necessarily going to tell me that ā unless it was one of those family photos where everyone is holding a weapon or something. A video chat might, however, give me that sense. Even the initial exchange of email will usually tell me something. But hereās the thing about approaching this like āAirbnb with petsā and I donāt mean that in a frivolous way. I mean that as a host, I do everything within my power to make sure my guest has a fun stay. When I interview sitters Iām not only looking for their pet experience ā thatās the baseline requirement. Iām looking for why they are coming to my city or if they are local why they are doing this thing. I want them to have fun. As a sitter, Iām looking for a host who is primarily concerned about their pets, but recognizes that I am not doing this as a paid gig and I am expecting a decent comfortable place to stay, and maybe something more in that location, so yeah if they leave me tips on exploring the area ā as an Airbnb host would, I love that. I am looking to make that human connection too. The last sit I was on, I got a chance to pick things in a garden. I got to eat stuff that was picked and left for me from the garden. I got comps to a neighborās very professional performance. Thatās not Airbnb. It was far better. And all that for taking care of a cat ā and given that I live with 3, one was a vacation!
What is it you want to see hosts doing in these photos that will let you decide whether or not to apply? Thatās the part Iām not getting. Do you think this will be a time saver that will save you having to go through a video if you donāt like the ālookā of the homeowner?
@Marion My point is very simple! Iād just like to see a photo of the hosts I am interested in sitting for! Nothing more nothing less! Iād be perfectly happy if the tiny profile picture of the HO was clickable so I could see it full size. And that it is actually a picture of my potential HO and not a plant or some random object. I should not have to make a screen shot of the profile pic and try to expand the photo- its usually quite fuzzy.
My suggestion that HOs include a photo of themselves within their listing is purely because those photos can be viewed full screen whereas the tiny profile picture cannot. Seeing each other just makes it feel more personal.
You are over complicating a simple request for a photo of the HO.
I have been a sitter for many years and pre Covid, in my experience, video calls were the exception, not the norm. So I frequently did not see a hosts face till we met for handover, and if no personal handover I sometimes never saw/see a face at all!
Everything else you speak about- internet security, equality of whats shown on the profiles etc are different themes, also important, but not my focus here.
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