FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

BAKESPACE BASICS
MY KITCHEN
CREATING A PROFILE
INVITING FRIENDS TO JOIN BAKESPACE
MENTORS
MEMBERS
RECIPES

BAKESPACE BASICS:

What is BakeSpace?
BakeSpace.com is an online community by and for people who are passionate about cooking, baking and all things food-related. It's where you can find, post and swap recipes, share ideas, become/find a mentor, make new friends and, in general, get inspired about one of life's great pleasures.

Do I have to be a member to enjoy the site's recipe collection?
No. Visitors to the site can browse and print recipes and browse the Mentor section to find tips and advice, but membership is required to post and swap recipes, participate in the Mentor program and enjoy all the site's features. Just like with any community, the more you put into BakeSpace, the more you'll get out of it.

How much does a Membership cost?
Membership is completely free.

What can members do on BakeSpace.com?
Joining BakeSpace is quick, easy and free... and once you become a member you can start swapping recipes and connecting with other foodies immediately. While you don't have to be a member to browse most of the site, becoming a member enables you to get involved and take advantage of all the site's features. So what have you got to lose? Sign up now to become part of the Web's tastiest online community.

To get started, simply click the "Join" link at the top of the page and provide your name, username and email address. That's it. Then you can start creating and customizing your online kitchen. From there you'll be able to connect with members, check out our mentor program, invite friends, join the conversation and, of course, upload and swap recipes.

How can I change my e-mail address or password?
In the "My Kitchen" section, click the tab on the left side that says "Change Password." Simply input your new password and click "change."

How do I delete my account?
Say it ain't so! We hope your decision to leave the community isn't based on something we did. Please feel free to e-mail us anytime and we'll find a way to solve the problem or give you the support you need. You can email us at members[at]bakespace[dot]com.

To delete your account, go to your "My Kitchen" page and click on "Account Admin." There you will find a link that says delete my account.

We always appreciate your feedback about the site, so please take a moment to e-mail your thoughts and suggestions to feedback[at]BakeSpace[dot]com.

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MY KITCHEN:

What's "My Kitchen?"
The "My Kitchen" page is the first page you see each time you log into your account. On the left side of the page you'll notice several tabs for features like e-mail and your Recipe Box, as well as for tasks such as editing your profile and seeing which of your friends are currently online.

One of our newest Kitchen features is the My Recipe Feed function, which allows you to select recipe categories to automatically download into your kitchen based on specific recipe categories.

On the Kitchen Page you'll also find a brief list of the latest BakeSpace mentors, forum posts and new members, as well as a link to the Mentor section.

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CREATING A PROFILE:

Do I have to fill out my entire profile?
While you are not required to complete your entire profile or upload a photo, customizing your profile makes BakeSpace a lot more fun and useful. The more information you add to your profile, the easier it will be to connect with other members who share your interests.

Editing my profile
Editing and customizing your profile is easy. At the top of your profile page you'll find tabs titled "about me," "the basics," "food for thought," "things I'm into," "my photos" and "my videos." Simply click on each tab and add as much information as you like. When you're finished filling out each section, click save. You can also further customize your profile by adding backgrounds, music and of course photos to your "about me" section.

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INVITING FRIENDS TO JOIN BAKESPACE:

How do I invite a friend to join my network?
Inviting friends and family to join you on BakeSpace is quick and easy, and you'll automatically start swapping recipes once they're in your BakeSpace network. To invite friends, simply go to "My Kitchen" and then click on "Invite Friends" on the left hand tabs. You can choose from three different invitation messages. Simply select the message that best fits you're mood - sweet, lightly frosted or sugar-free. Then type in your friend's e-mail address. You can send to more than one friend as long as you separate each email address with a comma. Then click the "invite friends" button and your invitation will be sent along with a link to your BakeSpace profile.

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MENTORS:

Why should I check out the Mentor Program?
Many BakeSpace members have knowledge and expertise to share, while others are looking for help in the kitchen. The BakeSpace Mentor Program connects members who have specific culinary skills with those eager to learn. The goal is to get inspired, share expertise and discover new friends along the way. On the mentor page you can browse tips by category and connect directly with mentors. So give it a try.

How do I become a Mentor?
Click on the Mentor tab in the menu bar and select the "Become a Mentor" link in the left margin. Then choose your mentor category, tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience, and include a few tips or morsels of wisdom. Once you join our mentor program, members will be able to contact you directly for help and inspiration.

How do I find a mentor?
Finding and connecting to experienced members on BakeSpace is easy. Simply click on the "Mentors" tab. You'll see a variety of ways to browse and search mentors (i.e. by recipe categories, cooking methods, mentors nearby you and how active they are in the community.

To connect with a mentor, simply click on the "send a message" tab on their mentor profile or invite them to join your network of friends.

How do I edit my Mentor Profile?
Once you become a mentor, editing your profile is easy. Go to your "My Kitchen" page and click "Edit Mentor Profile." You'll see each mentor category accompanied with "edit" and "delete" links. You can edit only one category at a time. Once you're finished, click "save" to save your changes.

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MEMBERS:

How do I invite another BakeSpace member to join my network of friends?
When you're on a member's profile page, simply click the "Add to Friends" link. We'll send them a message with your profile link. Once they approve your request, you'll instantly start to swap recipes (also see "Inviting Friends to Join BakeSpace" below for info on how to invite nonmembers to the site).

If I send an e-mail to another member using the BakeSpace system will they see my e-mail address?
No, we keep all communication on BakeSpace private. If you send to another member using BakeSpace E-mail, that member will receive a message that they have an e-mail waiting for them in their BakeSpace inbox. They will see the message is from you along with your photo, but your real e-mail address will be kept private.

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RECIPES:

What's new in the Recipes section?
If you haven't been on BakeSpace for awhile, you may have noticed that we've made browsing recipes even easier and more efficient by adding several navigation tabs on the left margin. These tabs allow you to browse recipes based on a range of search criteria. You can also browse various recipe channels focused on specific food interests, cooking methods and ingredients. Other tabs provide quick access to your personal recipe box and recipes from your friends. There are sections for bath, body & home recipes, as well as a Pet Central section where you can find recipes for homemade treats for your four-legged friends.

How do I post a recipe?
Uploading a recipe on BakeSpace is about as easy as making toast. There are two ways to get started.

1. If you're in "My Kitchen" or "Recipes," simply click on the "Add a Recipe" tab in the left margin.
2. If you're in the "Recipes" section, there's also a "Submit a Recipe" button in the upper right.

Once you've made it to the recipe form, start by typing the recipe title. Keep in mind that the more descriptive your title, the more likely your recipe will be found by other members.

Next, provide some backstory for your recipe. While every recipe doesn't necessarily have a long history or come with an interesting story, tell us at least a little about where the recipe came from, why you like it and why others may want to give it a try. Next, add your ingredients and directions. Type each ingredient and direction in a separate box as instructed. To add more ingredients or directions, click on the "add ingredient" or "add direction" links on the right.

Then fill in how many servings the recipe will provide, the preparation and cooking times, and the Web site or author credit if you adapted the recipe from another source. Don't worry if you can't answer all these questions... just provide the information you have available. You can also copy and paste embedded code from sites like YouTube in the video HTML box. If you have a photo of the recipe, upload it here. Just make sure you're uploading a photo you own or have permission to use. If you don't have a photo now, you can always come back and add one later.

Choose your recipe category and subcategories and click on the "Upload Recipe" button. Keep in mind that you can always come back and edit categories for the recipe later. Once you upload your recipe, you'll automatically be directed to the new page for your recipe.

How do I edit my recipes?
In the "My Kitchen" area click on the tab on the left that says "My Recipes." You'll see the full list of your recipes and an "edit" link for each recipe. Click on "edit" and you can change your recipe. Don't to save your changes.

What's in the "My Recipe Box?"
If you've been on BakeSpace for awhile, you may have noticed that the page previously called "My Cookbook" is now called "My Recipe Box," and we've given it a pretty dramatic makeover.

When you click on the main "My Recipe Box" tab, you'll see all of the recipes you have uploaded, bookmarked and swapped with friends. Under the main tab, there are also individual tabs that link to each one of these subcategories. We've also added an "Add a Recipe" tab that makes adding recipes easier than ever.

We've also made it easier for you to share any recipe you find on BakeSpace with friends who are not members of the site. Simply click the "e-mail" link at the top of the page and type in the address of each person you'd like to send the recipe. Then select which recipes you'd like to share and hit send. Your friends will receive an e-mail with a link that invites them to check out the recipe(s) you selected, as well as a link to your BakeSpace public profile.

What's the "Recipe Feed™?"
BakeSpace's unique recipe-swap platform automatically feeds the latest recipes from your BakeSpace friends to your online kitchen. This newsfeed-style Recipe Feed™ helps BakeSpace members stay up-to-speed on what their friends are preparing in the kitchen.

We recently expanded this feature so you can automatically receive not just your friends' latest recipes, but also the latest recipes added by the entire BakeSpace community in specific recipe categories. In the new "My Recipe Feed" box in the Kitchen page, you can select recipe categories you'd like to receive based on your dietary and lifestyle preferences, seasons, etc.

The Recipe Feed™ does more than just satisfy your craving for great recipes... it also personalizes your BakeSpace experience and helps you connect with friends and like-minded peers. It's the online equivalent of having friends stop by your kitchen each day to chat and swap recipes."

What if I want to post a recipe that I didn't create?
What if a recipe you'd like to post is from another source such as a cookbook, Web site or magazine?

While someone cannot copyright a simple list of ingredients, they may own the rights to, recipe directions, descriptions and photos. So reposting such information may violate their copyright Please see our Copyright Policy for more detailed info.

The bottom line is if you've altered someone else's recipe by adding your own information, it should be ok to post. But if it's a direct copy-and-paste with no alterations, you should ask the original author if you have permission to repost the recipe.

Many recipe sites and food bloggers appreciate a credit and a link to their original posts, but don't assume that simply adding a link gets you off the hook for getting their permission. It's best to ask first.

I want to post an original recipe, but I found a great photo on the Web. Can I use it?
When in doubt, leave it out. Photos taken from another Web site or a cookbook/magazine are copyrighted material. There is no way that BakeSpace can check ownership of every photo submitted. Please see our Copyright Policy.

We want to be a friend and earn the trust of the online food community, and we take copyright seriously. If you see a photo or recipe that violates our policy, please let us know by e-mailing us at members[at]bakespace[dot]com.

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