I think the copy definitely still needs some work. But that's how it works currently: all the groups are invite-only, and then the lender can always view the potential borrower's username, profile with reviews, and system-level rankings to build that trust. I definitely need to communicate this better in the copy I think!

Edit: I think I misread your comment originally, so I want to try again. At the moment, all the groups are invite only because that filtering needs to happen before someone joins a group, the platform isn't really meant to digest a stranger into a trusted community member, but instead enable existing communities, if that makes sense. I have the feeling that I will need to add features that platforms like Discord added to have people agree to rules, optional admin confirmation from people who use invite links, etc. But for now, invite links and QR codes are private. I hope this reply is a little better than the previous one!

For sure based on trust! But I like the anonymity. Socially, I'd like to decline requests without revealing to the requestor who it was that had the tool. I don't want Richie the Racist knocking on my door asking why I said no to his request ;)