Couchsurfing

CouchSurfing is not about the furniture, not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it's about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!
(www.couchsurfing.org)

CouchSurfing (sofa surfing in the UK) is a neologism referring to the practice of moving from one friend's house to another, sleeping in whatever spare space is available, floor or couch, generally staying a few days before moving on to the next house.
The term couchsurfing was adopted by The CouchSurfing Project in 1999 for what is now the world's largest hospitality exchange network. With over 2 million members in 237 countries and territories, CouchSurfing is the most visited hospitality service on the Internet, averaging around 40 million daily page views July-December 2009.

After free registration, members have the option of providing very detailed information and pictures of themselves and of the sleeping accommodation they offer, if any. More information provided by a member, and other members, improves the chances that someone will find the member trustworthy enough to be their host or guest. Security is often measured in the reference established by networking. Volunteers may verify names and addresses. Members looking for accommodation can search for hosts using several parameters such as age, location, gender and activity level. Homestays are entirely consensual between the host and guest, and the duration, nature, and terms of the guest's stay are generally worked out in advance to the convenience of both parties. No monetary exchange takes place except for compensation of incurred expenses (e.g. food). After using the service, members can leave a noticeable reference about their host or guest.
Instead of or in addition to accommodation, members also offer to provide guide services or travel-related advice. CouchSurfing provides editable travel guides and forums where members may seek travel partners or advice. CouchSurfing's main focus is "social networking" and members organize activities such as camping trips, bar crawls, meetings, and sporting events.
Their website features a searchable database of hundreds of upcoming events organized by CouchSurfing members, including the annual "Berlin Beach Camp" which draws over 1,000 attendees, the annual "WinterCamp," and a New Year's Eve party hosted in a different city in Europe every year.
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Security Verification

There are three methods to ensure security and trust, which are all visible on member profiles for potential hosts and surfers to see prior to arranging anything with each other:
Personal references, which hosts and surfers have the option to leave after having used the service.
An optional credit card verification system, allowing members to "lock in" their name and address by making a credit card payment and entering a code that CouchSurfing mails to the billing address. This also allows CouchSurfing to recoup some costs by requiring a fee for verification. For fairness, the verification fee is based on a sliding scale, taking into account the Purchasing Power Parity and Human Development Index of the country of residence.[4]
A personal vouching system, whereby a member that had been vouched for—originally starting with the founders of the site—might in turn vouch for any number of other members he or she knew or had met through CouchSurfing, and trusts.


Ambassadors

Members who wished to volunteer for various tasks on the site and help spread the word about CouchSurfing in general were able to become ambassadors. Ambassadors must be role-models and actively promote the CouchSurfing spirit among members and to the public. In addition to promoting use of the site, they greet new members, help with questions and perform other administrative tasks, all on a volunteer basis. No new ambassadors are being created at this time.


History



Casey Fenton

The CouchSurfing project was originally conceived by Casey Fenton in 1999. According to Fenton's own account, the idea arose after finding an inexpensive flight from Boston to Iceland. Rather than stay at a hostel, Fenton randomly e-mailed 1,500 students from the University of Iceland asking if he could stay. Fenton ultimately received more than 50 offers of accommodation. On the return flight to Boston, he began to develop the ideas that would underpin the CouchSurfing project.


Site launch

Fenton developed the code intermittently over the next few years. The site was launched with the cooperation of Dan Hoffer, Sebastien Le Tuan, and Leonardo Silveira as a beta in January, 2003. The project became a public website in January 2004.
Initial growth of the site was slow. By the end of 2004 the site had just over 6,000 members. In 2005, growth accelerated and by the end of the year, membership stood at just under 45,000.


2006 database loss and relaunch

In June of 2006, the project experienced a number of computer problems resulting in much of the database being irrevocably lost. Due to the volume of critical data that had been lost, Casey Fenton was of the opinion that the project could not be resurrected. On June 29, 2006, he sent an e-mail to all members: "It is with a heavy heart that I face the truth of this situation. CouchSurfing as we knew it doesn't exist anymore.
Fenton's e-mail was met with vocal opposition to the termination of the project and considerable support for its recreation. A CouchSurfing Collective was underway in Montreal at the time and those in attendance committed to fully recreating the original site, with users to re-enter their profile data. "CouchSurfing 2.0" was announced early in July of 2006, with the intent to be operational within 10 days. The initial implementation of CouchSurfing 2.0 actually launched after only four days with the current CouchSurfing slogan "Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time". Since the site relaunch, the project has received international media coverage.

2009 Leeds Incident

On March 5th 2009 in Leeds, UK, a Moroccan man named Abdelali Nachet raped a woman from Hong Kong who stayed at his place through the CouchSurfing project.[12] Nachet was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[13]

Organization

The mission statement of CouchSurfing is Create Inspiring Experiences:
"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding. As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to create a better world, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing is not about the furniture, not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it's about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!"[14]


CouchSurfing Collectives

Since June 2006, development of the website has been run in large part by CouchSurfing Collectives: events which may last days or weeks, bringing groups of CouchSurfers together in a chosen city, to develop and improve CouchSurfing. Previous Collectives took place in Montreal, Vienna, New Zealand, Thailand, Alaska, Costa Rica with the newest one upcoming in Istanbul from October 2009 to October 2010.


Tax status

CouchSurfing International Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, where it also is a registered charitable organization. An application for the federal 501(c)(3) non-profit status was filed in November 2007. As of July 1 2009 CouchSurfing is not in the "list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions".


Software base

In contrast to some other non-profit entities, CouchSurfing uses their own closed source software, and closed bug tracker. User input is via the Contact Us help desk.


Statistics

- CouchSurfers: 2,181,943
- Successful Surfings (approx): 2,417,927
- Friendships Created (approx): 2,524,455
- Positive Experiences (approx): 4,031,099
- Unique Countries/Territories Represented: 237
- Unique States/Provinces Represented: 2,926
- Unique Cities Represented: 77,926
- Unique Languages Represented: 335


Top 10 Couchsurfing territories

- United States: 472,011 21.6%
- Germany: 208,944 9.6%
- France: 190,370 8.7%
- United Kingdom: 103,405 4.7%
- Canada: 101,060 4.6%
- Italy: 64,136 2.9%
- Spain: 60,693 2.8%
- Australia: 60,272 2.8%
- Brazil: 58,390 2.7%
- Poland : 44,359 2.0%


Top 10 Couchsurfing cities

France, Ile-de-France, Paris 39,177 1.8%
United Kingdom, England, London 32,912 1.5%
Germany, Berlin, Berlin 29,418 1.3%
Canada, Quebec, Montreal 21,766 1.0%
Turkey, Istanbul Province, Istanbul 20,445 0.9%
Austria, Vienna, Vienna 16,468 0.8%
Australia, Victoria, Melbourne 15,214 0.7%
United States, New York, New York 14,595 0.7%
Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona 14,032 0.6%
Argentina, Buenos Aires City, Buenos Aires 13,727 0.6%



Couchsurfers by World Region:

Europe 1,119,594 51.3%
North America 597,475 27.4%
South America 131,609 6.0%
Central Asia 121,714 5.6%
Oceania 77,210 3.5%
Southeast Asia 44,604 2.0%
Africa 38,753 1.8%
Middle East 32,450 1.5%
Central America and the Caribbean 10,502 0.5%
Antarctic Region 83 0.0%



Couches for surfing:

Yes 602,738 27.6%
Coffee or a drink 457,904 21.0%
Traveling at the moment 437,383 20.0%
Maybe 339,136 15.5%
No 268,777 12.3%
Definitely! 76,009 3.5%


Most spoken languages:

English 1,623,295 74.4%
French 438,142 20.1%
Spanish 381,767 17.5%
German 359,377 16.5%
Italian 113,740 5.2%
Portuguese 111,643 5.1%
Chinese (Mandarin) 78,204 3.6%
Russian 74,194 3.4%
Dutch 69,046 3.2%
Polish 55,790 2.6%


Couchsurfer ages:

Average Age 28

Ages 18 to 24 874,207 40.1%
Ages 25 to 29 683,451 31.3%
Ages 30 to 34 302,207 13.9%
Ages 35 to 39 131,743 6.0%
Ages 40 to 49 111,964 5.1%
Ages 50 to 59 47,643 2.2%
Ages 60 to 69 15,380 0.7%
Ages 70 to 79 2,001 0.1%
Ages 80 to 89 381 0.0%



Couchsurfing genders:

Male 1,093,495 50.1%
Female 919,205 42.1%
Several people 154,053 7.1%
Unknown 1 0.0%


Other info:

Surfers with Photos 1,276,308 58.5%
Vouched Users 146,386 6.7%
Verified Users 158,779 7.3%
Ambassadors 1,575 0.1%
Groups 28,845
Group Members 2,076,998


Quotes from members:

"CS is a highly superb idea! As honorary ambassador of our university I must confirm the peaceful and social effect CS has on the world: borders between countries and heads disapper and more and more people get friends. I loved to visit e.g. a CS host in Frankfurt who treated me and my girlfriend as his next friends and made a big farewell party for us the day before we left. About 30 people came and we grilled 5 kilogram of Shashlik. He never expected a consideration and was surprised by every present we made. - And there are thousands and thousands of more great CouchSurfers like him, priceless experiences and wonderful times waiting on this site! Enjoy! -HVA-"

- Viktor Fahramm (Germany)
http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=861T0FK


"I got off the train and met a stranger...I got back on the train and said goodbye to a friend". CS has given me so much more than a different perspective on cities, its given me a different perspective on people. Through CS I have met people who have had the biggest influence on me ive ever known. I am the person I am today because of Couchsurfing! Thankyou!!"

- Kimmie Taylor (United Kingdom)
http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=7AAO0QP


"I am relatively new to the website and was reading about how the volunteers are trying to keep couchsurfing safe and useful. The way it handles references, complaints and verifications is brilliant. The 'spirit of couchsurfing' is made clear on almost every page possible and that is what keeps the spirit alive and the website successful in its objectives. I shot a mail to one of the members seeking information on some local restaurants and I got a reply in 30 minutes with a huge list of the best eateries in his city, something you won't find anywhere on the internet."

- Yogesh Kaunita (India)
http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=907LSCP



"Hey everyone, I've been using couchsurfing for 2 weeks and it's been brilliant. I've met some of the coolest, most interesting and kindest people in my life so I'm looking forward to every new adventure. I would just say if you're hesitant on whether to get involved in CS or not, then really have no fear - it's great!"

- Chris Davey (China)
http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=30IVM1A


"I have never surfed a couch off of this sight until last night when I got into Vancouver. I was amazed by the generosity, kindness, and faith a complete stranger would have for and in me. Kristi Buckland is awesome. I was also invited to and attended a party with other couchsurfers and met people from all over the world. Hope this continues to be one of the best experiences of my life"
Scott Mitchell (United States)



"If you think you are global citizen then there is no limit to explore the world. In which global becomes local where great conversations, smiles, opinions and ideas are mingled together and shared to make better world through understandings and knowledge. This is a greatest thing for a global citizens. I met amazing people in different locations in the world. This comes without a price tag. Nowhere else you will find such organisation as Couch Surfing."

- Aleem Raheem (United Kingdom)



"My decision to join CouchSurfing in January of last year was possibly the most momentous decision of my life thus far. Since I started I've been happier with every passing day. I've hosted and surfed with some of the kindest, most hospitable and interesting people I've ever met and have made friends for life. In a turn of events I never could have foreseen, in May of last year I met my wife when she surfed my couch in Portland. I can't stress enough how incredible this organization is!"

- John Degner (Canada)



Article on couchsurfing safety

http://studenttravel.about.com/b/2008/05/11/couchsurfing-safety.htm


Life can be unsafe on the road. You could get robbed, shanghaied, or accidentally let a cockroach run up your nose. Warnings and safety tips are good things to read before you go in order to avoid those possible problems. However, there's a point (which each person must define for him/herself) when it's enough -- enough paranoia, enough warnings.
For me, that point sometimes comes when experts warn of dire consequences which haven't yet transpired (for anyone in the course of millions of experiences), and I thought about that point when reading an article from the UK's Sky News ("How Safe Are Travel Networking Sites? Travel Networking Sites Hit Record Levels But Experts Question How Safe They Are").

The article quotes Charlie McGrath of Objective Gap Safety, a company which offers a gap year safety course and which is run by folks who "...specialise in training journalists and industry professionals operating in war zones and other hazardous areas"*, in reference to the potential dangers of staying with strangers via Couchsurfing and Hospitality Club sorts of sites. The article quotes McGrath as saying, "Young backpackers especially who haven't been away much need to be wary and cautious of these sites because you don't really know who you're going to be staying with." True.
The very thing decried in the above quote, though, is what makes Couchsurfing special: you don't know the person with whom you'll be staying, but you'll know your host well by the time you leave his / her home with, possibly, a new friend for life. Couchsurfing has a system set up whereby members can be verified and / or vouched for -- in this modern version of a coconut telegraph, you can check out the person with whom you're crashing as well as possible prior to heading up to their house. That wouldn't weed out psychopath hosts who've carefully hidden their mass murderer aspirations, but that's where your discretion comes in.
McGrath says backpackers should seek out commercial lodging rather than using hospitality sites, and that's indeed the way the vast majority of travelers roll. Were I back on my first solo trip again, I'd pick hostels over Couchsurfing sheerly for the social value (mass numbers of new people in new places). Couchsurfing has some distinctively distinctive pros, though. What do you think? Have you Couchsurfed, and will you do it again, or host a fellow traveler yourself? Tell us in the comments below.


Comments about couchsurfing in response to the article:

'I’m a huge fan of Couchsurfing and after having many experiences hosting people and surfing couches I have never had a bad experience till now. I really trust the other members of this community. Off course before hosting and surfing I analyze carefully the member’s profile I’m hosting or staying with in advance but in my opinion Couchsurfing is a quite safe project.'

- Neima Guerra



'i’ve couchsurfed it is great and i email with a host now from chicago and she stays with me in madrid, very safe,, anyone should do it it is much less expensive than hotel tho that is not why.'

- Jackie




'I’ve never been couchsurfing before, but am definately up for it. i dont think many things can go wrong…why would people rob you when youre living in their house?…you know where they live..i’m not really worried about crazy people at all, as long as i communicate with them well in advance.'


- Anna






Another article on couchsurfing:


http://akshatrathi.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/wikipedia-story-of-the-travel-world-couch-surfing/


Just as Wikipedia became an unfathomable feat by providing a global platform to share knowledge, couch surfing has become another such epic success story by providing a service for travellers across the globe to see the world through a local’s eyes. In my opinion, couch surfing (like Wikipedia) is one of those few endeavours which celebrate the purity of the human spirit.

The concept is simple: if you are able to find someone to allow you in their home for a night (or more) when you are travelling in an unknown place, then you become a couch surfer. And vice-versa, if you have some space to spare in your home and some kindness in your heart to allow a traveller to spend a night (or more) then you can become a host to a couch surfer. Yes, these are strangers who you will live with or let live just for a short period of time. Sounds absurd, right? With an ever growing distrust amongst us, how is this going to work? Well, it does and 2 million members in 237 countries, a part of the strong couch surfing community is the proof.

My experience has been only as a couch surfer not as a host yet. But as it works, most people first start surfing, meet other surfers and hosts, and then develop the courage to become a host. Yes, of course one needs to be courageous to let a stranger enter their house and let someone sleep the night. There are ways to ensure that the person you are hosting is authentic. The profiles on the couchsurfing.org have a good way of providing enough information about someone to be able to trust them. A personal website/blog is a definite plus and a few references from well connected couch surfers will go some way to helping you find a host. But what I found plays the most important role is writing a personalised request.

A personalised request means that you read the complete profile of the prospective host, understand what that person is like, find some commonalities (interests) that you could perhaps pursue with your host when you meet (cooking, talking about a book/experience/drinking) and then write the request. Also don’t forget to answer some hidden question, if any. Smart hosts put those in there just to make sure that a couch surfer has read the profile before making a request.

When you are hosted by a person living in the city, you come to know more about the city but from a different perspective. Of course, the lonely planet guide is a good place to look for information while travelling but what better than local knowledge that can help a traveller. Not all couch surfer hosts need to provide a place to stay for the night, you can volunteer to show the couch surfer around the city or just to meet the traveller for a coffee.

In return a couch surfer is not required to do anything special. He may buy the host a drink or go have dinner at nice place but that’s only if the surfer wishes to. There is no obligation on the surfer or the host to do anything special. But as it usually happens, you do end up doing lots of interesting things with your host. It can be cooking a meal together, watching a game or a movie, going to the host’s favourite places in the city or best of all spending hours talking about random things. Amongst other obvious things the surfer has to be courteous while using someone else’s house but if one is a little careful, couch surfing can only be a lot of fun.

I was taken aback by the success of couch surfing. From a traveler’s perspective, it couldn’t get better: a place to stay and local guidance, and both for free! Stay tuned for more on my experience of couch surfing in Munich, Zurich & Bern.

'Couch surfing is definitely the best way to find acoomodation! The cousin of couch surfing is lift surfing. Best way to travel from city to city!
Combine couch/lift surfing, and you have the ultimate backpacker travel method!'

- Lift Surfer