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CouchSurfing

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Couchsurfing
Founded2003
FounderCasey Fenton[1]
FocusHospitality exchange, international understanding, networking
Location
  • San Francisco, CA, United States
Area served
Global
MethodHospitality service
Websitehttp://www.couchsurfing.org/

The CouchSurfing Project is the largest hospitality exchange network, with over 1.6 million members in 234 countries and territories.[1] According to Alexa it is currently the most visited hospitality service on the Internet, averaging around 40 million daily page views July-December 2009.[2]

How it Works

After registering, which is free, members have the option of providing very detailed information and pictures of themselves and of the sleeping accommodation being offered, if any. The more information provided by a member improves the chances that someone will find the member trustworthy enough to be their host or guest. Names and addresses may be verified by volunteers. Members looking for accommodation can search for hosts using several parameters such as age, location, gender and activity level. Home stays 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 under certain circumstances (e.g. the guest may compensate the host for 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 also provides editable travel guides and forums where members may seek travel partners or advice. CouchSurfing is also focused on "social networking" and members organize activities such as camping trips, bar crawls, meetings, and sporting events.

The site also 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, and the annual "WinterCamp", a New Year's Eve party hosted in a different city in Europe every year

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:

  1. Personal references, which hosts and surfers could leave for each other at their option after having used the service.
  2. An optional credit card verification system, which allowed 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 CS to recuperate 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.[3]
  3. 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 wish to volunteer for various tasks on the site and help spread the word about CouchSurfing in general may become ambassadors. Ambassadors must be verified 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.

History

Casey Fenton

The CouchSurfing project was originally conceived by Casey Fenton in 2000. 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 emailed 1500 students from the University of Iceland asking if he could stay. Fenton ultimately received more than fifty offers of accommodation. On the return flight to Boston he began to develop the ideas that would underpin the CouchSurfing project.[2]

Site launch

Fenton developed the code intermittently over the next few years, and the site was launched with the cooperation of Dan Hoffer, Sebastien Le Tuan, and Leonardo Silveira[3] as a beta in January, 2003. The project became a public website in January 2004.

Initial growth of the site was slow, and by the end of 2004 the site had just over 6000 members. In 2005 growth accelerated and at the end of that year the membership stood at just under 45000.[4]

2006 database loss and relaunch

In June 2006 the project experienced a number of computer problems resulting in much of the database being irrevocably lost.[4] Due to the volume of critical data that had been lost, Casey Fenton was of the opinion that the project could not be resurrected and on June 29, 2006 he issued an email to the membership announcing that "It is with a heavy heart that I face the truth of this situation. CouchSurfing as we knew it doesn't exist anymore."[5]

Fenton's email 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 2006, with the intent to be operational within 10 days. The initial implementation of CouchSurfing 2.0 actually launched after only four days.[6] The current CouchSurfing slogan "Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time" was launched concurrently.

Since the relaunch the project has received international media coverage,[7] and has grown to in excess of 1 million members.[4]

Organization

Status

CouchSurfing International Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in the U.S. state of New Hampshire[5] where it also is a registered charity.[6] An application for the federal 501(c)(3) non-profit status was filed in November 2007.[7] As of July 1 2009 CouchSurfing is not in the "list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions".[8]

Mission

The mission statement of CouchSurfing is Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a Time [9]: "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!" [10]

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, Rio de Janeiro with the newest one upcoming in Istanbul from October 2009 to October 2010.


2009 rape in Leeds, UK

On 5 March 2009, a 29 year-old female member from Hong Kong travelled to Leeds in UK, and was hosted by a 34 year-old Moroccan national. The female alleged she was raped with threat of violence. She left the host next day and informed the police. Police arrested the host and the latter was charged with rape and sexual assault. The trial commenced on 11 August 2009. The victim in this case had stayed at strangers' homes, including with single men, in the UK and other European countries without incident before meeting the defendant.[8] Nachet denied the two counts of rape and one of sexual assault, however he was subsequently found guilty and jailed for 10 years.[9] A Hong Kong based newspaper advised female travelers to find female hosts if they are concerned about crime.[10]

References

  1. Heesakkers, P.J.A (2008). The CouchSurfing Project; Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch at a time. An Explorative Study on the Phenomenon of CouchSurfing. NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
  2. ^ CouchSurfing - Project Statistics
  3. ^ Alexa page view statistics for Hospitality networks
  4. ^ Casey Fenton asking help to recover from accidental DATABASE DROP on MySQL forum
  5. ^ New Hampshire non-profits, also available from Google Cache
  6. ^ Policy FAQs at CouchSurfing.org
  7. ^ List of charities in New Hampshire
  8. ^ Will CouchSurfing post its application for 501(c)(3) federal non-profit status?
  9. ^ Search for charities at the IRS
  10. ^ Wanderlust 5
  11. ^ DNS registry information about couchsurfing.org at WHOIS.
  12. ^ Expired Alaska business license for "Casey Fenton Consulting"
  13. ^ CouchSurfing 2.0 Mission
  14. ^ CouchSurfing Donate page
  15. ^ CouchSurfing Finances
  16. ^ CouchSurfing Project Team Founding
  17. ^ CouchSurfing Collectives
  18. ^ New Hampshire Web site showing CouchSurfing International is a Non-Profit Corporation
  19. ^ CouchSurfing disclosing member support after the crash
  20. ^ Verification fees based on a sliding scale determined by Purchasing Power Parity and Human Development Index
  21. ^ Surf this couch; A new web site introduces you to people who want you to crash at their place Couches all over the world are out there waiting just for you Toronto Star February 17, 2004, by Keith Beaty & Emily Mathieu
  22. ^ Demain, je dors chez un inconnu à Annotto Bay Liberation 25/03/2004 à 23h56 by Besse DesMoulieres Raphaëlle
  23. ^ Short of cash and need a free place to flop? Try couch surfing Los Angeles Times August 1, 2004, by James Gilden
  24. ^ Surf a couch and see the world Chicago Tribune Aug 29, 2004, by James Gilden
  25. ^ Couch potatoes unite Sydney Morning Hearld September 15, 2004, by Ben Wyld and Bonnie Malkin
  26. ^ The couch connection; A web site introduces travelers to locals who offer a place to stay and a new perspective on a destination Orlando Sentinel September 20, 2004, by Aline Mendelsohn
  27. ^ Couch Surfing ABC National Radio on Life Matters, 5 November 2004, with Julie McCrossin
  1. ^ http://www.couchsurfing.com/founders.html
  2. ^ Casey Fenton's account of the origins of the CouchSurfing Project
  3. ^ CouchSurfing Project Founding Team
  4. ^ a b CouchSurfing.com Statistics
  5. ^ Casey Fenton, The Perfect Storm
  6. ^ CouchSurfing 2.0 - The recovery
  7. ^ CouchSurfing.com Media references
  8. ^ Man accused of raping woman he met on couchsurfing.com website, The Telegraph, 11 Aug 2009
  9. ^ Leeds couchsurfing.com rapist jailed, Yorkshire Evening Post, 29 Oct 2009
  10. ^ 專家：女性應選女東家 (Expert: female members should find female hosts), Ming Pao (a Hong Kong-based newspaper), 13 Aug 2009
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