We All Need Heroes

COUCHSURFING

Chapter: When People Connect

Couchsurfing 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. CouchSurfing International Inc. is a corporation based in San Francisco that offers its users hospitality exchange and social networking services. It has more than three million profiles in 246 countries and territories. The couchsurfing project was conceived by Casey Fenton in 1999. According to Fenton’s account, the idea arose after finding an inexpensive flight from Boston to Iceland. Fenton randomly e-mailed 1,500 students from the University of Iceland asking if he could stay in someone’s home. He ultimately received more than 50 offers of accommodation. On the return flight to Boston, he began to develop the idea that would establish his couchsurfing project.
    Registering is free and members have the option of providing 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 his host or guest. Security is often measured in the references accumulated by networking. Volunteers may verify names and mailing addresses. Members looking for accommodation can search for hosts using several parameters such as age, location, gender and activity level.
    At CouchSurfing International’s website they explain their mission: “We envision a world where everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter. Building meaningful connections across cultures enables us to respond to diversity with curiosity, appreciation and respect. The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates a global community”.

Possible Moral
In today’s social climate, virtual encounters are more trusted and popular via increasingly well-managed websites designed for easy navigation. This creates more legitimate opportunities to meet other individuals that earlier would only have happened by pure chance. Couchsurfing promotes meeting face to face, having experiences together, or helping one another. This is not an online environment where people stay on for endless hours to chat or kill time, but one which members use to transform their online connections into flesh and blood friends or acquaintances.


Story from We All Need Heroes: Stories of the Brave and Foolish.
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