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PLEASE DO NOT POST REPLIES TO THIS THREAD!!!
POST ALL YOUR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS/COMMENTS IN THE RESPECTIVE SUB-GROUPS ONLY!!!
it will help to keep the main posts and the whole group easier to navigate.
THANK YOU.
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what to write in your profile.

CS is a very user-friendly page that makes it easy to intuit what to write in the profile. however, some new users eager to start off on CS asap decide to jot down a few lines here and there only :).

we're all here to make cultural connections (well, almost all of us - but those who aren't, we're constantly 'filtering out' :)), and an empty profile says nothing but "i'm not truly interested in CS". there is only one other reason for an empty profile: if you’re extremely busy and cannot host/travel on a regular basis and do not wish for too many users to contact you asking for a couch all the time.

other than that, your 'face' and 'id card' and 'introduction to who you are' are all your profile. the more thought, effort, time and writing and information you put into it, the more people will be inclined to contact you/accept you as their guest.

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1. what to write on the right side of the page

i think you'd figure it out :):):). here are some general tips:

a) try to extend what you write in either section beyond 2 sentences.

b) make sure what you write describes your personality well enough for the others to have a good idea what kind of a person you are, what is important to you, what you enjoy and not.

c) also, try writing in full sentences instead of separated words when you can - it shows you put thought into what you wrote and makes it easier to understand.

d) it's a cliché, but hey - Word does spell-check and grammar check for ya - use it ;)

e) CS profile is a bit of a job. if you can, review information on your profile every now and then. especially make sure you change appropriate sections/bits of information when you change your location, availability, schedule and other things that are mentioned on your profile and keep all info up to date :)

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2. Couch Description (read on if you have a couch and offer it!)

here's a few things to think about beyond the original 'couch info' questions you answer:

a) first and foremost (because i've seen it done before :)) - when you fill couch description, do NOT simply answer the provided questions by "yes", "no", "4" and such. nobody actually remembers the couch description questions by heart, let alone the order in which they appear. so whichever ones you choose to answer - answer them in full sentences with all respective subject-verbs :):):)

b) make sure, if you have a strict schedule and your guests will be bound to it, to indicate it and the times when they'd need to be out of the house and back in.

c) don't be afraid to state additional house rules if you have any. for example, if you're the kind of a person who likes to keep all things at their places - say so in the profile. it helps to make sure you and your guests have matched expectations about due behavior in the house and prevents negative experiences that may result in mixed expectations.

in the above-mentioned case, say you like order, while your guest is a person who has more of a laisser-faire attitude to where things are - in the end, you may feel the guest trashed your place, while the guest may decide you're too uptight :):):) (that situation was discussed in CS chatroom one day :)). if you state things like this in your profile right away, you'll avoid such tensions :).

d) as you gather more CS experiences, you may discover other things you don't appreciate your guests doing - go ahead add them on. for example, after i lost two maps of Prague to CSers, so now i put it in my profile that i want the map back :).

e) indicate how much time you can devote to your guests, so that they can appropriately plan things to do and see.



###################################################################################
PLEASE DO NOT POST REPLIES TO THIS THREAD!!!
POST ALL YOUR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS/COMMENTS IN THE RESPECTIVE SUB-GROUPS ONLY!!!
it will help to keep the main posts and the whole group easier to navigate.
THANK YOU.
###################################################################################