How We Want to Keep CouchSurfing

Discuss this article in the Brainstorm Group! and in the Quantity vs Quality Group

Please Keep CouchSurfing ...

About Real Life Connections

CouchSurfing is a real life phenomenon. All features and content on the site, and all organizational practices, should lead to real human connection and ultimately to connection in the real world. Whatever's on the internet, on television, or other media, is only a gateway to that vast part of CouchSurfing and hospitality which is in real life. New features shouldn't be added unless they lead to real life!

About Giving to Strangers

CouchSurfing is a kind of gift economy. We believe, for one reason or another, that acts of kindness, directed towards people who aren't already in our circles, are a powerful force for good in the world. We commit to continue to involve strangers outside of our circles and to continue to be about giving and offering, rather than transacting. (There should be no compulsory member fees or service taxes. Neither should the term of "hospitality exchange" be mistaken as a barter trade.)

Accessible and International

The Couchsurfing organization and website should be as simple and intuitive to all nationalities, age ranges, and technical levels as is possible. The organizational structure should be transparent and accessible. The functionality should be low entry.

Free, and a Volunteer Organization

Every contribution to the site/community, e.g. in hosting, development, promotion... is up to every single member's own decision. Things happen if people make them happen. Everybody can get involved with the things that they particularly care about and with the talents, ideas, time and means they can share. There should be no upper limit, but no lower neither.

A Fivefold(  ?) Network of Trust ...or call it Security

• the reference system is analogue text, and based on multisource community input. We trust each other on the groundwork of our shared experiences the way we individually phrase and percieve them. It would even be possible to ask a referer for more details via email if necessary.
• vouching is centrally originated and community-driven. We trust each other on the basis of explicit recommendation.
• the profile is the place to share something about ourselves. We trust each other with information which we would most likely not post on our front door.
• verification is a couchsurfer's acceptance to be identified and a "hard fact" sign of accountability, if put together with all the former trust/security measures: Verified profiles can contain untruth, but the person is real. You cannot have a second verified user account once you had one deleted as a verified user for whatev