2. Overview
General
• History
• Organisation
• Statistics
Security Aspects
• Verification
• References
• Vouching
Own Experience
• Situation
• Progress
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 2
3. General
• History
– First idea in 2000 by Casey Fenton
– Find a cheap way to stay in Iceland
– Public lauch in January 2004
– Slow growth first two years
– 2006: database loss and relaunch
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 3
4. General
• Organisation
– Mission statement: „Participate in creating a
better world, one couch at a time“
– non-for-profit organisation situated in New
Hampshire
– Currently the largest hospitality exchange network
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 4
5. General
• Acutal Statistics (27th of October 2009)
– More than 1.4Mio. Participants from
– 231 countries
– 30% of couches permanent available + 17% maybe
– Most of the surfers between 18 and 30 years
– http://www.couchsurfing.com/statistics.html
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 5
7. Overview
General
• History
• Organisation
• Statistics
Security Aspects
• Verification
• References
• Vouching
Own Experience
• Situation
• Progress
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 7
8. Security Aspects
• Verification:
Aim: confirm identity & physical location
How?:
Sending money(~20$) to couchsurfing.org by credit
card
Couchsurfing.org verifies your identity
=>is mentioned on your personal page
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 8
9. Security Aspects
• References:
about host / by host
good indicator
can‘t be manipulated by the member
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 9
10. Security Aspects
• „Vouching“:
A way to declare your trust in other members
• How it works:
Get vouched for 3 times
Now you can vouche yourself
Important: You must know each other in the real world!
• Significance:
Be serious!
Better than references
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 10
11. Overview
General
• History
• Organisation
• Statistics
Security Aspects
• Verification
• References
• Vouching
Own Experience
• Situation
• Progress
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 11
12. Own Experience
• Situation
– My sister came to Europe to backpack for the
summer.
– She planned to stay for 6 weeks
– She had budgeted €40,- per night
– Decided to give couch surfing a try…
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 12
13. Own Experience
Ended up staying for 12 weeks!!
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 13
14. Own Experience
• Situation
– After hearing how great her experience was I
decided to tag along in Italy
– It was crazy!!
– The guy was hosting about 19 people in his living
room.
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 14
15. Own Experience
• Situation
– My girlfriend is an active member of the
community in Graz.
– They all know each other, and if someone can’t
host someone, he gives the person the handy
number of someone who can.
– They meet each week.
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 15
16. That‘s it!
Thanks for your attention!
Start asking and Discussing!
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 16
17. Discussion Topics
Would YOU do it??
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 17
18. Discussion Topics
What are the dangers
involved?
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 18
19. Discussion Topics
Leave a stranger in your
home??
DATUM!!! English for Engineers 19