Couch Surfing

The idea of Couch Surfing is amazing when you sit back and look at the big picture. I can make a friend online and then travel across the world and stay with that person for free, and he/she will even show me the sites. Wow! The implications of it are that social media can be used to create initially virtual creations that become physical. The idea really isn't all that new. As an example, take online advertising for a home. I am looking for a home, I check out a site, call the number, meet the agent and see the house (which beforehand only existed as pictures in my imagination). Then, I can meet the owners and purchase this house. Of course, couch surfing goes a step beyond, creating a different class or social relationships, one built on mutual trust and interests, which were completely founded on the web. Also, looking at a home takes no investment. Traveling around the world to stay with someone you've never met is quite a risk. What if the person is a lonely, miserable pervert? Of course, Couch Surfing takes steps to ensure that the people in its database that are verified are OK, but it can't really offer that much protection. It is definitely more secure and user-friendly with regards to security than other social media sites such as Facebook. Two-way acceptance of friendships, ratings for users and interactions with users, specific data fields for friends so that you know what you think of this person and can remember how you met, when, and how you have interacted, as well as an array of other similar tools really highlight the involved processes of tracking friends and acquaintances on the site. And, it should. Given the very nature of the site, I would think that even more security measures should be put into place. Just because I can verify my address doesn't mean that I'm not crazy. Sure, if I commit a crime against another couch surfer, then I would eventually be found out, but couldn't I simply fake another identity, or steal a credit card, use it to donate (step 2 of verification), and then look up that person whose card I have and get his/her address? Then, there have been issues with people never receiving their verification cards through the mail. I could be one of these victims who never receives the verification card and then requests another way to verify identity. And, social security numbers are not secure either, so what is next?

I like the site, but I would not put my family at risk by having a total stranger in my house. I may be willing, though, to travel somewhere else. If I lived by myself I would probably host someone, or if the person I was hosting was a good friend of someone I had known for a long time.