Trustroots Wiki - User contributions [en]

How to be a good host

2017-09-20T13:44:35Z

Traumschule: Category:Kindness

'''How to be a good host'''.

For many travelers, the first priorities are finding somewhere safe, welcoming, and clean. (Or at least reasonably clean!) As part of the Couchsurfing community, your guests will probably also hope to learn something about your country or hometown; not just seeing the “tourist sights”, but also learning about your life and culture.

== Languages ==
* [[File:Flag_of_Italy.png|30px]] Questa pagina è disponibile anche nella versione italiana [[Come essere un buon ospitante]].
* [[File:1VQT.jpg|30px]] traduction [[Comment être un bon Hôte|français ici]].
* [[File:Indonesia-Flag-.png|30px]] Topik ini tersedia dalam terjemahan Bahasa Indonesia pada artikel berjudul [http://couchwiki.org/en/Tuan_Rumah Tuan Rumah].

== Before your guests arrive ==

* '''Check with the other people in your residence'''. Well before your guests arrive, clear their visit with the other people sharing your place: housemates, spouse, family. Make sure there are no date conflicts; show them the guest profile; Before you finalize any plans, be sure their visit won’t present any problems - you don’t want your guests to be in the awkward position of arriving to find an unwelcoming household. Depending on your situation, you may also need to inform your concierge or landlord.
* '''Exchange alternative means of contact''': Share your, MSN messenger, personal e-mail addresses, Skype, additional phone numbers, as backups to the CouchSurfing message system -- which could very likely become a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_point_of_failure single point of failure] (a well known [http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks risk] of computers), and tangle guests' plans waiting for your reconfirmation, (and even lead to [[negative references]] about your perceived lack of response). Note that you need to do this in your ''very first reply'' to a couchsurfing request! Seasoned hosts and surfers leave permanent mention of an alternate contact method right there on their profiles, lest they forget to append it to messages, or -- ''just in case'' anyway. Also we've seen members who for some reason or another or through their own choice had their profile disappear. Upon which their friends realized they now could find absolutely no other way to contact them! So it is always a good idea to have the "My Website" etc. items on ones profile filled in, so your pals will already be familiar with alternative channels just in case this ''single point of failure'' fails! P.S., OK, you did all the above, now also don't forget to fix and test your doorbell -- your guests might not have brought a tent!
* '''Arranging to meet:''' If they know when they’re arriving (e.g plane/train/bus on a fixed schedule), email your guests clear instructions for how they can meet up with you: day, date, time, place (with both street address and intersections). Remember that visitors may not know prominent landmarks and main streets. If you regularly use one mode of transportation and your guests are using another, remember to allow for different travel times or routes. Be there to meet them, when and where you’ve said you’d be. As a backup, in case of delays or emergencies, get their mobile phone number if available, and give them yours.
** '''Have an alternative strategy''' if you can’t be home to meet them when they arrive in your city. Propose a specific meeting time/place (e.g. your workplace). Keep in mind that they may be carrying a heavy backpack or luggage. It would be unfair and perhaps painful to ask them to walk a very long distance to meet with you.
** '''Be flexible:''' Some people, especially in the Couchsurfing community, don't have a fixed travel plan. They don't know what time or even date they will arrive. If you’re flexible and willing to host them, tell them to at least call you again one or two days before they will be arriving. Bear in mind that it is impossible for '''[[Tips for hitchhikers|hitch-hikers]]''' to guarantee their arrival time. A good strategy may be to give them your mobile phone number and get them to call or SMS/text message you when they arrive in your city.
* '''Clarify the duration''' of their stay: if they’re staying "until Monday", what exactly do they mean: Monday morning? Or are they including a Monday overnight stay?
* '''Discuss schedules:''' Will guests have to be out of the house while you’re at work or school? Is the "couch" in a "high traffic" area for the household? If so, do people tend to stay up late, or wake up early? Are there only certain days when you’ll be around to meet them?
* '''Accurately describe''' the accommodation you can offer, the people sharing your house, any restrictions or preferences; for example regarding: smoking, drugs, alcohol, gender of guest, numbers of guests at a time, presence of pets. Also note any other special points: Will your guests have to bring sleeping bags or towels? Will they be able to use your kitchen to prepare meals, or will they have to eat out?
* '''Describe your neighborhood, ''' particularly its distance from the city center, and traveling time by public transit. A great way to offer peace of mind to your incoming surfer would be to have photos of local landmarks in a gallery in your CS profile.

== Make your guests feel at home: ==

* '''Make time for your guests.''' For many hosts and guests, the best part of CouchSurfing is the chance to meet people and learn about their lives and cultures; if you’ll be busy with work and other commitments, let your guests know that ahead of time. Perhaps, if appropriate, you could invite your guests to join you in some of your daily activities. Maybe they can come and sit in your academic class. Maybe you can get another ticket to that concert you're going to. Even if they aren’t interested in the offer, they’ll appreciate the gesture. Try to allow for at least ''some'' time together. Value and celebrate the opportunity to meet fellow travelers.

* '''Be considerate. ''' Consider what your guests might need, or even ask them directly and respond accordingly.
** For the travel-weary or jet-lagged: a cup of tea, warm shower, quiet spot for a nap.
** For the budget-traveler: tips on local markets and access to your kitchen.
** For many travelers: a brief orientation to your hometown (see [[#Preparing an information package for your guests]]).

* '''Be welcoming.''' Small gestures can go a long way: a cleared shelf for their belongings; a small garden-picked bouquet near their couch; learning a few words in their language. You’re delighted to have them visit you, so find ways to show it!
** CouchSurfing guests ''are'' expected to be responsible for their own food, but an offer of a home-cooked meal will rarely go amiss. If you go out to eat, and are feeling generous, offer to pay for their meal... traveling is hard on the wallet! If - for budgetary, scheduling, or culinary reasons - you don’t share a meal, at least offer them tea, coffee, etc.

* '''Communicate.''' Even if there’s a language barrier, do what you can to include your guests in the general conversation. Speak in their language if you can. If they don’t speak your language fluently, speak more slowly (don’t drag the syllables out so the words get distorted; pause more frequently so they can mentally translate the words you’ve said). People will usually be able to understand much more than they can say. In any case, smiles and a welcoming attitude speak volumes.

* '''Learn from your guests.''' Have a healthy, respectful curiosity about their lives and homes. If you speak different languages, learn a few words in theirs. Listen to stories about their travels. Find out about their favorite books or films. Ask them to tell you about writers, musicians, and artists from their culture or hometown. Practice active listening.

* '''Be a resource for them.''' You have "insider's knowledge" of your hometown; let them know you'd be happy to share it with them: favorite non-tourist spots, good cheap restaurants, how much to pay for a local item (or taxi fare).

* '''Share laughter'''.

== Avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings ==

* '''Be culturally aware. '''A small sample of practices that may vary from culture to culture: table customs and manners; gift-giving customs and taboos (some flowers may be associated with mourning, for example); greeting etiquette (handshakes, kisses, hugs, no physical contact at all?); attitudes towards punctuality; acceptable topics of conversation; personal space; degree of physical contact; degree of eye contact during conversation; acceptable levels of loudness when talking; the role of women in society; attitudes towards hospitality (e.g. your guests may be from a culture where guests are given the best room in the house, etc.); frankness and directness in personal conversation; who pays for the bill after a shared meal; attitudes towards alcohol use; attitudes towards pets; food taboos and restrictions; modesty in clothing or behaviour; expressing disagreement in discussions.

* You can do some homework ahead of time: research your guests’ home countries and cultures. Try these subject headings in your public library’s catalog: “Etiquette - [name of country]”, “Business etiquette - [name of country]”, “Intercultural communication”. Go online, and see what cultural differences strike expatriates and visitors.

* '''Be clear.''' In forestalling major misunderstandings, the best place to begin is with a thorough, accurate profile, and through your preliminary e-mails with your guests. See above "Before your guests arrive" section.
** Besides an exact address, have an e.g., Google™ Maps link ready to give to guests. You must admit e.g., http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:24.18170,120.86604 pinpoints one's spot rather exactly. See all the http://mapki.com/wiki/Google_Map_Parameters .
** During the visit, you can continue to avoid misunderstandings by staying clear and polite: if phone calls are expensive and you’d like to be reimbursed, let your guests know that beforehand. If you aren’t comfortable letting them use your computer, give them directions to a local internet cafe or library. If they’re welcome to share certain edibles/potables only, make that clear: “For breakfast, you’re welcome to try these cereals; but I’m saving the eggs for later”; Or suggest what they can use: “There’s bread and cheese on this shelf if you’d like to make a sandwich”.

* Guests should expect to be responsible for their own food/meals, but there may be occasions when you share a restaurant meal. You are not obliged as a Couchsurfing host to pay for your guests. But be aware that - as mentioned above - different cultures may have different expectations and etiquette regarding who pays for a shared dinner. For example, in some cultures, the person who issues the invitation is expected to pay. If you’re asking your guests to join you, but expect them to pay their share - tactfully clarify it at the time of the invitation. If you’ve already arranged to go to a specific restaurant (say, with friends), give your guests an estimate of the meal costs. Your guests may be traveling very frugally and prefer to cook their own food; or - if you haven’t chosen a restaurant yet - they may prefer a more modestly priced one. (Of course, if you can afford it and wish to treat your guests, they'll probably be delighted!)

* Hosts decide whether or not to lend a spare house key to their guests. Some do. Others prefer that guests be in the house only when someone else is at home. Yet others lend a house key, but request that guests be back by a certain hour (to avoid waking the household upon return). As a host, it's your call - decide what you are comfortable with; and let your guests know.

== Pointers on safety ==

* Couchsurfing should be a safe experience for guests ''and'' hosts; please read the section [[Safety for hosts#Decide how open your home will be|Decide how open your home will be]] at [[Safety for hosts]].

== Help to build a global community ==

* Syracuse Cultural Workers’ poster [http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-how-build-global-community How to Build a Global Community]

'''''Think about it. Embrace its spirit. - Let it inform and enrich your Couchsurfing experiences!'''''

== Preparing an information package for your guests ==

If you include any - or even all, if appropriate - of the following, your guests will appreciate it. If you’re ''really'' organized, file it in a binder, as many hotels/motels do. Business cards, brochures, or website printouts can be a quick way to get an info package together. Whatever storage or filing method you choose, keep it handy so you can easily find pieces, remove outdated items, or add more stuff.

If your guests are there ''only'' at times when you're at home, some of these sections won't be relevant.

'''You can include:'''

* A local tourist/guidebook for them to borrow and consult while staying with you.

* Maps of your hometown for them to borrow: transit maps, tourist maps, cycling maps, your immediate neighborhood.

* A list of emergency phone numbers: fire, police, ambulance. Your own address and phone number. Other safety tips as necessary: are there areas (in town or near your home) that visitors should exercise caution when visiting - or even avoid altogether?

* A list of nearby shops and services: laundromats /launderettes, groceries, or markets, pharmacies, gas/petrol stations. Places of worship, for different faiths and denominations. Nearest walk-in clinics, both medical and dental. Nearest photographic outlet for processing either film or digital images. Try a Google Maps printout of your neighborhood.

* Neighborhood eateries, coffee houses, tea shops, pubs: Whether in a typed list, collection of business cards. or sample (takeout) menus. Again, try a Google Maps printout. Recommendations and comments are always appreciated too.

* Transit information. How much is bus fare? How do you get to and from downtown? Remember that landmarks (main intersections, etc.) that seem obvious to you, are not necessarily so to visitors.

* Tourist information. Brochures from museums and art galleries. Fliers from the local tourist center. Local history books, nature guides to native trees, plants, animals, photography books of the region.

* Event information. Is there a free street festival coming up? A special concert that your musically-inclined guest may want to know about? An annual parade that will tie up traffic for the whole day?

* Internet use: If they don’t have use of your computer or Internet service, where is the closest Internet cafe ? Or library with free Internet? Or free WiFi zone?

* Telephone use: Let your guests know whether they can use your phone, and any related restrictions. Is there a charge for each local call? Is it per-minute or per-call? Will they be able to make long-distance/trunk calls from your phone? If not, where is the nearest pay phone that will make international calls? What do the dial tones, busy, and ringtones sound like? (These aren't the same everywhere; it may be obvious to you, but not to your guests, especially if they're traveling across continents.)

* Idiosyncrasies of your house: if your smoke alarm is particularly sensitive, can they switch it off if they burn the toast? Can guests use particular appliances (microwave, washer/dryer, dishwasher, kettle), and if so, are there particular instructions? What goes in the recycling bin(s)? What gets composted?

* Fitness/recreation: Is there a nearby swimming pool/ fitness center that offers day rates (or is even free)? Brochure with the gym schedule? What’s a safe jogging route in your neighborhood? Is there a bike-rental facility?

* "Early checkout": If they have to leave unexpectedly (ongoing flight is earlier than anticipated; the offer of a ride suddenly comes through), what should they do? Is there a neighbor who can take the key? A locked mailbox into which they can slip it? Can they drop it off at your workplace? (Note: Hosts are not obliged to lend their guests a spare key. Some hosts ask that guests leave the house when they themselves are at work/school. It's the host's call, and can vary with his/her own comfort levels and the situation.)

* Your own contact numbers: cellphone, work phone, personal messaging/digital device. Your full name, if they need to call you through a switchboard at work.

* Specialized interests: do you have particular area of interest you'd like to share? Include it for like-minded guests: second-hand bookstores, Belgian chocolate shops, quirky museums. Or just somewhere that makes your hometown special, but which won't appear in the tourist guides: a lovely park, favorite bike route, local art installation.

== One host, two locations ==
Let's say you are a host with two residences. Half of each week you are in one, and the other half at the other?
:[[Answers to some common Contact Us Questions#How do I list multiple addresses.3F I have more than one address....|Official answer]] ([[Talk:Answers to some frequently occurring contact us questions#Multiple addresses|discuss]]).

== See also ==
* [[How to be a good guest]]
* [[How to handle Couchscroogers]]
* [[How to handle freeloaders]]
* [[Safety for hosts]]

[[Category:Kindness]]

Category:Hidden categories

2017-09-04T05:07:59Z

Traumschule: Category:Couchwiki

[[Category:Couchwiki]]

Category:Pages with broken file links

2017-09-04T05:07:41Z

Traumschule: __HIDDENCAT__ Category:Couchwiki

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[[Category:Couchwiki]]

How to be a good guest

2017-09-04T05:06:43Z

Traumschule: Category:Kindness

Hospitality exchange works because people somehow know '''how to be a good guest'''.

You don't need to stay with someone to use [[Hospitality_exchange|hospitality networks]]! You can always email people just to offer a coffee or beer, or ask if they can show you around their hometown. It is very important to remember that the whole idea of hospitality exchange is new to many people. It is up to you to build up trust. Different people warm up to others at different rates. Please be respectful of this.

== Tips from single networks "how to be a good guest" ==
* Bewelcome: [https://www.bewelcome.org/wiki/Being_a_good_guest Being a good guest]
* Couchsurfing: [https://support.couchsurfing.org/hc/en-us/articles/200717684-Tips-to-be-a-Great-Couchsurfer- Tips to be a Great Couchsurfer!]
* ...

== Languages ==

* [[File:Srbija.png|30px]] Ova stranica je dostupna i na srpskom, [[Kako biti dobar gost|kliknite ovde !]]
* [[File:1VQT.jpg|30px]] Traduction en français : [http://couchwiki.org/en/Comment_être_un_bon_Invité Cliquez ici!]
* [[File:Flag_of_Italy.png|30px]] Questa pagina è disponibile anche nella versione italiana [[Come essere un buon ospite]]
* [[File:Flag_of_Russia.gif|30px]] Эта страница также доступна и на русском языке, [[Как быть хорошим гостем|жмите сюда!]].

== General Tips ==

* If you haven't yet read '''[[How_To_Write_A_Couch_Request|how to write a couch request]]''', please do so before you start search for a host or someone to meet.

* '''Hospitality exchange is not the same as a hotel'''. You should be looking for a host to stay with, and not just a couch to use. Hospitality exchange is also about the experience of meeting and spending time with people, so try to choose compatible hosts. Don't forget that while you are traveling, your hosts have their own work, school, and daily schedules to keep.

* '''"Spread the love around"''': Less days with more hosts is better than more days with less hosts. You get to meet more hosts, see more places, and don't become a burden or bore returning night after night to the same host. Try 'one night max per host' on your next trip and see if it makes your travel more lively.

* Appreciate the hospitality, time, and effort spent on your behalf.

* '''Communicate clearly.''' Be clear about the dates you are arriving and leaving. Use formats like "9 August", instead of "9/8" or "8/9". If possible, share chat accounts, personal e-mail addresses, Skype, additional phone numbers, as backups for the network message system. If you can, confirm your arrival the day before. Don't overstay; leave when you said you would.
* '''Plan to be self-sufficient for meals:''' either bring food with you (e.g. sandwich fixings, cereal for breakfast), or be prepared to eat out. Your hosts may invite you to share their meals, but are under no obligation to do so. (Hosts themselves may be on limited budgets, or have different dietary preferences.) If you're invited to join them for a meal, offer to help in some way: with the preparation, washing-up, or by buying some of the groceries for the meal.
* '''Be flexible.''' You may have to hang out for a few hours at a cafe until your host gets off work. Your host may not be able to give you a spare key, so you might have to be out of the house while they're at work or school. Arrange your schedule around theirs. Being flexible and having good communication with your host is critical for a positive experience.
* '''Gifts.''' The entire idea of hospitality exchange is that you can stay, for free, as a guest in a person's home. That being said, however, gifts from home are generally welcome and may even be culturally required. But try to do better than cheap, dollar-store souvenir trinkets. And be sensitive to individual and cultural differences: for example, some hosts don't drink (so don't bring them a bottle of wine); or certain flowers in some cultures are associated with mourning. Read your hosts' profiles to get a sense of what they may like; chocolates, fruit, pastries, or baked goods from a local bakery, are often good standbys. If you have the skill and time (and your hosts agree), you could even offer to cook a meal for them (see section below). MP3's shared, books left behind or lent, can cost you nothing to leave behind, but leave a nice lasting impression.
* '''Money.''' You should have funds to pay for travel-related expenses: budget for food, local transportation and other costs (museum entries, etc.). Hosts should not be expected to provide anything except a place to stay for the night. If your host provides you with meals, entertainment, or transportation, offer to compensate them: offer to buy groceries, pay for your share of the tickets, or re-imburse them for fuel costs. If your host will not accept payment, then a "thank you" in some other form - whether a gift, a cooked meal, a chore done (e.g. shovelling snow from the sidewalk) or shared skill (e.g. fixing their bicycle) - would be nice. Don't take advantage of the generosity of your hosts; don't be a freeloader.

* '''Local Information''' - Your host is a valuable source of information. You can find out how to get around (cheaply!), where the nightlife is, how to meet other local people, how to deal with the authorities, and what you should see in the area. Ask! However, be aware that your host is not a free tour guide or travel agent, and may be busy with work and other commitments, so don't bombard them with constant questions.
* That said, try to have some idea of what you want to do in the area if possible by checking out a guidebook or the city's tourism site before you arrive. While hosts usually have many ideas, you shouldn't expect them to provide you with an itinerary.

* If '''a host is unable to offer you a couch''' at the time that you need it, please acknowledge their response with a "thanks anyway..." or something along those lines. You never know... maybe they will host you in the future.
* If '''a host offers you a couch, and you choose not to accept it''', you have to let them know. At least send a polite note saying "thanks, but I've found another place to stay...". You might like to add, "..maybe we can meet for coffee or a drink?" - but do so only if you genuinely have the time and desire to meet.

=== Along the way ===
* '''Don't pick the fruit'''. It may seem to grow wild to you but it may very well be the hard work of your host's neighboring farmers. One or two such incidents is all it might take to get guests banned from the whole area.

=== During your stay ===
* '''Appearances & Cleanliness:''' A whole division of the backpacker world seems to think looking dirty and being stinky is cool, but it does not make strangers want to share their living spaces with you. So shower: but also check with your host as to when it would be a good time to do so. Some hosts may live in areas with water-use restrictions; or have limited hot water; or have only one shared bathroom and several people who all need it at the same time in the morning.
* '''Toilets:''' Some sewage systems are not designed to take tampons; others may not take toilet paper (for example, you may be expected to clean yourself with water, or to put toilet paper in a special bin for other disposal). If in doubt, ask beforehand. (In some cultures, it may be polite to talk about such subjects only with a member of the same sex. Or not raise the topic at all. But it may be better to risk being rude, than to clog the only household toilet.)
* '''Keep your footprint small:''' Remember to be as tidy and use the least space possible - perhaps try to fit all your belongings in one square meter! Some couchsurfers suggest not leaving accessories in the bathroom. But, if you do so, keep them (makeup, shampoo, soaps) neatly bagged. This is especially important if your host's place is small (one-room 20 square meters flats are common in main European cities such as [[Paris]] or [[London]])
* '''Adapt to your host's rhythm at home:''' Is the "couch" in a "high traffic" area for the household? If so, do people tend to stay up late, or wake up early? Be sensitive to your host's style, preferences, and schedule, and everyone will enjoy the experience. If you go to a party host, then sure, party on! (Only at their invitation, of course.) If you go to a family, take it easy.
* '''Schedules:''' Your hosts probably have fixed work or school schedules. Before or at the beginning of your stay, ask what schedule they keep. Allow time in your schedule to spend time with them. Even if you have a separate room, don't sleep all morning unless it is compatible with the household schedule. If you are badly jet-lagged, let your hosts know, and check if it's okay if you sleep in.
* '''Bringing guests back:''' It is never acceptable to bring back guests to the host's house without getting explicit permission first. You should not ask to bring back a guest that you have just met as the host may feel uneasy about having to refuse. Expecting to bring back a guest "to spend the night with you" is nearly always considered extremely inappropriate.
* '''Door keys:''' Hosts decide whether or not to lend a spare house key to their guests. Some do. Others prefer that guests be in the house only when someone else is at home. Yet others lend a house key, but request that guests be back by a certain hour (to avoid waking the household upon return). Respect your host's wishes. If he/she is gracious enough to lend you a spare door key, it is not a free ticket to stay out as long as you want, especially if you plan to go out at night without them. Check to see what would be a reasonable and convenient time for you to return. Call them if you are unexpectedly delayed.
* '''Door locks:''' Ask about the host's door-locking policy, and how the door lock works. You don't want to accidentally lock your host (or yourself) out of the apartment! (In some countries and communities, people don't lock the doors from inside, because it is not needed. In some rural areas, some houses might not even have doors.) Be sure to confirm with you host how you can leave early without him/her available to unlock an exit door!
* '''Cooking:''' ''If'' you have the skill and inclination, and the host would like enjoy it, offer to cook for your host. Making dinner is usually appreciated, but hard to pull off if you are only stopping for a night. If you are staying for a few nights, those later in your vist may be better ones for you to cook: by then, you'll have a chance to check if your host has the necessary spices, condiments and other ingredients; and if not, for you to buy them. Your hosts will also know at least a bit about you, and be comfortable with you in their space (since some people are very particular and picky in their own kitchens).
* '''Helping out:''' When you eat together, offer to wash dishes. Nothing is better for a couch surfer than doing the dishes. This is especially appreciated when you are staying at a shared house and you only know one of the renters, or if you have been hooked up with this couch by a 3rd party. Everyone likes to have a clean kitchen, even if they are too lazy to deal with it. And cleaning the kitchen is usually "safe": people are unlikely to be offended by your help there, and you can usually figure out where things go.
* If '''borrowing something''' from your host (with permission beforehand, of course), try to return it in better condition than you found it: e.g. re-fill the fuel tank of a motorbike, oil the chain and pump up the tire of a bicycle. At least return what you've used clean and in good condition.
* '''PC and Telephone:''' Don't use your host's computer or telephone unless he/she gives you explicit permission. Offer to pay for all phone calls. Don't download any programmes onto their computer. Check to see if they prefer the computer logged off, shut-down, or left on when you finish using it.
* '''Electrics:''' Check your host's preferences about having things like lights, fans, and air-conditioning left on or off.
* '''Leave the house:''' It is expected that you are traveling to see the area you are visiting. Do venture outside, and be prepared for temperature extremes of the region you are in. Have an idea of what you can do in the area and don't expect to be in your host's home for most of the day or every day.
* '''Staying on longer:''' You should always ask permission, as far in advance as possible, if you want to stay on longer than initially agreed and not just assume it will be okay. If no agreement is made initially, try to let the host know as soon as possible when you are intending to leave and check that it is okay. Do not outstay your welcome, be conscious of signals that you may be staying too long even if your host doesn't explicitly say so. Never question or try to overturn a request by your host that you need to leave or that they can't host you for any longer.
* '''Clean up after yourself:''' If you bought food please take it with you when leaving, unless your hosts would like it.
* '''Say "thank you" when you're with your host, but also after you leave.
'''

=== After leaving ===
* Hospitality exchange works ''works'' because people can trust others. That's why it's important to leave comments (=references in CS talk :). If you have a bad experience, this is even more important, though might be more difficult. Just remember that other CouchSurfers depend on ''you'' leaving comments.
* Say "thank you". Either the old fashioned way, with a card, postcard, or letter from a later destination, or from back home. Or, if you're not into sending "snail mail" anymore, at least e-mail a "thank you" note.

== [[Cultural Differences]] ==
Violating customs can cause offense. Read ahead of time and find what is appropriate, and what are considered "local sensitivities". Ask your host what is expected, or assume the most conservative scenario. Be well-informed in advance, so that you do not inadvertently find yourself embarrassed. For instance:

* Remove your shoes outside the door in Japan, and you eat with your right hand only in some parts of the Middle East.

* '''Avoid conversation topics that are taboo or poor taste to discuss'''. These subjects are things like: (homo) sexuality, religion, politics, war, genocide, minorities. These are probably not the best topics to discuss in casual or public environments. Save these conversations for your close friends, and not for people you have just met. This is a good social relation tip in general, actually.

* Hindus don't eat beef, as cows are considered sacred. Muslims generally do not eat pig related food products (as do some Jews).

* Sometimes, romantic couples may need to sleep separately.

More info:

* [[India#How to be a good guest|India]]
* [[Finland#How to be a good guest|Finland]]
* [[Netherlands#How to be a good guest|Netherlands]]

== See also ==
* [[How To Write A Couch Request]]
* [[How To Be A Good Host]]
* [[How to handle Couchscroogers]]
* [[How to handle freeloaders]]
* [http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Conversation-with-a-Stranger Tips on starting a conversation with a stranger]
* [http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-House-Guest How to Be a Good House Guest] at wikiHow

[[Category:Kindness]]

Traveling in developing countries

2017-09-04T04:58:35Z

Traumschule: Category:Kindness

'''Traveling in Developing Countries''' it's a whole different experience for those who come from first world nations and well worth it.

:''If you have knowledge and exprience on the subject provide, your fellow CouchSurfers with a bit of useful information about traveling in developing countries. Please post anything you believe to be relevant to the topic.''

==What is a Developing Country?==
According to the World Bank : ''Classifications and data reported for geographic regions are for low-income and middle-income economies only. Low-income and middle-income economies are sometimes referred to as '''developing economies'''. The use of the term is convenient; it is not intended to imply that all economies in the group are experiencing similar development or that other economies have reached a preferred or final stage of development. Classification by income does not necessarily reflect development status.'' [http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:20420458~menuPK:64133156~pagePK:64133150~piPK:64133175~theSitePK:239419,00.html]

So this means actually that most countries in the world are developing countries and that most people live in developing countries.

==Donating==
You might decide to give.
If you do so, think of it first.
Giving pens and sweets to children encourages them to beg. Doesn't matter how lovely they look, if you don't know a child well, avoid giving them anything material. But you might think of giving them drawings of yours and sending them pictures you took of them. Ask for their address. This is not only true for children, if you take somebody's portrait try to send it to them. It is about respect.
It is often better not to give money on the brisk of a moment, but think of it and do some research when you are back home. Find a charity you trust in the country you are thinking of and help them.
If you have some medicines you want to give away, give them to a local doctor (they are always welcome), not to families. They might be used the wrong way and beside they could go against local practices and knowledge.
Similarly, you might want to give pens and notebooks directly to local schools.

==Staying Healthy==
Before departing on your trip you might consider visiting a page like www.cdc.gov It is the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention and there is a travel section where they outline health risks for all countries. Just to note, their suggestions tend to be pretty conservative. For example last I read they suggest you both boil and treat water with either iodine or chlorine. In most cases you are probably safe doing just one or the other. For Oaxaca they also recommend that you take anti-malarial medication however when I was there, I spoke with a doctor who said there had not been a reported case of malaria in 5 years. Check the site a few weeks ahead of time because if you are going to a place where you might be exposed to malaria you may need to start taking anti-malarial medications 1 to 2 weeks before your departure. A common guideline to determine whether you should eat fruits and vegetables is often boil it, peel it or forget it. In other words, if you do not wash fruit or vegetables yourself with water you are sure has been treated then they better be cooked or of the variety that can be peeled by yourself. Also remember to ask for beverages without ice, the ice maybe made from water that is not purified.

==See also==

* [[Ecological traveling]]

[[Category:Travel]]
[[Category:Kindness]]

Intimate tourism

2017-09-04T04:57:10Z

Traumschule: Category:Philosophy Category:Kindness

'''Intimate Tourism''', also known as '''[[Emotional Tourism]]''', is a concept created by Paula Bialski, a student sociologist, while studying [[CouchSurfing]], a hospitality exchange network. Intimate tourism is a term which is used to define the process of hospitality exchange networks as the individual experiences a kind of relationship without physical or geographical borders – a post-friendship where the personal needs of the individual such as “personal growth,” direct dialog, and human closeness, is met instantly, without taking into account any time-space continuum traditionally ingrained in the institution of friendship.

Within Intimate Tourism, there are key social processes which assist this mechanism to fully function as it does – factors which allow people to become close, and verbally intimate after a very brief time.
# The dichotomy between public and private space within our urban environment can influence our intimacy level - specifically, the fact that individuals are meeting in the utmost of intimate spaces - the private home.
# The specific goal and mindset of the CouchSurfing individual is crucial as they make use of this previously-mentioned space in order to fulfill their agenda of ‘personal growth.’
# Finally, the Internet is the crucial key in merging these two worlds and quenching the individual’s need for closeness by providing access to the locality of intimacy – the private home or ‘couch.’

== External links ==
* [http://intimatetourism.wordpress.com/ The Sociology of Intimate Tourism], Paula Bialski's blog
* [http://www.hospitalityguide.net/hg/wiki/index.php?title=Emotional_Tourism An interpretive study of online hospitality exchange systems as a new form of tourism]

[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Kindness]]

Emotional Tourism

2017-09-04T04:57:00Z

Traumschule: Category:Philosophy Category:Kindness

==An interpretive study of online [[hospitality exchange]] systems as a new form of tourism==

::By Paula Bialski
::June, 2006

:<small>''Also available in Polish: [[Albo Turystyka Emocjonalna]]''</small>

The way people move, the way we shift space, the way we push and explore the boundaries between “us,” the tourists and “them,” the native citizens, has become a fascinating and quickly changing phenomenon. Take the example of Grzesiek, a Pole living in Utrecht, Holland, traveling to Geneva, Switzerland. Rejecting the classic route of hotel or hostel accommodation, Grzegorz joined the rapidly-growing phenomenon of what is known as “hospitality service” and “slept” on Frank’s, the Genevan’s, couch. I put “slept” in quotation marks because instead of sleeping, Grzegorz spent the entire night listening to Frank’s life story. Grzegorz didn’t experience a strictly material, sensory view of Geneva. His experience was not limited to the sights of a museum, or the smells and tastes of a Swiss restaurant. In staying at his host, Frank’s, apartment, Grzegorz became a new form of tourist, where emotion and closeness to another human being was transferred into the practice of tourism. Within two days, he experienced an interpersonal connection that went further than just a relationship to sights and smells of the city. In being hosted by Frank, he was guaranteed another sensory experience beyond material values.

Grzesiek is only one in many cases verifying the fact that tourism today is experiencing a great fragmentation, and moreover, is starting to take on new meaning and purpose for each individual traveler. This fragmentation and change within the discipline is not something new. The purpose of travel has been changing since its origin. Yet before I move on, I want to emphasize that new processes within the practice of tourism do not replace each other in time, but merely become new sub-practices within the grand scheme of tourism itself. Motivations to tour, to shift space, are growing and constantly being reinvented which, one can argue, is a direct result of modernity. To emphasize my point, George Simmel and Anthony Giddens both observe that one of the conditions of modern social life is interaction with others who are strangers to them. The need for interaction with strangers also encompasses the sphere of tourism, and becomes a motivation to tour, as I have mentioned earlier. But this interaction with strangers was not a primary motivation of tourism prior to modernity. So, we can see here that the motivations of tourists become fragmented, causing division within the whole discipline of tourism itself.

But let’s get back to the basics. Originally, tourism began as a form of exploration, colonization, and then simply an upper-class privilege, where individuals abandoned their home in order to experience another setting. The original version of tourism had one single purpose – to experience, first-hand, a new setting. The new “experience” was an all-sensory experience – involving new sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. These sensory experiences were locked up in material “touchables” such as a hotel room, a local dish, or a busy street. Photography itself became a way in which these “touchables” could be documented and brought back home.

Post-tourism can be called the first fragmentation. Mike Featherstone, John Urry and other sociologists researching the discipline of the “new tourism” placed an emphasis on the mechanisms of globalization – where an individual, now middle to-upper class -- travels in order to experience the real, the local. Where classical tourism was about going to one area and seeing things, Featherstone explains that post-tourists “seek a whole range of experiences and direct encounters with locals.” In order to explain this phenomenon, theorists heavily borrowed Erving Goffman’s metaphor of stage/curtain or private versus public space, where the tourist yearned to not only experience the public sphere of drinking the coffee from a café, but also longed to observe the private sphere of how that coffee was harvested and served.

Post-tourism and the emphasis of the local has now formed a new hybrid of tourism, and yet another fragmentation within the tourism process. This new hybrid is inextricably complex and is something I have termed “Emotional Tourism,” where the travel experiences are not strictly limited to sensory “touchables” (such as the hotel room I mentioned in the previous paragraph), but provide various emotions linked to the closeness achieved with another human being. Where post-tourism was the tourism linked to experiencing processes and private-sphere events (such as the daily life of a villager in the Swiss alps), Emotional Tourism is now the experience of human-to-human emotion. An easy way to explain this is to go back to my example of the tourist photograph. In the first two stages of tourism, the tourist could capture his/her experience through a picture (“This is the food we ate at the restaurant in Geneva,” or “This is me at the villager’s cabin in the alps”). Yet the Emotional Tourist’s experience cannot be captured on film. Grzegorz could have taken a picture of Frank, his host, but the photo would mean nothing without the emotions linked to his experience. The origins of emotional tourism are deeply rooted within the processes of globalization, Internet discourse, new social stratification, the western individualist society and post-modernity. I admit that all these processes are hard to digest at once. Yet in the following essay, I seek to break them down in order to develop a new interpretation of tourism as a new, emotional phenomenon. The hospitality network Grzesiek used is a direct result of Emotional Tourism, and deconstructing the main processes of this new type of home-stay exchange will hopefully help us grasp the complexity of Emotional Tourism itself.

Let’s digress for a minute to explain what hospitality networks like [[CouchSurfing.com]] exactly are. The first hospitality network, called [[Servas Open Doors]], was established by Bob Luitweiler in 1949 as a cross national, non-profit, volunteer run organization advocating interracial and international peace. While Servas had only a few hundred members worldwide, the Internet in the 1990s paved way for a number of other hospitality exchange services. Today, some of the services number over 140,000 members.

The main example I will use is one of the largest systems called Couchsurfing.com, with 70,000 members globally. Its main purpose is establishing a global network of users who wish to travel to foreign places while residing with other members of the network. Couchsurfing, like other hospitality exchange systems, functions on a system of reciprocity. I chose Couchsurfing.com, due to the fact that in my opinion, the website itself is the most advanced and user-friendly of all the hospitality exchange systems, especially when talking about the visual dynamics on the site. Each new user forms a profile of themselves – a calling card of sorts that establishes the “self” to other users in the system. Most users add pictures, hobbies, and links to other friends within the system to their profile. Once one’s profile has been established, a user can search other “couches” located in the destination he/she is traveling to (ex. Geneva). This member then emails the member in Geneva, requesting to “surf” their “couch.” By "surfing" a couch, bed, tent, etc., the individual actor often builds some sort of bond with their hosts. An emotional (either positive, negative, or neutral) link is often formed because the tourist or “surfer” enters the private sphere of the host. Moreover, social ties are maintained both on and off line.

In order to dissect the way hospitality services function, I could easily use a long list of social theory, including James Coleman’s social capital theory or Manuel Castell’s social network theory (as an example), yet it is not my the purpose of this essay to delve deeper into the forms of reciprocity involved in hospitality services. I could dive into ardent discourse regarding the McDonalization of tourism, or the standardization of place, but I’m not going to do that here. The problems I have just listed represent the problems surrounding the sociology of tourism today. While this dialogue is important, I believe that not enough discussion has been constructed surrounding the motivations pushing people to travel from one place to another. Today, these motivations are directly stimulated by the forces of post-modernity, and involve the need to be close to another human being, and the need to re-establish the concept of “self” to another foreign person. These phenomenons within Emotional Tourism can be split into two phases: relationship tourism, and tourism of constructing the “self.”

As Kenneth Gergen puts it, emotions can be viewed as constitutive features not of individuals but of relationships. But today, the process of establishing a close emotional relationship with another human being is experiencing a modern crisis. Gergen derives examples from Durkheim as he writes: “with the increasing complexity of the modern state, ‘organic solidarity’ has given way to ‘mechanic’ relations.” Highly individualistic “me-first” societies of the west have greatly increased the displacement of each individual from the rest of their surroundings. The emotional disconnectedness individuals feel towards one another on a day-to-day basis starts from childhood. Francis Fukuyama reminds us that much of the classical social theory written at the turn of the nineteenth century assumes that as societies modernize, the family diminishes in importance and is replaced by more impersonal kinds of social ties. The hollowness of impersonal social ties has led the individual to search for more substantial relationships. And since the bond of family has become weak, broken, or never fully established, the individual shall search elsewhere – to other spaces and places that will provide him/her with the experience of closeness.

Frank, Grzegorz’s host in Geneva, was not unlike many of the other Couchsurfers I have come into contact with during my research: a white male in his early 30s, well educated, and clearly experiencing a sort of existential crisis. Grzegorz described him as being deeply in need of human contact, someone to listen to his stories, someone to be there as verbal and moral support. Frankly, Frank sounds a bit like someone in dire need of a good therapy session. But, Grzegorz was keen to reciprocate the emotional support, despite the fact that he had just hours before met Frank face-to-face. Why this sudden need to open up to a complete stranger? And why is Grzegorz so keen on experiencing Frank’s raw emotions?

Giddens writes that we live in a peopled world, not merely one of anonymous, blank faces, and the interpolation of abstract systems (faith in symbolic tokens or expert systems and institutions) into our activities is intrinsic to bringing this about. Essentially, an individual must find her or his identity amit the strategies and options provided by abstract systems. So, an abstract system, as Giddens calls it, can be a multitude of processes involved the entire system of tourism – processes like flying a plane, taking a tour of a city, making use of a local museum, and the process of Couchsurfing or any other form of hospitality exchange. Most importantly, to use Giddens’ theory, these abstract systems (here Couchsurfing) bring a rise of personal trust relationships, and these relationships demand for “opening oneself up” to the other, to hide nothing from the other. What we are experiencing here is not only the individual’s desire to experience the private space, the “home”, but a need to experience another human. The Couchsurfing mechanism provides users with the immediate emotional exchange they are yearning for. On the other hand, as the tourist, Grzegorz didn’t exactly need to experience human emotion, but by becoming Frank’s guest, he was instantly thrown into an engaging relationship whether he wanted to or not. In turn, his experience in Geneva was marked by Frank’s personality. Now when he looks back at his trip to Geneva, his experience with Frank becomes most memorable. Moreover, this is not to say that those Couchsurfers who “surf” go into the experience blindly. They too, often choose this means of travel because they want to experience an “interesting” person. I’d also like to underline that I’m not implying that Frank and Grzegorz became best friends. What I am trying to show is the way the experience of human emotion takes precedence over the experience of material “touchables” classically tied to a tourist.
If we assume that hospitality exchange communites exist with a level of emotional exchange, it would be worthwhile to bring Michel Maffesoli and his idea of “Neo-tribalism” into this discussion. In his argument, Maffesoli rejects the idea of an individualized society, and argues that the modern global world is segregated into “neo-tribes,” to which individuals become members in order to exchange the same emotions. When Couchsurfers travel and exchange thoughts and feelings, they seldom come into conflict. Emotional exchange is an exchange of empathy, understanding, and agreement. Instead of a “rationalized social” environment, in which we see the world as a rational individual, we are witnessing an empathetic “sociality” expressed by a succession of ambiences, feelings, and emotions. Without getting too abstract, the point I wish to make here is that the emotion Couchsurfers wish to experience is usually an emotion of understanding and insight, but seldom conflict. Dialogue between “surfer” and “host” often involves social commentary or personal narrative which is almost always greeted with approval. On one hand, Grzegorz’s support (and not rejection or critisism) to Frank’s emotional queries can be simple decency as a guest in someone’s home. Yet, it can’t go unstated that Couchsurfing is a sort of neo-tribe which trives on empathetic exchange.

Now that I’ve defined the process of relationship tourism, let’s return to Frank as a person. His “desperate need to talk about himself” as Grzegorz put it, is not all-encompassing within hospitality exchange. But it does happen quite often. Each individual I have encountered has shown elements of “establishing the self,” in which he/she spends time to explain who he or she is to the other person. According to Grzegorz, Frank stayed up until 7 in the morning talking about his life, and was less interested in what Grzegorz had to say. Establishing the “self” while Couchsurfing is done in two ways: for one, we present a live profile of ourselves presenting our interests, our skills, and our likes and dislikes. This profile resembles our online Couchsurfing profile (for example: “I speak 4 languages and I love the Beatles). The second way of establishing the self is by telling stories. Note how Kenneth Gergen addresses his analysis of self-narration: “…saying that we use stories to make ourselves comprehensible does not go far enough. Not only do we tell our lives as stories; there is also a significant sense in which our relationships with each other are lived out in narrative form.” Almost the entire relational experience Grzegorz was constructed through Frank’s self-narration. He told stories of his years as a TV reporter, his travel experiences, his tales of love. Each piece in this narrative was used to “paint a picture” of Frank as a whole person. One can presume that creating such a narrative was as helpful for Grzegorz (to understand Frank as a person) as it was to Frank (to assert who he is and what exactly he accomplished in life). The fluidity of modernity leaves the individual without an exact definition of self. Specifically, we are not set in stone. Therefore, the more monologue and dialogue we have concerning ourselves help us assert ourselves, helps verify who we are as people. Giddens would blame it all on the reflexivity of modernity, explaining that the construction of the self is a reflexive project. This narrative and presentation of our profile is part of our reflexive project, and is now instantly available through contact with another human in hospitality exchange networks – tourism has just taken on a whole other level.

Yet as we dissect the pieces within Emotional Tourism, one question remains: “Why must individuals shift space in order to experience human-to-human contact and ‘real emotion’? Why can’t we just stay experience this at home?” Ostensibly, establishing relationships and experiencing intense person-to-person contact is much easier outside one’s immediate realm. Moreover, the idea of meeting another human outside of one’s own cultural context, and forming some kind of bond with them, becomes an exotic and foreign experience when compared with the backdrop of the individual’s home setting. We must also take into account that one consequence of modernity is that it “dis-places” us, and place becomes ambivalent, phantasmagoric as Giddens eloquently puts it. Therefore, the fact that we are experiencing a new emotional relationship in another country or city is really secondary to the fact that new global mechanisms such as Couchsurfing and [[hospitality exchange]] allow us to form relationships while traveling outside our normal setting.

Let me restate my claim. Firstly, the modern “self” longs for union with another. Secondly, our fluid modernity forces us to the constant re-telling of our self-narrative. Couchsurfing and other hospitality exchange systems fulfill these needs. Couchsurfing embodies the global nature of our time – and creates the Emotional Tourism mechanism.

Frank and Grzegorz do not visit each other. They don’t exchange emails. Some may say their two-day emotional exchange was a no-strings-attatched affair. But perhaps, Grzegorz will always feel some attachment to his trip. If not to Geneva, they definitely to his experience with Frank.

[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Kindness]]

Trustroots Wiki:Tech

2017-09-02T20:09:01Z

Traumschule: /* Bugs to fix */ RSS seems to work

{{couchwiki}}
Here's a list of '''tech''' stuff to do. Contact [[User:Guaka|guaka]] if there's an urgent issue.

==todo==
===Bugs to fix===
* when I signed up, I didn't get a registration email, and so can't modify email preferences (I checked spam folder, and resent registration email).
* cs should be couchsurfing, not cesky :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 00:17, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

===features===
* Whitelist bw, CS, Hosp Club so that annoying ReCaptcha doesn't appear when you link to it. Also perhaps youtube (although since anyone can upload to that spammers might start linking to new ads aon there but YouTube is pretty quick with spam removal? )

=== Feature Requests ===

Can we get the maps extension? It would be cool if I could embed a map rather than linking to it. For example, I am going to create a kml format google map for my local 100 places page. Could also have lots of other uses. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 16:16, 7 March 2013 (CET)

==done==
* link to couchsurfing.org instead of .com
* link to bewelcome with bw: and also to hc with hc: -> install [[Special:Interwiki]] extension
* set up pywikipediabot: [[User:Robyt]]
* joint setup with trashwiki and vegan.wiki.yt
* set up downloadable XML dumps: http://couchwiki.org/couch/dumps/
* like hitchwiki:
** single sign-on for different languages
** one image database for all languages
* links to French version
** fixed in database, probably waiting for cache clear or so [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 00:17, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
* upgraded to 1.15.1, slightly simplified setting up other languages [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 00:17, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
* Installed ParserFunctions extension, on DAN°'s request. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 20:53, 15 October 2009 (UTC)
* Set up [[:it:|Italian version]], also DAN°'s request. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 00:18, 16 October 2009 (UTC)
* Fix Google Maps API key. Fixed. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:57, 14 October 2009 (UTC)
* October 14: problem with time running backwards on server (sic!), fixed. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 13:33, 14 October 2009 (UTC)
* I tried logging in with my Aol Open ID but it say's it's cancelled. I ticked all the boxes except email for the moment. Is there a problem? I also have a twitter/hotmail accounts. I'm not sure I want them all linked though..... --[[Special:Contributions/118.208.189.140|118.208.189.140]] 08:59, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.2

2017-09-02T15:44:46Z

Traumschule: Category:Couchsurfing

Old newsletters:

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.1]]

[[CS Newsletter for the Netherlands 2010.2]]

Draft 2nd newsletter

=Heading=

Queensday 2010. Who parties along?

=CouchSurfers meeting up (rechterbalk)=

===Queensday 2010. Who parties along?===

Most people who come to the Netherlands have heard about it at least once. The day that all Dutch people act even more silly than usual. The day that the country is orange. And the day that everyone is (beyond) drunk. We're obviously talking about.. Queensday!

Queensday is a national holiday in The Netherlands, on April 30th. This is the birthday of our Queen Mother, Juliana. We do so since 1949. Before that it was celebrated on august 31st, the birthday of Queen Wilhelmina (she's the grandmother of our recent Queen). In 1948 her daughter, Juliana, became Queen and the holiday moved to April 30th. Back in the days, Queensday was no more than just a regular weekday (and the birth date of the Queen). The royal family never attended any festivities. Nowadays, almost everyone has got the day off and Queensday has become the national holiday of the year.
In case you're wondering why we still celebrate the birthday of our Queen Mother: Our current Queen is born on January 31st. As most of you know, you can never count on the Dutch weather (and winter time it isn’t reliable at all). Queen Beatrix therefore decided to honor her mother by keeping Queensday on April 30th (but also to have a bigger chance of a sunny day).

What's special about this day? The royal family attends and participates in many activities (you can watch it live on tv, it's not very interesting really ;)). Every year, they visit a different city in The Netherlands. This year they will visit Middelburg and Vlissingen (Zeeland).

'''Couchsurfing the night before!
'''

For Couchsurfing, Queensday means not just a DAY of activities and parties. No, we have a WEEK filled with fun things!

Couchsurfing starts the week traditionally during Queensnight with events in The Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht. Originally, The Hague was the first city to celebrate Queensnight with a lot of live music throughout the whole city. Soon after other cities followed The Hague’s example. CS The Hague organizes a fun night in [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=67418 the city] with traditional Dutch food and party in the center.
In [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=62852 Amsterdam] they know how to party, too! During Queensnight you can join the CS Amsterdam members in a pub in the very typical Amsterdam surrounding; the Jordaan district. ‘A great opportunity to meet other CS members and dodgy locals’ (at least, that's what the meeting page says).

Ever played Musical Chairs? I’m sure you did. It is a nostalgic game which you can play In [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64743 Utrecht]. Utrecht has also one of the biggest Queensday flee markets of the country, which opens during Queensnight. Get there early with fellow CS’ers and get to the best stuff first. Or just make a competition out of finding the weirdest, craziest rubbish. Really, be amazed by what people used to have in their homes and want to get rid of now!

Also smaller cities have parties during Queensnight. [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=67641 Enschede] for instance has a free party with DJ's and also a CouchSurfing meeting.

'''Queensday'''

Partied hard during Queensnight? Well.. get some Ibuprofen, a new beer and suck it up. There is no time to sleep, because the party continues.
The place to be on Queensday is [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=62856 Amsterdam]. Over half a million people visit the country’s capital to celebrate the Queen Mother's birthday. Throughout the city there are parties everywhere, people are selling things and you’ll find the traditional games. Don’t be surprised if people try to make money by giving you a kiss, hug or whatever. The Dutch are always keen on money and Queensday is the best opportunity to make some profit.
The biggest party for CouchSurfing is also in Amsterdam. Right where it all happens. CS Amsterdam is organizing a real CS-Camp down in the Vondelpark. The park is a nice place to relax, regain your powers for the next party, chat with other CS’ers, play music and have a BBQ together. Besides that, walk around the city center! It will be crowded and you move slowly, but the experience is simply unique.

If you feel you haven’t partied enough by the end of the day; you might want to head east. [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=68347 Zwolle] organizes their first Monthly meeting! CS Zwolle chose Queensday as a the kick-off for their regular meeting; which better day to start it? It'll start at 20.00 so it is a great opportunity for an after party.

'''I still have plenty of energy left: what’s next?'''

Don’t worry! As said before, CS Netherlands has a week filled with activities! Other activities you can enjoy are:
• May 1st – Rural Cinema in [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=60092 Wognum].
Ever watched a movie with special effects containing frogs, birds, bats, mosquitoes and other animals?

• May 1st – Windmills & Cheapthrills in [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=66089 Dordrecht].
Get a view of the beautiful islands, windmills and other Dutch scenic things around Dordrecht.

• May 4th – Memorial day service at the Dam Square – [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=62867 Amsterdam].
The day that we all remember the World War II victims with a beautiful service at the Dam Square.

• May 5th – Liberation Day Music Festival – [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57513 Zwolle]
To celebrate our freedom and the end of World War II. Every provincial capital organizes one or several music events. CS Zwolle has a gathering for those interested.

• May 9th – Spring Forrest Hike 2010 – [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=60029 Oss]
Enjoy the nature with a nice, refreshing hike!

'''One last tip:
'''

Wear orange! So get an orange t-shirt, paint your face orange, buy a weird wig.. be creative! It doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you do it. Orange is the keyword!

===The 24 hour train race project===

The Netherlands is probably the only decent country where it is possible to travel by train through every provincial capital in just one day.

This time table is tested:

http://www.rosenbrand.net/cs/timetable.pdf

The start and end will be in Amsterdam, but there are plenty of cities in the Randstad area where from you can join as well.
For people who live further out: all cities part of [http://www.ns.nl/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&blobheadername2=MDT-Type&blobheadervalue1=attachment%3B+filename%3D51%2F813%2FNachtnettreinenlijnenkaart.pdf&blobheadervalue2=abinary%3B+charset%3DUTF-8&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1208879563070&ssbinary=true NachtNet] are available to find a couch in.

Preparation:

There are several pretty cheap options to get your dayticket. Kruidvat sells daytickets for only 14,90. The red ticket is valid on the right day. At several Kruidvat stores they are already sold out, but you can still get them pretty cheap at www.marktplaats.nl
With discount otherwise the ticket is 26,80 (there will be plenty of people with a NS-subscribtion at the meeting, so your discount ticket will be valid).

Food:

The timetable doesn't give much time to get food outside of the train stations. But we have plenty of time to make our own in the train. Let's make it a challenge to make as much food as possible in the train!
Also don't forget to bring drinks. It is allowed to drink alcohol in Dutch trains.

Entertainment:

Your not allowed to play electric music in trains, but I'm sure we can also get creative in here. There are plenty of games we can play in the train. Let's also make it a challenge to come up with the most crazy games!

An extra challenge could be to make a picture with you and as much city-signs as possible!

Visitors:

Of course you don't have to do the entire journey. We would love to get visitors along the track. Do you live in a tiny village, that only has a train station? This is finally your chance to join in in a CS meeting!

Just check the timetable:
http://www.rosenbrand.net/cs/timetable.pdf

Sign up [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=68094 here]

===Family Meeting on Kijkduin beach, The Hague ===

We are happy to organize the very first [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=66973 Family Meeting] in the Netherlands.

The beach is a perfect place to meet for families and share experiences under a (hopefully) bright blue sky, while barefoot children play games in the sand.

We meet at 10.30 o'clock under the lighthouse near the parking and bus stop in Kijkduin, before going down to the beach (right side). Here the children (and parents too) can play games in groups like waterpaaltjes voeltbal, giant mikado and frisbee. Also individual games like poi and diabolo are fun to do or learn. Also there is the biggest swimming pool of the Netherlands: the sea!

If all families bring some food (enough for yourself and two others) we can have a huge picnic around 12.30 o'clock.
In the afternoon there is a yoga class and we'll build sandcastles and play more games.

If you want to join this event, sign up on the meeting page, we would like to know how many people are coming. Please bring friends who are not yet a member of CS as this is a perfect introduction to CouchSurfing.

What to bring: The usual stuff like towels and swim suits, favorite games of the children and food/drinks.

During the meeting you can contact us on 06 389 259 52

We hope to see you all on the 13th of June!
Greetings from [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/onsplekkie/ Ilse, Maarten and Lilou]

===Visit the Deltaworks in Zeeland!===

The Dutch know how to manage the water. It's been a
constant struggle in the past centuries, with the
lowpoint being a major flood in 1953 with thousands of people
drowning. Nowadays big dikes keeps the water out
succesfully. One of the major accomplishments in the
fight against the water is the 'Deltaworks' in
Zeeland, in the southwest corner of the Netherlands,
with the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier being the masterpiece.
The first part of the Deltaworks was built about 50
years ago, and the Eastern Dam was finished in 1986.
Check for more information:
http://www.deltawerken.com/23

I think both Dutch people and foreigners would love to see the
Delta works with their own eyes. For me it's been a while as
well, so that's why I'm setting up a meeting event for June
5th. The enthusiasm was overwhelming in the first few
days with over 20 people signing up. We are working
on the program now, but it will include a
museum visit and a visit of the outside structures. It
could be a whole weekend event with camping for those who want to, or we could have a night program in a
city afterwards. It depends on you as well. Ideas and
suggestions are very welcome. So please [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64443 sign up], and
let's make it a fun event! We'll keep you updated.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gils/ Harald]

===Songfestival Meeting in Utrecht===

Everybody has an opinion about the Eurovision Songfestival. Some like the music, some like the show, some think it is only favoritism, but everybody loves to see who gets 12 and who gets 0 points.

*Will the Netherlands give 12 points to Turkey again?
*Will the Scandinavians give all points to each other again?
*Will Turkey and Greece give points to each other?
*Will any of Turkeys neighbors give them points?
*Will the Netherlands finally reach the finals again?
*Are there still enough Poles in Ireland to give them 12 points?
and the most important one:
*Will Israel give points to Germany?

Of course we will also vote ourselves, we'll see who predicted the winner, but more important, we will see which songs the CouchSurfers actually DO like.

Sing up [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=67969 here]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

===Midsummernight in the park in Utrecht===

Again Utrecht has prepared a whole weekend full of activities in the park around [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 Midsummer Night]

The submeetings are made, so [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=57224 sign up] before it is too late!

- Meeting each other with nice drinks and fun games

- A crazy quest in the centre of Utrecht finding the lost CouchSurfer

- A chance to see the Netherlands play football against Japan in South Africa

- Creative workshops in the park

- A diner made by the Utrecht Cooking team (bring your own plates this time!)

- A new ceremony celebrating the sun going down

- A lazy Sunday afternoon-brunch

These pictures of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=23092 last year] will give an impression of what you might expect:

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140055_l_bdb8e0959ab23b199855479df60f9f27.jpg Midsummer Lampions]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140049_l_3380f1524d53917fdb4909a46967dc20.jpg Midsummer fireshow]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/35ELGAF/5140039_l_aa8cdea866dc37475bd8326801b38c24.jpg Crazy people in Utrecht]

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1P2DO0K/5188437_l_e22dd4558823bcf9096caea771989838.jpg The whole group of 2009]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

==past==

===Flash Mobs in the Netherlands===

Flash mobs have been taking over cities all over the world since around 2003, though until recently they
were not common in the Netherlands. A flash mob
is a (large) group of people who assemble suddenly in a
public place, perform an unusual act for a brief period
of time, and then just leave again. At the first ever
recorded flash mob 150 people arrived at a flooring
shop, claimed to live together in a warehouse and
showed interest in buying the same rug. Exactly 10
minutes later the crowd suddenly disappeared.

Reading about this first flash mob inspired me to
research the phenomenon. As I sat captivated by videos
of flash mobs on Youtube, the idea of organizing one in
my home city became increasingly exciting. Admittedly
it took a bit of work, but within a few weeks eager
participants were signing up on CouchSurfing, Hyves and
Facebook.

The afternoon went off without a hitch. At the
appointed time on Saturday 20th February 2010 the
signal was given. CouchSurfers ran out of shops, jumped
up from benches, suddenly stopped window shopping, and
got down on their knees and fanatically [http://crystalshard.net/test/flashmob.jpg worshiped] a
small statue in the busy shopping area of Rotterdam.
Passers by looked on with confusion and surprise, as
the mob disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.
You can find “Worship the Sock Bears” on Youtube.
Our after party proved highly successful as
Rotterdam’s Tiki Bar kindly agreed to open early for
us.

If you’ve ever been part of a flash mob you’ll know
the immense amount of fun involved. If you haven’t
yet, don’t fear, there are many more entertaining
events looming on the horizon. On Saturday 3rd April at
15:00 there will be massive pillow fights worldwide!
The pillows of Rotterdam and Amsterdam, along with over
120 other cities will be celebrating together as never
before. Interested? Check out our [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=26365 group]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/spanglyhaze/ Hazel]

===CouchSurfers’ Music Exchange: Different cultures different music styles===

During my Australasian half-year-in-between-jobs I’ve
encountered it several times: backpackers I randomly
met that have the best suggestions of music I might
like after listening to some of my stuff on my iPod. Of
course you’re somewhere dodgy and that’s exactly
the point where you are being pushed into another
rundown bus and you forget to write down the artists
and titles of the songs your musical muse told you. You
tell yourself you’ll remember it till you find pen
and paper. An hour later you completely forget about
it.

That’s how the idea of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 Couchsurfers’ Music Exchange] started: it’s a meeting where CS'ers
listen to other CS’ers' music and give “if you like this you
might also like”-type of suggestions. (besides
writing down some tracks themselves, of course). To
keep it civilized nothing is actually copied on the
spot (except for some open source tracks).
The first meeting took place the 1st of March at the
“La Place” on the top floor of the OBA (library)
near Amsterdam Central. A happy and culturally diverse
group of around 15 people brought their laptops, iPods,
headphones and hard drives to share their taste in
music. A combination of hip-hop, electro, lounge,
classical music, Dutch music and bollywood was the
outcome. The atmosphere was open and relaxed; a
beautiful start of a monthly little festival of music
lovers.

The next one will be on the 18th of April at the
same spot. Keep an eye on the CouchSurfing [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=58591 events
calendar] for more info.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/victorious_e/ Victor]

===Bowling meetings===

One year ago exactly, Jeroen and Ellen organized the first Eindhoven Bowling Meet. This successful meet has brought Eindhoven CS back to life after it kind of died.

One year and many meets later in Eindhoven, we decided to have another Bowling Meet! We arranged to meet at 8pm, in front the entrance of Mega Bowling. Lots of ‘familiar’ faces, but a lot of unknown ones as well, came to this event and there were even some international guests. It was a nice mix of people, devided in four lanes.

One after the next, the bowling balls were launched and it became clear who had the most talent –and who was there just for fun-. The music was best to be described as ‘old skool 90s’. And of course we saw some bloopers like throwing the ball backwards or sliding along with it.. but in the end the aim of the night was to have a good time.. And so we did! Everyone went home happily afterward. See you all at the next Eindhoven Meeting!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/abeyholland/ Astrid]

===Happy times in Zwollywood - Sardines===

What do you do when you're with over 10 CouchSurfers in a abandoned school (which will be demolished in 2 weeks) and because it is [http://www.earthhour.org/ Earth Hour] you just turned off all the lights?

Answer: Sardines!

Sardines is reversed hide and seek; one person hides and the rest tries to find him/her. When you've found the person that is hiding you get next to this person untill you've reached the point that one person is looking for everybody.

Both the location and the group of CouchSurfers appeared to be perfect for this game. We've been hiding under the sink, under chairs and even in the shower of the teachers' dressing room in the gym of the school. In the end we got so good that we even managed to let somebody sneak out and come back with chips.

The next step: Sardines on Saturday afternoon on [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group_read.html?gid=1348&post=5356152 Utrecht Train Station]

[http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs515.snc3/27054_108733015822075_100000561303728_153097_5544008_n.jpg picture1],
[http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs495.ash1/27054_108732965822080_100000561303728_153087_2414733_n.jpg picture2], [http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs515.snc3/27054_108732989155411_100000561303728_153092_296049_n.jpg picture3], [http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs495.ash1/27054_108732982488745_100000561303728_153091_1916225_n.jpg picture4]

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/kilgoretrout/ Jasper]

=News from Cs Netherlands (rechterbalk)=

==Changes on the CouchSurfing Website==

Soon there will be some new features implemented on the CouchSurfing Website:

'''Report Abuse'''

Website abuse occurs when people use the site in a way that's against the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/terms.html Terms of Use]. For some time, CS has given members the option to flag messages as spam. A new tool expands on this concept dramatically. A site-wide automated system that will allow all CouchSurfing members to participate easily in keeping abuse off of the site is being released. Let's hope that it will stop or at least reduce problems such as dating spam and advertisements. In the (near) future you will see a abuse-button on which you can report abuse. It will appear on messages, groups, group posts, event listings and profiles. While protecting the community against abuse, CS will remain dedicated to protecting members' freedom of expression and diversity of opinion. The Member Disputes and Safety Team will be carefully monitoring the system to make sure that it is working properly and isn't being misused.

More information about this feature can be found in the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/channel_read.html?gid=13449&post=5402131#gpid5402131 safety newsletter] (ook beschikbaar in het [http://www.couchsurfing.org/news.html?id=338 Nederlands])

'''Request Manager'''

This is a tool that will help you save time and stay organized when sending and responding to CouchRequests. This tool will help you browse both CouchRequests you've received and those you've sent. The Request Manager has a lot of benefits:
* Clearer communication. When replying to a CouchRequest, a host just marks 'yes', 'no' or 'maybe'. The system will sort the request accordingly.
* Time saving for busy hosts. You will be able to save template messages as simple as "Sure, I can host you! Here's my phone number!" or as complex as "No, I can't host that weekend, but here's a list of my favorite spots in the city." To get through your responses more quickly, just choose the template of choice and personalize it.
* More accurate reply rates. Once the day of the CouchSurfer's arrival has passed, a host can no longer reply to the request to boost his/her reply rating. If you receive a request within a week of the arrival date and aren't able to respond in time, it won't affect your reply rate.
* Better organization. All of your replies will be threaded together for easy reference.

'''CS Bookmarks'''

To help you navigate the site more quickly, you can save a page as a bookmark and reach it directly from the navigation bar.

'''News Channels'''

We're also launching a redesign for the News Channels. The Channels will now be more prominently featured on the website, with a more appealing layout to improve your reading experience.

'''New Ways to Donate and Get Verified'''

Up until now, members could only donate or get verified with a major credit card or debit card. In the next month we're introducing three new methods:

- ACH: a way to send a donation directly from a bank account, in the US and Canada.

- EU Debit: a way to send a donation directly from a bank account, in the European Union.

- Direct Pay (IBAN, Bank Transfers): a way to send a donation through a bank, internationally.

==Ideas for meetings==

At the last [http://www.couchsurfing.org/meetings.html?mid=64872 meeting] of the Netherlands CS organisation we brainstormed about ideas for possible meetings. Some of those ideas are already being organised and can be found in this newsletter. Some of those ideas can be found below. Do you want to help with organising any of these ideas, contact [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lizzie82ish/ Liza] or any other member of the [http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=5031 Netherlands CS Organisation].

- Rubix cube party (come in different colored clothes, leaves in the same color)

- Making up stories, tell them to each other and guess which one is true and which one made-up

- Make pubquizes

- Bike meetings, double city bike tour and meetup half way in between the cities (like Utrecht-Amsterdam, Arnhem-Zwolle, Den Haag-Rotterdam)

- Meetup at the last metro or tram stop

- Singing songs from "Kinderen voor Kinderen"

- Theatersport/improvisation theater

- Sharades (hints)

- International invasions, to (Newcastle, Duisburg, Gent)

- Meetup where you don't know where you will end up: 2x left 1x right for a ... period of time and see where you end up

==CouchSurfing in the media==

More and more media are noticing CouchSurfing, after 3opreis, Arnon Grunberg in NRC and many more also Elsevier found out about us.

[http://picasaweb.google.com/MyStuffToBeSold/CouchSurfing#5447683810739603538 Elsevier] recently wrote an article about a CS event in Eindhoven and 'Het Reformatorisch Dagblad' published an [http://www.refdag.nl/artikel/1468653/Wereldreizen%20van%20bank%20naar%20bank.html interview] with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lizzie82ish/ Liza]

Tilburg CS was in the news twice for so far. A tv show called Campus in Beeld, whose host surfed a couch in [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aqRyTeNy8 this city] and an article in the student [http://www.uvt.nl/univers/nieuws/0910/09/onderdak.html paper].

==New 'rules' for traveling (and Couchsurfing) in India==
For everybody who is planning to surf couches in India this summer, here's something to keep in mind:

In the aftermath of the recent terror attacks & keeping in view the not-so-good geo-political relationships, the government has decided to become more stringent on rules regarding stay of foreigners in India. It comes down to a form of mandatory registration. More info below.

The Foreigners Registration Act (FRA) states the rules & regulations to be followed by all hotels, hostels, resorts, private homes (which is the category CS hosts are in), Dormitories etc. The "C" Form, which is available in all police stations has to be filled out by the visitor. The "C" Form collects the details of the passport of the foreigner, where he/she is coming from and the duration of his/her stay. The details should be signed off by the host who is accommodating them.

If anybody is accommodating a foreign guest on a personal visit in his or her house, they should also inform the police department as per the Foreign Registration Rules. Failure to provide information to the authorities by the hosts would invite a punishment of imprisonment up to five years and a fine.

It comes down to this:
Filling out the C Form is a formality (whenever you check into a hotel they will photocopy your passport & make you sign the C form). If you don't stay in a hotel, you'll have to do it yourself. Doing this is your own choice, but the request will be to follow the law and make yourself and your host safer in the city.

Hope this brings the clarity to all those who are going to be hosts & surfers in India...

Source: [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/priyaq/ Priya]

==Major events roadmap==

Do you like Sinterklaas in Rotterdam or Midsummernight in Utrecht a lot and are you looking for big CouchSurfing events in other countries? A couchsurfer from Italy made a google-map with a list of major events planned for 2010. See the list [http://tinyurl.com/CSRoadMap here]

=Nomadic adventures (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice travelstory? Tell us!

==Interview with [http://www.marcoyserman.nl/fotos/photos-of-me/?photo=40 Marc]==

From now on in every newsletter we want to introduced you to people who travelled and/or couchsurfed a lot recently. We hope this will inspire you for your future travelplans. This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/oysie/ Marc], originally from the Netherlands, but currently living in Berlin

1. How did you find out about CouchSurfing?

An Amsterdam friend of mine had been hosting people already for some time, and he kept bugging me with saying it is really something I should do. So I finally signed up and I was gone: totally fell in love with the concept, the openness and the trust between people who are everywhere just that: people.

2. How did you participate in CS until now?

I have mostly been a nomad until now. 4 years ago I left Holland with the idea to travel for maximum a year. It became 2 and then 3 and then 4......
I met hundreds of CS'ers, people who hosted me, who I traveled with, who I did activities with, who I met on meetings, parties, took a bike tour with, hitchhiked with, walked through the desert with and even hosted in a temporary home I had :)
It is just amazing that there is a community of people all over the world (that is still growing!) who want to share their life, their experiences, their everything

3. How do you combine traveling with your professional life?

This question is a typical northwest-European question, that is only asked by people from there :-)
If you are traveling in other places in the world, you will never get that question. You will hear questions like: what did you learn as a human, what kind of people did you meet, what amazing experiences do you have if you travel so long etc.
I'll answer the question like this:
Actually, if you travel outside of the 'material' western world, you discover how hospitable people are. Especially in the African, Arabian and East-european societies people invite you all the time for tea, dinner or to stay over, also outside of CS. And in these cultures it is often an offense to do something back, so you have a hard time spending money!
Also: Traveling over land by hitchhiking, local buses, local trains is extremely cheap and beautiful: the whole fact of traveling 'slow' makes you really get to know the countries, the people and the culture.
OK OK, if you really want to know:
I worked and saved some money before I departed, and because I have a free job (I am a teacher/director of theatre, circus and voice) it is quite easy for me to work on the road (but I didn't really need to).

4. What is the most special experience you ever had through CouchSurfing?

That's a difficult question, I had so many amazing experiences:

- Being hosted in an Hotel in Jordan, because the CS member was the owner.

- Climbing the Tablemountain in Capetown in midst of the day in summer (stupid!) with a local guy from the townships.

- After a 42 hours drive in a 'bush-taxi' from Guinnee via Senegal to Gambia being invited to a wedding of the brother of a CS'er. The whole high-society of Gambia and Sierra-Leone turned out to be at this wedding, and 2 smelly CS'ers.

- Hitchhiking all over Moldova, because my host didn't feel like staying in the capital and going to school.

- After walking for days through the Negev desert getting a shower at a CS'er who was also a 'national trail angel'.

5. What is the most special place you ever visited?

Pffff, same problem as above..
If I really have to choose:
Visiting the San people (Bushman) in the Kalahari desert in Namibia.
These people are so amazing: If you look into their eyes, you see a deep wisdom and the fire of a child at the same moment.
I was able to speak with them, because their second language after their own (the language with the 12 'clicks') is Afrikaans, which is related to Dutch!
Because it was apparent there were no young girls walking around with babies, like you expect of 'tribe' people, I asked why.
Their answer: We don't get children before the age of 30, because then you are wise enough not to project your problems on your children.
....
I rest my case

6. What is your favorite means of travel?

Hitchhiking.
Slow, really being inside of the country, meeting locals. The best way!
Once I had a ticket from Hamburg to Israel because it was the cheapest I found. The only thing was that I was in Porto, Portugal. :-)
I already booked a Ryanair ticket from Portugal to Hamburg via London.
And then I got an offer to drive with truck drivers from Portugal via Belgium to Hamburg, so of course I didn't use my ticket!!!

7. What should every traveler bring in his/her suitcase?

- Book: the little Prince
- Object: a red nose
- Paper and marker for Hitchhiking
- Not enough money, so you will improvise
The suitcase itself should be small and < 15 kg. I had many cases that I took my day pack to visit someone for a few days, and I ended up traveling with it for many weeks. It made me realize I actually didn't need the stuff in my 'big' bag :-)

8. what would your advise be to other (new) travelers?

- Always follow your intuition. It is always right! (No need for explanations)
- Travel slow!!!! Stay for a long time in a country! I tried to be for at least 6 weeks, or even a few months, because you slowly sink into the local culture and really start to understand on a deeper level about the people, the land, the culture.
- Never by return tickets (or worse: RTW tickets).
Because I followed my intuition, I ended up in places and with people I couldn't have planned at all on forehand.

If you follow the flow of life and surrender, it will show you the beauty of what traveling is really about: the Journey inside.

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/oysie/ Marc]

==Hitchhiking from Bremen to Stockholm==

Check the [http://surferofcouches.blogspot.com/ weblog] of [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/linforcer/ Tommy] for more.

I hitchhiked up to Stockholm, because the only home I have is the road. It took me three days to get to Stockholm for one reason, and one alone: Some hitchhiking places in Sweden suck. It took me a while to realise that in Scandinavia on-ramps with your thumb out are actually better than their gas stations which are often at least a km from the highway, small, and frequented by locals, not long-distance drivers.

The first day of the hitch up was really lucky. Even though it ook me 3 or 4 hours to get out of Bremen, right before Kiel I met Jørg. Jørg is a German guy from Dortmund, moving to Sortland, up north in Norway (Yeah, it's pretty far up). He had all his stuff with him and he was taking the ferry from Kiel to Gøteborg. Since he was paying the same amount regardless of the amount of people in his car, he had no problem bringing me along.

[http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S4Wp5JrBfCI/AAAAAAAAL6M/v95oDtaHXbI/s640/SDC11291.JPG photo]
My free bed on the right. Jørg on his on the left.

The next day, the ferry docked at 9 and by 9 30 we were on our way North, where I got stuck for a long time before moving on to Karlstad, where I pulled some strings to stay a night with Elina's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. (Elina being my host in Stockholm, whom I hadn't met yet, technically making Marion Carel's friend's boyfriend's friend's neighbor. Then of course true to my nature, I left the very instrument used for the pulling of aforementioned strings (read: my phone) in Karlstad.

So after a romantic 5 days in Stockholm, I had to pick up my phone again and finally go home. No way was I going to find an excuse to spend even more time in a [http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PX75rcYIyBI/S3ZhrfJe-YI/AAAAAAAAKrk/39kgz9E9Wm0/s640/SDC11208.JPG meter of snow].

=Exotic couches (linkerbalk)=

Do you have a nice hosting story? Tell us!

==Couchpicture==

Who can beat [http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1MK8MI5/2260014_l_9198503e871c39a39d2b63455a8e0402.jpg 8 people?]

==Interview with a 'exotic host'==

From now on every newsletter we want to introduce you to people in the Netherlands who host a lot. We hope this will inspire you for your future hosting experiences. This edition we'll start with [http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/gerald_rotterdam/ Gerard] from Bergschenhoek, near Rotterdam.

[http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/1HUXNSU/974873_l_1d63f3bfa645852d7cc36574d490e2bb.jpg Kinderdijk]

1 How did you find out about CouchSurfing?

In September 2006 I red an article about CS in a local
newspaper. I got interested and got some information from an
experienced Couch-Surfer: Urbian Fitz-James. He spoke
so enthusiastic that I made a CS profile for myself the
same evening.

2 What makes your couch special?

My guest(s) get their own room: I have a guestroom
with a nice bed, next to the bathroom. I prefer one or
two guests at a time, so I can give them a lot of
attention.
I wanna be social with my guests: We have meals
together and I show them around. I live between
Rotterdam and The Hague; also Delft and Gouda are quite
close by.
I love to tell them about the Dutch history, culture
and way of thinking: liberal and independent. I show
them the typically Dutch landscape 'polder below
sea-level' and let them taste Dutch specialties like
'stroopwafel', 'kroket', 'drop' and 'poffertjes'.

3 Tell about a special person you hosted?

In 2008 I was Couch-Surfing myself in Brazil. I also
visited the Amazon's-region, with Manaus as capital.
There, in the jungle, I found a Couch-Surfer: André, a 21-year-old, who picked me up from the airport, helped me
as much as he could and showed me around. This young
man spoke.. Dutch! He visited our beautiful country
three times already, each time for several weeks, and fell
in love with the Netherlands. In January 2009 he stayed
at my place for three weeks and we had a wonderful time
together. We still are in contact.

4 What place near your couch would you recommend everybody to visit?

A very nice small town is Delft: very Dutch, full of
history, lots of things to see and to do. I love to
show my guests around at the 'Grote Markt'. Tell
them about the royal graves in the 'Nieuwe Kerk', Hugo
de Groot, Vermeer and the old houses and town-hall.
There are nice bars, restaurants, souvenir-shops and
terraces in Delft.

5 What do you like to see in a good CouchSurf request?

In a good Couch-Surf request the guest writes about
himself (or herself) and tells me why he wants to come
to the Netherlands. I always give newbies the benefit of
the doubt and welcome young starters in our CS
community.

6 Which sort of guests do you prefer?

I prefer guests who don't come for the red-light
district and the cannabis! I love guests who are
interested in the Dutch way of living, way of thinking,
culture and who want to get shown around. Guests who
let me decide where to go see the most and have the
nicest time.

7 Which host should we interview in the next newsletter?

I suggest to interview Urbian Fitz-James, mentioned
before. He got me interested in CS and helped me the first
year with advice and recommended me as starting host to
guests.

==CS house==

'''CouchSurfing house #1 – Casa Merode in Tilburg'''

What do you get when you combine five CouchSurfers, liters of coffee, a vegetable garden, a crossword puzzle in the toilet and lots of people coming in and going out every day? Casa Merode (CM) is the one and only CS-house in Tilburg. All inhabitants are members of CouchSurfing and enjoy having guests.

“We can refer to ourselves as a CS house, but we are more like a collective of nice people who just live together and happened to members of CouchSurfing.” Sofia, from Sweden, is the only ‘real foreigner’ living in Casa Merode. The other housemates (Lukas, Erik, Susy and Bram) love to travel and don’t mind speaking English when she’s around (and sometimes even when she’s not), but are all born in The Netherlands.

“This house feels like an international home” is something we have all said on several occasions. It’s almost like a family, with lots of respect and love. We cook, eat and hang out together, we look out for each other. There’s no stupid cleaning schedules and fights about who drank someone else’s milk. We use common sense and the simple rule ‘if you finish something, replace it’.

And then there’s CouchSurfing. Tilburg does not get a whole lot of travelers coming through, but it’s very nice to have some guests once in a while. Casa Merode has an average of 2 guests a month. But we would like some more! So, this is an official statement for everyone who reads this: If you’d like to stay, or just drop by in our house in Tilburg, send one of us a message through CS!

[http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/susyq/ Susanne/SusyQ]

More about Casa Merode:
Two guys from Campus in Beeld (tv programme in Nijmegen) surfed our couch a few weeks ago and it’s to be found on Youtube now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aqRyTeNy8
Also we’ve been interviewed for a local student-paper (in Dutch). http://www.uvt.nl/univers/nieuws/0910/09/onderdak.html
And then there’s our CS-group http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=22894 and Wiki http://couchwiki.org/en/Casa_Merode .

Noot voor Jasper: foto’s kun je vinden op Lukas’ of Sofia’s profiel
Lukas: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=2O0CHTP
Susy: http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/susyq/
Sofia: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=31A8KCF
Erik: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=2Y73UWF
Bram: http://www.couchsurfing.org/profile.html?id=4SR4UY5

=traveltip (linkerbalk)=

Get a phone without SIM-lock and get a new SIM-card whenever you enter a country in which you plan to stay for more than 5 days. It saves you (and your CS-hosts) loads of money.

{{IsIn|CS Organisation Netherlands}}
[[category:Newsletters]]
[[Category:Couchsurfing]]

Sustainable CouchSurfing

2017-09-02T14:08:30Z

Traumschule: sustainablecouchsurfing.org is offline

'''Sustainable couchsurfing''' is a concept which aims to bring some aspects of ecological, economic and social sustainability to [[Couchsurfing]].

[http://www.sustainablecouchsurfing.org sustainablecouchsurfing.org] (offline)

[[Category:Couchsurfing]]

CouchSurfing "conversion" issues

2017-09-02T14:07:01Z

Traumschule: Category:Couchsurfing

==English==

The issues with the "conversion" of CouchSurfing to a for-profit corporation are many and complex. Many members keep asking what the problem is, often accompanied by the remark "But for me, nothing has changed".

Here is an attempt to explain in a simplified and hopefully easily understandable way what to the best of my knowledge happened, with a summary of the issues at the end:

CouchSurfing was founded as a non-profit organization in the U.S. state of New Hampshire in 2003.

Under repeated assurances by CS management that CS would always remain non-profit, volunteers, dedicated members and donors helped build and rebuild CS after Casey Fenton accidentally deleted the database in 2006, gave up and walked away.

In 2010, CS was notified by the U.S. tax authorities (IRS) that it would be denied the 501c3 charity status for which it had applied because the way in which CS operated was viewed as social rather than charitable in nature (and for a number of other reasons).

At that stage, CS had to change its status. It could have chosen another non-profit type, such as 501c7 for the social and recreational organization which the IRS said it was, or go for-profit. Although CS had always pledged to remain non-profit, it decided to break that pledge and go for-profit.

To prepare this “conversion”, the chairman of CouchSurfing, Dan Hoffer, had already been working as an "Entrepreneur In Residence" at the venture capital firm Benchmark Capital months before the IRS denial was officially notified.

The bylaws of CS and the law stipulate that upon dissolution the assets of the non-profit organization had to be distributed to a charity or to the government.

CouchSurfing petitioned a New Hampshire court for authorization to buy the assets itself, telling the court that nobody else could receive the assets and that there were no interested parties to be notified of the plan to sell CouchSurfing. At the same, time CouchSurfing volunteers were told only that changes were coming, but not that CouchSurfing would be sold. Members and donors were told nothing. This lack of information deprived these stakeholders of their legal right to oppose the petition.

Based on a valuation commissioned and paid for by CouchSurfing, the non-profit assets were valued at only about $600,000, less than 1/3 of annual revenue.

The founders of CouchSurfing set up a new company under the name “Better World Through Travel, Inc.” (BWTT) in Delaware (a famous tax haven) which bought the CouchSurfing assets for a fraction of the actual value.

The proceeds of the sale went to a New Hampshire grant fund rather than to the CouchSurfing community which had created the assets in large parts.

The majority shareholders of BWTT, Casey Fenton and Dan Hoffer, issued shares to themselves and sold a minority share of the supposed $600,000 assets for $7,600,000 to two capital venture firms, Benchmark Capital and Omidyar Network. This puts the value of Casey Fenton’s and Dan Hoffer’s share at more than $7,600,000, most likely at more than $15 million.

Initially they announced that CouchSurfing had been converted to a Benefit Corporation, which was then corrected to “B-Corporation”. The right to carry the "B-Corp" label was obtained by submitting false information about the dissolved non-profit organization to B-Lab, the organization which hands out the label for a fee, and by using that label for the just created profit corporation under the false name “CouchSurfing International” (the real name being “Better World Through Travel, Inc.”).

CouchSurfing has been misrepresenting the nature of the business as “half-way between a non-profit and a for-profit” when in fact the legal form is a conventional for-profit C-Corporation (like Coca Cola or Microsoft). The future of CouchSurfing is now uncertain because it will have to go public in the not too distant future in order to repay the venture capital with a profit and to allow employees to exercise their stock options. Nobody knows who will then be the new shareholders and what their plans for CouchSurfing will be.

'''So, in summary, there are serious issues with the dishonest way in which CS, against repeated assurances that this could and would never happen, has been secretly privatized for the personal enrichment of a few when other alternatives existed, with how this has been justified, with the impact this has on the CouchSurfing community which in large part built what is now being taken away from it, and with how the nature of the new owner of the website and of our data has been misrepresented as a kind of non-profit when legally it is nothing but a conventional profit corporation illegitimately parading a B-lab label.'''

The moral issues with the above should be obvious. The legal issues are currently being investigated. The first consequence of this investigation is expected to be the withdrawal of the B-Corp certification. Other consequences could include the criminal prosecution of key actors in the above "conversion", its reversal, or the withdrawal of the investors.

==Français==

Il y a de nombreux problèmes complexes avec la "conversion" de CouchSurfing en une société à but lucratif. Beaucoup de membres demandent quel est le problème, souvent accompagné de la remarque "Mais pour moi rien n'a changé".

Voici une tentative d'expliquer d'une façon simplifiée ce qui s'est passé selon l'information disponible, avec une synthèse à la fin:

CouchSurfing a été fondé comme organisme à but non lucratif dans l'État américain du New Hampshire en 2003.

Sous les assurances répétées par la direction de CS que CS restera toujours un organisme à but non lucratif, bénévoles, membres dévoués et donateurs ont aidé à construire et reconstruire CS, après que Casey Fenton avait accidentellement effacé la base de données en 2006, renoncé et était parti.

En 2010, CS s'est vu notifier le refus par les autorités fiscales U.S. (IRS) du statut d'organisme reconnu d'utilité publique "501c3 "que CS avait demandé parce que la façon d'opérer de CS était considérée comme sociale plutôt que bienfaisante (et pour un certain nombre d'autres raisons) .

A ce stade, CS devait changer de statut. CS aurait pu choisir un autre type d'organisme à but non-lucratif, par exemple le "501c7" pour l'organisme "social et de loisirs" que l'IRS avait dit que CS était, ou se "transformer" en société à but lucratif. Bien que CS avait toujours promis de rester à but non lucratif, CS a décidé de ne pas honorer cette promesse et de se "transformer" en société à but lucratif.

Pour préparer cette «transformation», le président de CouchSurfing, Daniel Hoffer, avait déjà travaillé comme "Entrepreneur In Residence" dans la société de capital-risque Benchmark Capital plusieurs mois avant que CS ne se voit notifier officiellement le refus de l'IRS.

Les statuts de CS et la loi stipulent que lors de la dissolution les actifs de l'organisme à but non lucratif devaient être distribués à un organisme reconnu d'utilité publique ou au gouvernement.

Mais CouchSurfing a demandé à un tribunal du New Hampshire l'autorisation d'acheter lui-même les actifs, a communiqué à la cour que personne d'autre ne pouvait recevoir les actifs et que personne d'autre n'était concerné et devait être informé de l'intention de vendre CouchSurfing. En même temps, les bénévoles de CouchSurfing étaient informés seulement que des changements étaient à venir, mais pas que CouchSurfing allait être vendu. Les membres et les donateurs n'ont pas été prevenu du tout. Ce manque d'information les a privés de leur droit légal de s'opposer à la pétition.

Basé sur une évaluation commandée et payée par CouchSurfing, les actifs de l'organisation à but non lucratif ont été évaluées à seulement environ $ 600.000, soit moins de 1/3 du revenu annuel.

Les fondateurs de CouchSurfing ont créé une nouvelle société sous le nom de "Better World Through Travel, Inc." (BWTT) dans le Delaware (un célèbre paradis fiscal), qui a racheté les actifs pour une fraction de la valeur réelle de CouchSurfing.

Le produit de la vente est allé à un fonds de subventions du New Hampshire plutôt qu'à la communauté CouchSurfing qui avait créé CouchSurfing en grande partie.

Les actionnaires majoritaires de BWTT, Casey Fenton et Dan Hoffer, ont émis des actions en leur faveur et ont vendu une part minoritaire des actifs supposés valoir 600,000 dollars pour 7,6 millions de dollars à deux sociétés de capital-risque, Benchmark Capital et Omidyar Network. Cela met la valeur de la part de Casey Fenton et de Dan Hoffer à plus de 7.600.000 dollars, et probablement à plus de 15 millions de dollars.

Initialement ils avaient annoncé qu'ils avaient transformé CouchSurfing en une "Benefit Corporation", ce qui a ensuite été corrigé en "B-Corporation». Le droit de porter le label «B-Corp" a été obtenu en soumettant à B-Lab, l'organisme qui délivre le label contre paiement, de fausses informations sur l'organisme à but non lucratif dissout et en utilisant ce label sous le faux nom "CouchSurfing International" pour la société nouvellement créée (le vrai nom étant "Better World Through Tavel, Inc.").

CouchSurfing induit en erreur sur la nature de l'entreprise la présentant comme étant «à mi-chemin entre un organisme sans but lucratif et une société à but lucratif» quand en fait sa forme juridique est une société à but lucratif classique du type C-Corporation, (comme Coca Cola ou Microsoft). L'avenir est désormais incertain parce que CouchSurfing va devoir entrer en bourse dans un avenir pas trop lointain, afin de rembourser le capital risque avec bénéfice et pour permettre aux employés d'exercer leurs stock-options. Personne ne sait qui seront les nouveaux actionnaires et quels seront leurs plans pour CouchSurfing.

'''Donc, en résumé, il ya de graves problèmes avec la façon malhonnête dont CS, contre les assurances répétées que cela ne pouvait et n'allait jamais arriver, a été secrètement privatisé pour l'enrichissement personnel de quelques-uns quand d'autres alternatives existaient, avec la façon dont cela a été justifié, avec l'impact que cela a sur la communauté CouchSurfing qui avait créé en grande partie ce qui maintenant lui a été volé, et avec la manière dont le nouveau propriétaire du site et de nos données a été présentée à tort comme une sorte d'organisme à but non-lucratif quand légalement il n'est rien d'autre qu'une société à but lucratif conventionnelle qui parade illégitimement un label B-Lab.'''

Les questions d'ordre moral avec ce qui précède devrait être évidentes. Les questions juridiques sont actuellement à l'étude. La première conséquence de cette enquête devrait être le retrait de la certification B-Corp. D'autres conséquences pourraient inclure la poursuite pénale des acteurs clés dans cette "conversion", son annulation, ou le retrait des investisseurs.

==Español==

Los problemas de la "transformación" de CouchSurfing en una corporación sin ánimo de lucro son muchos y complejos. Muchos miembros siguen preguntando cuál es el problema, a menudo acompañado de la indicación: "Pero para mí, nada ha cambiado".

Este es un intento de explicar de forma simplificada - y espero que de forma fácilmente comprensible - lo que ha pasado, con un resumen de los problemas al final:

CouchSurfing fue fundado como una organización sin fines de lucro en los EE.UU. en el estado de New Hampshire en 2003.

En virtud de las repetidas promesas de que CS seguiría siendo siempre sin ánimo de lucro, voluntarios, miembros dedicados y donantes ayudaron a construir y reconstruir CS después de que Casey Fenton borrara accidentalmente la base de datos en 2006, se diera por vencido y se marchara.

En 2010, las autoridades fiscales de EE.UU. (IRS) notificaron a CS que se le negaría el status de organización de caridad "501c3" que había solicitado, porque la forma en que CS operaba fue visto como social en lugar de beneficencia en su naturaleza (y por otras razones).

En ese momento, CS tuvo que cambiar su status. Podía haber elegido otro de los tipos sin ánimo de lucro - tal como el 501c7 para la Organización Social y Recreativa, que es lo que el IRS dijo que era - o elegir con fines de lucro. Aunque CS se había comprometido siempre a permanecen sin ánimo de lucro, decidió romper esa promesa y volverse con fines de lucro.

Para preparar esta "transformación", el presidente de CouchSurfing, Dan Hoffer, ya había trabajado como “Entrepreneur In Residence” en la firma de capital riesgo Benchmark Capital meses antes de que la negación del IRS fuera oficialmente notificada.

Los Estatutos de CS y la ley estipulan que en caso de disolución los bienes de la organización sin ánimo de lucro tendrán que ser distribuidos a una organización de caridad o al gobierno.

CouchSurfing solicitó a un juzgado de New Hampshire la autorización para comprar sus propios activos, diciéndole al juzgado que nadie más podía recibir los activos y que no había otras personas interesadas a las que notificar el plan de vender CouchSurfing. Al mismo tiempo, sólo se les dijo a los voluntarios que venían cambios pero no que CouchSurfing se vendería. A los miembros y a los donantes no se les dijo nada. Esta falta de información les privó de su derecho legal para oponerse a la petición.

Basado en una tasación encargada y pagada por CouchSurfing, los activos de la organización sin fines de lucro, alcanzaba un valor de sólo 600.000 $, es decir, menos de 1/3 de sus ingresos anuales.

Los fundadores de CouchSurfing crearon una nueva compañía bajo el nombre “Better World for Travel, Inc.” (BWTT) en Delaware (un famoso paraíso fiscal), que compró los activos de CouchSurfing por una fracción del valor real.

Los beneficios de la venta fueron a un fondo de subvención de New Hampshire y no a la comunidad CouchSurfing que había creado en gran parte estos bienes.

Los accionistas mayoritarios de BWTT, Casey Fenton y Daniel Hoffer, emitieron acciones para sí mismos y vendieron una parte minoritaria de los supuestos 600.000 $ de activos por 7.600.000 $ a dos firmas de capital riesgo: Benchmark Capital y Omidyar Network. Esto coloca el valor de las acciones de Casey Fenton y de Dan Hoffer en más de 7.600.000 $; lo más probable es que en más de 15 $ millones.

Inicialmente anunciaron que CouchSurfing se había convertido en una “benefit corporation”, corrigiéndose luego a "B-Corp". El derecho a llevar la etiqueta de "B-Corp" se obtuvo mediante la presentación de información falsa sobre la disuelta organización sin fines de lucro a B-Lab (la organización que decide la designación para una cuota), y mediante el uso de esa etiqueta para la recién creada corporación con ánimo de lucro bajo el falso nombre "CouchSurfing International" (siendo el nombre real “Better World Through Travel, Inc.”).

CouchSurfing ha estado tergiversando la naturaleza de la empresa como "a mitad de camino entre una organización sin fines de lucro y con fines de lucro" cuando en realidad la forma jurídica es una "C-Corporation" convencional con fines de lucro (como Coca Cola o Microsoft). El futuro de CouchSurfing es ahora incierto, ya que tendrá que salir a bolsa en un futuro no muy lejano, a fin de reembolsar el capital de riesgo con un beneficio y permitir a los empleados ejercer sus opciones sobre acciones.

Nadie sabe quiénes serán entonces los nuevos accionistas ni cuáles son sus planes para CouchSurfing.

'''Así que, en resumen, hay problemas serios con la forma deshonesta en la que CS - en contra de las reiteradas garantías de que esto no podría y no volvería a suceder - se ha privatizado en secreto para el enriquecimiento personal de unos pocos (cuando existían otras alternativas), con cómo esto se ha justificado, con el impacto que esto tiene en la comunidad CouchSurfing que en gran parte construyó lo que ahora se le ha quitado y con la presentación falsa del nuevo propietario de la página web y de nuestros datos como una especie de sin fines de lucro cuando legalmente nos es más que une corporación con fines lucrativos que utiliza ilegítimamente la calificación “B-Lab”.'''

Los problemas morales con lo anterior deberían ser obvios. Los asuntos legales se están investigando en la actualidad. La primera consecuencia de esta investigación debería ser la retirada de la certificación B-Corp. Otras consecuencias podrían incluir la persecución penal de los responsables de la mencionada "transformación", su revocación o la retirada de los inversores.

==Deutsch==

[ Ich bin mit der Übertragung der ökonomischen Ausdrücken nicht sehr sicher, vielleicht kann da nochmal jemand drübersehen? A.d.Ü. ]

Das Problem der „Umwandlung“ von CouchSurfing in eine gewinnbringende, kommerzielle Firma ist komplex. Viele Mitglieder fragen auch weiterhin, worin das Problem bestehe, und bemerken dabei: „Für mich hat sich aber nichts geändert.“

Dies ist ein Versuch, etwas vereinfacht und hoffentlich verständlich zu erklären, was nach meinem besten Wissen geschehen ist. Am Ende gibt es eine kurze Zusammenfassung:

CouchSurfing wurde 2003 im US-Bundesstaat New Hampshire als nicht-kommerzielle Organisation gegründet.

Während das CS-Management wiederholt versicherte, daß CS immer nicht-kommerziell bleiben würde, halfen Freiwillige, aktive Mitglieder und Spender, CS aufzubauen und zu retten, nachdem Casey Fenton 2006 versehentlich die Datenbank gelöscht und CS aufgegeben hatte.

Im Jahr 2010 wurde CS von den US-Steuerbehörden (IRS) benachrichtigt, daß es den 501c3-Wohltätigkeitsstatus, den CS beantragt hatte, nicht bekommen würde, weil die Arbeitsweise von CS eher als sozial, denn als caritativ angesehen wurde. Darüber hinaus nannten die Behörden eine Reihe weiterer Gründe.

Damit war der Moment gekommen, an dem CS seinen Status ändern mußte. CS hätte einen anderen nicht-kommerziellen Status wählen können, beispielsweise 501c7, als soziale und Erholungsorganisation – ein Status, der nach Meinung der IRS angemessen wäre. Die Alternative war, kommerziell zu werden. Und obwohl CS immer versprochen hatte, nicht-kommerziell zu bleiben, entschied das Management, das Versprechen zu brechen und kommerziell zu werden.

Als Vorbereitung dieser „Umwandlung“ hatte der Vorsitzende von CouchSurfing, Dan Hoffer, bereits Monate vor der offiziellen Entscheidung der IRS als „Entrepreneur In Residence“ (eine Art Praktikant oder Hospitant? A.d.Ü. - bitte korrigieren, falls erforderlich!) beim Risikokapital-Unternehmen Benchmark Capital gearbeitet.

Die Statuten von CS und das Gesetz schreiben vor, daß der Besitz der nicht-kommerziellen Organisation im Fall einer Auflösung an eine Wohltätigkeitsorganisation oder die Regierung fällt.

CouchSurfing beantragte beim Gericht von New Hampshire die Erlaubnis, diesen Besitz selbst kaufen zu können, und behaupteten dabei, daß niemand sonst den Besitz bekommen könnte und daß es keine interessierten Seiten gäbe, die über den Plan, CS zu verkaufen, informiert werden müßten. Gleichzeitig wurden die CS-Mitglieder darüber informiert, daß es Änderungen geben würde, aber nicht, daß CS verkauft werden würde. Die Mitglieder und Spender wurden nicht informiert. Dieser Mangel an Informationen nahm den Mitgliedern ihr Recht gegen diesen Antrag vorzugehen.

Auf Grundlage einer von CS bestellten und finanzierten Schätzung wurde der Wert des Eigentums auf etwa 600.000 US-Dollar geschätzt – das ist weniger als 1/3 des jährlichen Gewinns von CS.

Die Gründer von CouchSurfing riefen eine neue Firma mit dem Namen „Better World Through Travel Inc.“ (BWTT) in Delaware, einer berühmten Steueroase, ins Leben. Diese Firma kaufte das Eigentum von Couchsurfing für einen Bruchteil seines tatsächlichen Wertes.

Der Erlös aus dem Verkauf ging an eine in New Hampshire ansässigen Stiftung, nicht an die CouchSurfing-Gemeinschaft, die dieses Eigentum zu großen Teilen überhaupt erst geschaffen hatte.

Die Mehrheitseigner an BWTT, Casey Fenton und Dan Hoffer, gaben Anteile an sich selbst aus und verkauften kleinere Anteile des auf 600.000 $ geschätzten Eigentums für mehr als 7,6 Millionen US-Dollar an zwei Risikokapital-Unternehmen, Benchmark Capital und Omidyar Network. Demnach liegt der Wert von Casey Fentons und Dan Hoffers Anteilen bei über 7,6 Millionen US-Dollar, wahrscheinlich bei 15 Millionen.

Zunächst teilten sie mit, CouchSurfing sein in eine Benefit Corporation, also eine profitsuchende Firma, umgewandelt worden. Später korrigierten sie diese Information und sagten, es handle sich um eine „B-Corporation“. Das Recht, den Titel „B-Corporation“ zu tragen, erhielten sie, nachdem sie falsche Informationen über die nunmehr aufgelöste nicht-kommerzielle Organisation an B-Lab<ref>B-Lab ist jene Organisation, die den Titel „B-Corporation“ gegen eine Gebührt vergibt.</ref> gegeben hatten und indem sie den Titel für die gerade erst gegründete kommerzielle Organisation unter dem falschen namen „CouchSurfing International“ (der richtige Name ist „Better World Through Travel, Inc.) verwendeten.

CouchSurfing hat das Wesen des Geschäfts falsch als „irgendwo zwischen nicht-kommerziell und kommerziell“ dargestellt, obwohl die Rechtsform die eines gewöhnlichen kommerziellen Unternehmens wie Coca Cola oder Microsoft darstellt. Die Zukunft von CouchSurfing ist nun unklar, weil die Kapitalinvestition in nicht allzuferner Zukunft mit Gewinn zurückgezahlt werden muß – außerdem wird CS den Teilhabern Einblick in die Bücher gewähren müssen. Niemand weiß, wer die neuen Teilhaber sein werden und für Pläne sie für CS haben werden.

'''Zusammenfassend gesagt, gibt es ernste Fragen bezüglich
* des unehrlichen Verhaltens, infolge dessen CouchSurfing entgegen wiederholten Versprechen, daß nichts derartiges je geschehen könnte und würde, für die persönliche Bereicherung einiger weniger heimlich privatisiert wurde, obwohl es Alternativen gegeben hätte;
* der Art wie dieses Vorgehen gerechtfertigt wurde;
* des Einflusses, den das alles auf die CouchSurfing-Gemeinschaft haben wird, die in großen Teilen das aufgebaut hat, was ihr nun genommen wurde;
* und der weise, wie die neuen Eigentümer der Website und unserer Daten als „nicht-kommerziell“ fehlinterpretiert wurden, obwohl sie rechtlich nichts anderes als eine gewöhnliche profitorientierte Firma sind, die sich illegitimer Weise mit einem B-Lab-Label schmückt.'''

Die moralischen Fragen des oben Gesagten sind augenscheinlich. Die legalen Fragen werden gegenwärtig untersucht. Als erste Konsequenz dieser Untersuchungen wird der Entzug der B-Corporation-Zertifizierung erwartet. Andere Konsequenzen könnten die strafrechtliche Verfolgung von Schlüsselfiguren der beschriebenen „Umwandlung“, die Rücknahme der Umwandlung oder den Rückzug der Investoren beinhalten.

==Italiano==

I problemi insorti con la "conversione" di [[CouchSurfing]] in una società a scopo di lucro sono molteplici e complessi. Molti membri continuano a chiedere quale sia il problema, spesso aggiungendo il commento «ma per me nulla è cambiato».

Quello che segue è un tentativo di spiegare in maniera semplice e facilmente comprensibile, sulla base delle mie conoscenze, che cosa sia successo, con incluso un riassunto finale.

CouchSurfing è stata fondata come un'organizzazione senza scopo di lucro nel New Hampshire (Stati Uniti), nel 2003.

In virtú delle ripetute assicurazioni da parte della direzione che la società sarebbe sempre rimasta ''non-profit'', volontari, membri dedicati e donatori hanno aiutato a costruire CS, e a ricostruirla dopo che Casey Fenton aveva accidentalmente cancellato il database nel 2006 e deciso di lasciar perdere.

Nel 2010 l'agenzia delle entrate degli Stati Uniti (IRS) ha notificato a CS che il richiesto status 501(c)3 per le organizzazioni caritatevoli legalmente riconosciute sarebbe stato negato, dato che il modo in cui CS operava veniva visto come ''sociale'' piú che ''caritatevole'' (e per un certo numero di altre ragioni).

A quel punto, CS doveva cambiare il suo stato legale. Avrebbe potuto optare per un altro tipo di organizzazione senza scopo di lucro, come il 501(c)7 per le organizzazioni sociali e ricreative, suggerito dalla stessa IRS, o diventare a scopo di lucro. Nonostante CS avesse sempre sostenuto di voler restare senza scopo di lucro, è stato deciso di rompere la promessa e diventare ''for-profit''.

Per preparare la "conversione" Dan Hoffer, amministratore di CS, aveva già lavorato presso Benchmark Capital come ''Entrepreneur In Residence'' diversi mesi prima che il diniego dell'IRS fosse ufficialmente notificato.

Lo statuto di CS e la legge stabiliscono che alla dissoluzione della società tutti i beni della società ''non-profit'' debbano essere distribuiti ad organizzazioni caritatevoli o allo Stato.

CouchSurfing ha richiesto ad una corte del New Hampshire l'autorizzazione per comprare quei beni essa stessa, sostenendo che nessun altro avrebbe potuto riceverli, e che non c'erano altre persone interessate da mettere al corrente del progetto di vendita di CS. Allo stesso tempo ai volontari di CS veniva detto che c'erano dei cambi in arrivo, ma non che CouchSurfing sarebbe stata venduta. Nulla è stato detto a membri e donatori. Questa mancanza di informazioni li ha privati del loro diritto di opporsi all'operazione.

Sulla base di una valutazione commissionata e pagata da CouchSurfing, il valore dei beni della società non-profit è risultato pari a circa 600 000 dollari, meno di un terzo delle entrate annuali.

I fondatori di CS hanno messo in piedi nello stato del Delaware — noto paradiso fiscale — una nuova compagnia sotto il nome di «Better World Through Travel, Inc.» (BWTT), la quale ha comprato i beni di CouchSurfing per una frazione del loro valore reale.

I ricavati della vendita sono andati ad una fondazione del New Hampshire invece che alla comunità di CouchSurfing, che aveva contribuito in larga parte a creare quei beni.

Gli azionisti di maggioranza di BWTT, Casey Fenton e Dan Hoffer, hanno emesso delle azioni a proprio favore ed hanno venduto azioni di minoranza di quegli stessi beni valutati 600 000 dollari per 7,6 milioni di dollari a due società di capitali a rischio, Benchmark Capital e Omidyar Network. Questo piazza il valore delle quote di Casey Fenton e Dan Hoffer a piú di 7 600 000 dollari, piú realisticamente ad oltre 15 milioni di dollari.

L'annuncio iniziale era stato che CouchSurfing si era convertita in una ''Benefit Corporation'', poi corretto in ''B-Corporation''. Il diritto di fregiarsi dell'etichetta ''B-Corp'' è stato ottenuto scorrettamente fornendo a B-Lab, l'organizzazione che a pagamento rilascia tali etichette, informazioni sulla dissolta non-profit ed utilizzando poi l'etichetta per la compagnia appena creata sotto il falso nome CouchSurfing International, essendo il nome ufficiale Better World Through Travel, Inc.

CouchSurfing definisce in modo ingannevole la natura della nuova compagnia come «una via di mezzo tra non-profit e for-profit», ma legalmente non è altro che una normale ''C-Corporation'' (come Coca-Cola o Microsoft, per intenderci). Il futuro di CouchSurfing è ora incerto, dato che in un tempo non troppo lungo dovrà quotarsi in Borsa per ripagare i finanziatori e per permettere ai dipendenti di esercitare le loro stock-option. Non è dato sapere chi saranno in quel momento gli azionisti né quali piani avranno per CouchSurfing.

'''Riassumendo, ci sono seri problemi per il modo disonesto in cui CS, nonostante le ripetute rassicurazioni che questo non sarebbe mai potuto succedere, è stata segretamente privatizzata per l'arricchimento personale di pochi mentre esistevano soluzioni alternative; per come questo è stato giustificato; per l'impatto che questo avrà sulla comunità di CouchSurfing che in larga parte ha costruito quello che ora le viene sottratto; e per il modo in cui la natura del nuovo proprietario del sito web e dei nostri dati è stato ingannevolmente presentato come "una specie" di non-profit mentre legalmente non è altro che una normale società a scopo di lucro che sfoggia un'illegittima etichetta B-Lab.'''

Le implicazioni morali di quanto sopra dovrebbero essere ovvie. Le implicazioni legali sono attualmente allo studio. La prima conseguenza di questo studio dovrebbe essere il ritiro della certificazione B-Corp. Altre conseguenze possono includere un procedimento penale a carico dei personaggi chiave della "conversione", l'annullamento di quest'ultima o il ritiro degli investitori.

==Português==

==Suomi==

Couchsurfing:n muuttaminen voittoa tavoittelevaksi yritykseksi on aiheuttanut useita monimutkaisia ongelmia. Monet jäsenet kyselevät mikä ongelma on; "Minulle yhteisössä ja käyttäjänä mikään ei ole muuttunut".

Tässä on yritys selittää yksinkertaistettuna ja helposti ymmärrettävässä muodossa mitä minun parhaaseen saatavilla olevaan tietoon perustuen tapahtui. Lopussa on myös yhteenveto ongelmista, joita tämä aiheuttaa:

Couchsurfing perustettiin USA:ssa New Hampshiren osavaltiossa voittoa tavoittelemattomaksi yhdistykseksi vuonna 2003.

CS hallinto on jatkuvasti vakuutellut, että CS pysyisi voittoa tavoittelemattomana. Vapaaehtoiset ja omistautuneet jäsenet sekä lahjoittajat rakensivat yhteisön. He jopa jälleenrakensivat sen Casey Fenton vahingossa tuhottua koko tietokannan ja lähdettyä CS:stä vuonna 2006.

CS oli hakenut vuonna 2010 Yhdysvaltain veroviranomaisilta (IRS) 501c3 hyväntekeväisyysjärjestön asemaa. Viranomaiset ilmoittivat CS:lle, että se ei saisi tätä, koska CS:n toimintamallia oli katsottu sosiaaliluontoiseksi ennemmin kuin hyväntekeväisyysluontoiseksi. Viranomaiset listasivat myös muita syitä.

Tässä vaiheessa CS:n piti muuttaa asemaansa. Olisi voitu valita jokin muu voittoa tavoittelematon järjestötyyppi, kuten 501c7, joka on tarkoittettu sosiaalisille- ja vapaa-ajanjärjestöille, jollaiseksi IRS oli CS:n katsonut, tai vastavuoroisesti muuttua voittoa tavoittelevaksi. Vaikka CS oli aina luvannut pysyä voittoa tavoittelemattomana, hallinto päätti rikkoa tuon lupauksen ja muuttua voittoa tavoittelevaksi yritykseksi.

Tätä "muutosta" valmistellakseen CS:n puhemies Dan Hoffer oli jo ollut kuukausia työssä yrittäjänä pääomasijoitusyritys Benchmark Capitalissa ennen kuin IRS:n lausunto virallisesti tiedotettiin jäsenille.

CS:n säännöt ja laki vaativat, että yhteisöä hajotettaessa voittoa tavoittelemattoman yhteisön varat pitää jakaa hyväntekeväisyyteen tai antaa valtiolle.

Couchsurfing teki vetoomuksen New Hampshiren oikeuteen saadakseen luvan ostaa yhteisön varat itselleen. Samalla he kertoivat tuomioistuimelle, että kukaan muu ei olisi saamassa varoja ja että ei ole kiinnostuneita henkilöitä, joille pitäisi tiedottaa suunnitelmasta myydä Couchsurfing. Samaan aikaan sohvasurffailun vapaaehtoisille ja aktiiveille kerrottiin vain, että muutoksia on tulossa, mutta ei että CS myytäisiin. Jäsenille ja lahjoittajille ei kerrottu mitään. Tämä tiedotuksen puute kielsi näiltä asianomaisilta heidän laillisen oikeutensa vastustaa vetoomusta.

Perustuen arvioon yhteisön arvosta, jonka maksoi ja tilasi Couchsurfing, voittoa tavoittelemattoman yhteisön varojen arvoksi arvioitiin vain 600 000 dollaria. Tämä on vähemmän kuin yhden kolmanneksen tuotto.

Couchsurfingin perustajat muodostivat uuden yrityksen, jonka nimeksi tuli "Better World Through Travel, Inc." (BWTT). He perustivat tämän yrityksen Delawaren osavaltioon (tunnettuun veroparatiisiin) ja ostivat Couchsurfingin varat pienellä osalla niiden todellisesta arvosta.

Kaupasta saadut varat menivät New Hampshiren "lahjoitusrahastoon"(Grant Fund?) eikä Couchsurfing yhteisölle, joka oli suurelta osin luonut kyseiset varat.

Suurimmat osakkeenomistajat BWTT:ssä, Casey Fenton ja Dan Hoffer, antoivat itselleen osakkeita ja möivät pienosakkuuden arvioidusta 600000$ varoista jopa 7,6 milj dollarilla kahdelle pääomasijoitusyhtiölle jotka ovat Benchmark Capital ja Omidyar Network. Tämä asettaa Casey Fentonin ja Dan Hofferin osakkeiden arvon reippaasti yli 7 600 000 $, hyvin todennäköisesti yli 15 000 000 dollariin.

Aluksi he tiedottivat, että Couchsurfingista oli tullut hyväntekeväisyysyritys, joka oli sittemmin korjattu muotoon "B-Corporation". Tämäkin B-corporation nimi on saatu vääryydellä, esimerkiksi lähettämällä vääriä tietoja hajotetusta voittoa tavoittelemattomasta yhteisöstä B-Lab yhteisölle ja toimimalla väärällä nimellä "Couchsurfing International" (oikea nimi on "Better World Trough Travel, Inc."). B-lab on yhteisö joka vastaa "B-corporation"-nimen käytöstä maksua vastaan.

Couchsurfing on hämännyt yrityksen muotoa väittämällä sitä välimuodoksi voittoa tavoittelemattoman ja tavoittelevan välillä. Tosiasia kuitenkin on, että laillinen muoto on perinteinen voittoa tavoitteleva C-corporation (kuten Coca-Cola tai Microsoft). Couchsurfingin tulevaisuus on nyt epävarma, koska yrityksen täytyy muuttua julkiseksi pörssiyhtiöksi maksaakseen pääomasijoittajille voitolla takaisin ja antaakseen työntekijöiden nauttia heille annetuista osakeoptioistaan. Kukaan ei voi tietää keitä uudet osakkeenomistajat tulevat olemaan ja mitä heidän mahdolliset suunnitelmansa yhteisölle ovat.

Pähkinänkuoressa: Couchsurfingin toimissa on vakavia ongelmia. Yksi on se, että vasten toistuvia vakuutteluita ettei näin koskaan kävisi on yhteisö yksityistetty muutamien yksilöiden rikastumiseksi, samalla kun muita vaihtoehtojakin oli käytettävissä. Se miten tämä on oikeutettu, miten se vaikuttaa Couchsurfing-yhteisöön, joka suurelta osin on rakentanut sen mitä siltä nyt on oikeudettomasti viety. Sekä se miten verkkosivuston ja meidän datamme uudet omistajat on väärin esitetty voittoa tavoittelemattomana, kun tosiasiassa on kyse perinteisestä voittoa tavoittelevasta yrityksestä, joka valheellisesti ja oikeudettomasti käyttää B-Lab ilta saatua nimitystä.

Ylläolevan aiheuttamat moraaliset ongelmat pitäisi olla itsestään selvät. Lakiopilliset ongelmat ovat tällä hetkellä tutkinnan alla. Ensimmäinen seuraus tällä tutkimuksella on se että B-corp-certifikaatti vedetään pois yritykseltä. Seuraava voisi olla edellä kuvatun "muunnoksen" avaintekijöiden rikosoikeudellinen syyttäminen, muunnoksen peruuttaminen tai sijoittajien takaisin veto.

==References==

[http://sites.google.com/site/cskbase/npo-privatization Couchsurfing Knowledge Base]

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Couchsurfing]]

Trustroots Wiki:Community portal

2017-09-01T10:33:08Z

Traumschule: Couchwiki or Nomadwiki?

{{Couchwiki}}
:''Feel free to leave questions and comments here. Also see [[project:tech]] for technical issues.''

== The "Sue Gardner" font ==

So I found this "Sue Gardner" font and thought it was a good joke to use it for article titles. Not sure if we want to keep this. What do you think? (I already tried limiting the font to articles of the [[:Category:CouchSurfing|CouchSurfing category]] but that was too much work.) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 21:51, 17 April 2013 (CEST)
: Well, looks kind of funny and I'm OK with it. The only thing that should be checked: Is it also readable for people with bad eyesight? [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 23:47, 18 April 2013 (CEST)
: Funny but not so readable for me --[[User:PabloBD|PabloBD]] ([[User talk:PabloBD|talk]]) 23:07, 22 June 2013 (CEST)

== Flagcounter or: do we want to enable external images? ==
For use a visit counter (FlagCounter), how integrate the FLAGCOUNTER Code in a page CouchWiki ?
Here is my code given by FlagCounter :
<pre><a href="http://info.flagcounter.com/s7xP">
<img src="http://s10.flagcounter.com/count/s7xP/bg_FFFFFF/txt_000000/border_CCCCCC/columns_6/maxflags_30/viewers_0/labels_0/pageviews_0/flags_0/" alt="Flag Counter" border="0"></a></pre>

This code never runs in CouchWiki !!!!
Thanks for your replies (bernard9277@hotmail.fr) or BERNARD9277 on CS. [[User:ROBERT48]]

:I could enable [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgAllowExternalImages the AllowExternalImages setting] to enable this but let's get the opinion of some more couchwiki editors as there is a [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:$wgAllowExternalImages#Why_disallow_external_images.3F valid reason for not allowing external images]. (Note that you can sign messages on talk pages with <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>.) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 16:05, 9 March 2013 (CET)

::I strongly disagree with external pictures, especially if it's used as a snooping tool like here. A free and open projekt should not allow user snooping from third parties. (A simple access counter is at the bottom of couchwiki pages anyway.)[[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 16:41, 9 March 2013 (CET)

::I agree with the reasoning for disallowing external images. I always though these flag counters were a bit dodgy. I really don't think it is necessary. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 16:06, 10 March 2013 (CET)

::OK Midsch, I'm agree with you, but for us, this counter is not a snooping tool, but only for know if our city arouses an interest by presentation that's made, that's all !![[User:ROBERT48|ROBERT48]] ([[User talk:ROBERT48|talk]]) 18:31, 9 March 2013 (CET)

:::Well, if you're not paying for it you're the product. I'm sure this flagcounter company is making money by tracking people. But with <tt>$wgAllowExternalImagesFrom</tt> (which I just found now) we could allow this flagcounter and just this flagcounter. I'm personally okay with that, and people who care about privacy can use ghostery or other privacy plugins to block it. Midsch, what do you say? [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 19:54, 9 March 2013 (CET)

::::Sorry for the late replay, I've had some login-issues here. But so was some time to think about it. I think we shouldn't open pandoras box and don't use third part pics and scripts. It is a snooping tool, if not for you, definetely for the flag counter company. That's why it's free. And honestly I can't see an use for this special one anyway: You already have a build-in counter on each page to see if people are accessing it, what's the benefit of (mostly wrong) ip-location guessing and nationalist flags? (BTW: I'd like to get rid of national flags in the country headers as well, but they've been easy to get and use when I and several others tried to get some structure here ...) [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 20:24, 13 March 2013 (CET)

== Avoid Copying Wikivoyage and Duplicating information ==

WikiVoyage is a much more detailed and regularly updated source of '''general''' travel information. Avoid simply duplicating this information on your city or country page. Make your wiki information tailored specifically to travlers (on any of the hosp ex networks). Example - rather than giving a comprehensive list of every bar, every transport route, etc, give details on locals top favourite places, locals favourite things to do in your place, specific tips in travel in your region, etc. You get the idea. Get you local community to contribute suggestions. Include a list of frequently asked questions. Send people off to wikivoyage for detailed and general information. Once I have finished editing my local place page I can give an example. Some of the city groups have the right idea but I'm of the opinion that this wiki could be so much more!--[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 21:07, 6 March 2013 (CET)
:Although I agree with you about your arguments and goals, I'd also like to stress that we should use a more neutreal language regarding hospex networks. Your paragraph is using only CS as a reference. Off course CS is still the major player and some content is from the dead cs-only CSwiki, but some people contributing here don't use Couchsurfing (anymore). Local pages should off course have links to local groups and network related tips, but pages like [[http://couchwiki.org/en/Category:100_Things 100 Things to Do in XY]], or hints how to search hosts in a specific region are not necessarily cs-only ... [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 19:48, 6 March 2013 (CET)
::That was my intention, although it may not have come off that way, hence I wrote that section under 'Example'. Of course the argument applies for any hospex network. I've wrote on other forums that the worldwide hospex community should really be 'tool agnostic' so I understand your point about the neutral language. I edited the orginal comment to make it more neutral. --[[User:Ashuri|Ashuri]] ([[User talk:Ashuri|talk]]) 21:03, 6 March 2013 (CET)

:Cool. Let's write some [[project:Guidelines|Guidelines]]. Couchwiki was started in 2009 but only now it's coming off the ground. (And yes, I'm thankful to CSHQ for making this possible ;) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 00:09, 7 March 2013 (CET)
::Sounds like a good idea - is there somewhere we can keep track of all the ongoing projects and current tasks needed on the wiki?
:::[[Tasklist]] was supposed to be a page for collecting this stuff. It's outdated though, as I just reacted on "recent changes" for quite a while. But if we get this wiki more a life, it's probably a good starting point. [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 16:41, 9 March 2013 (CET)

==[[Couchwiki:For_different_organizations| For different organisation]]==

[[Couchwiki:For_different_organizations| Here]] a page about using couchwiki for [[BeWelcome]], [[Hospitality Club]], BeLodged, Global Freeloaders, Servas etc...

==Interwiki links==
I'm trying to set up some interwiki links. But there always seems to be a caching issue. So far I've done [[:hitch:|hitch]], [[:trash:|trash]], [[:cs:|cs]] and [[:csgroup:7621|csgroup]], if you want any others, just let me know. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 15:43, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Sharewiki.org please [[User:Matrixpoint|Matrixpoint]] 05:43, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

BW groups please [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] 19:50, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

wikipedia (probably active by default) and wikitravel please --[[User:Metal.lunchbox|Metal.lunchbox]] 20:39, 20 October 2009 (UTC)

Wikivoyage would be nice --[[User:MrTweek|MrTweek]] 10:20, 21 October 2009 (UTC)

would it be possible to make a page about interwiki in couchwiki (brief explanation and how to use it ?) [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 01:13, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

:Wikipedia has a [[wikipedia:InterWiki|nice article about interwiki]] :) Of course it could be useful to have [[project:interwiki|an article here as well]], feel free to start it, and note that this wiki is license compatible with Wikipedia, so you can copy parts from the Wikipedia article. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 10:42, 31 October 2009 (UTC)
:: [[project:interwiki| Job done !!!]] [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 03:27, 2 November 2009 (UTC)
Guaka, Are you the only person able to make interwiki links ? If no, how can we do that ? [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 15:34, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

==Other languages==
There's also a version of [http://couchwiki.org/fr/ Couchwiki in French] now :) The links aren't working properly yet. I'll happily set up other languages if there's enough interest, (especially German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or Swedish). We just need some people (or even just one person) who is willing to take care of it enough, i.e. put up a front page and check for spam regularly, and ideally make sure there are new articles every week. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 20:27, 14 October 2009 (UTC)

==Feature request: Category sitemap in footer==
If we could find an extension to display a context-sensitive sitemap based on the categories of a page, wouldn't that be awesome? Maybe this could even be done with jquery, so the browser could cache the category information between requests, and it doesn't add up to page size.

(maybe "sitemap" is the wrong term here, because I only want to show related stuff)

I could work on that when I have time.

--[[User:Lemon-head|Lemon-head]] 19:03, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

:Hey. Sure, could be nice. :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:32, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

== Basic Organization of the wiki ==
Well there are a few pages and enough interest to start talking a little bit about how to organize the wiki. So far there seem to be 3 kinds of pages- location guide pages, pages about the wiki, and other pages. The later two will sort themselves out but the location guides follow an obvious logical hierarchy- World, region, country, (state,province), city, and extra pages attached to one of those levels like "Cycling in Germany" or "100 things to do in.." simple wiki links and templates could keep the pages organized according to the above logic and categories could help enforce it. does everyone pretty much agree on this?

I also want to say that generic categories like "Cities" or "country guides" are not useful and should be avoided. what do you guys think? --[[User:Metal.lunchbox|Metal.lunchbox]] 04:16, 24 October 2009 (UTC)

:Hey Lunchbox! I agree. Feel free to remove those generic categories. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 22:39, 24 October 2009 (UTC)
:: Actually I like a category like Hamburg, as it keeps all Hamburg related stuff together. But obviously it doesn't make sense if there is only one page for a city. BTW: Heavy usage of templates makes everything look the same and clean, but it stops people from editing as it looks complicate at first. [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] 19:52, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

== Shared user accounts and shared images ==
Now you can use your login on the English couchwiki also for the other languages (so far French and Italian). And you can use images that have been uploaded here in other languages as well. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 22:56, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

== It's now possible to directly use images from [[commons:Wikimedia Commons|Wikimedia Commons]]! ==
Just find the image you want to use and put it here, e.g. <nowiki>[[File:Bandeau_France.png|300px]]</nowiki> for [[File:Bandeau_France.png|300px]] from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandeau_France.png [[User:Guaka|guaka]] Almost all images on Wikimedia Commons have been checked on copyrights, and it's highly encouraged to use them, and also to upload your own work there and then use it here. :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:35, 6 November 2009 (UTC)

== Main Page layout ==

The Main Page is getting messy and ugly : [[Mainpagelayoutbikepunk| here]] is a first draft/attempt to make it a bit better.
(I would like to know how to use the "class=" in mediawiki, I didn't find anything ''clear'' with google). What do you think about it ? [[User:Bikepunk|Bikepunk]] 22:26, 11 November 2009 (UTC)
:I just moved the new layout to the mainpage, it's much better than before, but off course needs more improvement. Hey, css-gurus! Your turn! And the structure/navigation is also looking for some more improvement! [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] 20:24, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

== Added cheat sheet from wikipedia - compatible licence? ==

I've copied across the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Cheatsheet&action=edit Wikipedia cheat sheet] to [[Help:Editing]]

Also needs a bit of a cleanup as templates in wikipedia aren't always here. --[[Special:Contributions/118.208.108.138|118.208.108.138]] 10th to 20th December 2009 (UTC)

:It's totally fine to copy from Wikipedia, just add a template <nowiki>{{wikipedia}}</nowiki> to indicate that it's copied from Wikipedia. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 16:03, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

== Copy across openid explanation from old plugin ==

@[[User:Guaka|guaka]]: The previous version of the plugin Couchwiki had a better and easier to understand explanation for why OpenID was good. Please recover that explanation and put it in the new plugin.

In a related note is it possible to assume credit for edits done before the plugin became available? --[[User:Daz|daz]] 19:08, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

:Sorry, not on the top of my priorities right now. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:40, 16 June 2010 (UTC)

== MediaWiki mobile plugin ==

Is there any interest in installing the mobile plugin that is being rapidly developed and used in WikiPedia? I want it but not sure if activity warrants it. On the otherhand this is a travel site so access to it in a mobile friendly format might actually increase activity. --[[User:Daz|daz]] 19:08, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

:Could be nice, link? I'd probably first wanna try it at Hitchwiki though. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 23:40, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
:: Not sure? You seem to be more in tune with the wiki community then me. [[User:Daz|Daz]] 15:14, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

== Data dumps ==

The availability of frequently updated [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mediawiki/wiki/Manual:Backing_up_a_wiki#XML_dump XML dumps of the database] (content only, no user data) would increase the sustainability and reusability of couchwiki. This seems to be listed as todo at [[Couchwiki:Tech]]. Will this be done in the near future?--[[User:Konrad|Konrad]] 20:59, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

:Finally did it. Check http://couchwiki.org/couch/dumps/ :) [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 14:07, 3 December 2012 (CET)

== Offline versions ==

In a discussion with [[User:TimUbaldo|Tim]] he mentioned the idea of an offline versions (e.g. in [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/EPUB epub format]) which might be handy for travelers. There is an [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/mediawiki/wiki/Extension:EPubExportexisting MediaWiki extension for epub export] but I have no experiences with it so far. --[[User:Konrad|Konrad]] 20:59, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

I used a web service like [http://www.web2fb2.net/ Web2FB] to convert wikitravel pages for my ebook reader. While this is an easy solution, it might put more load on the server than necessary. --[[User:TimUbaldo|Tim]] 21:12, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

:I've set up dumps for sharewiki, I'll look into setting it up for couchwiki as well. Not right now but get back to me in a month if I haven't done it by then. Also let me know if you want me to install a specific extension. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 22:31, 11 September 2011 (UTC)

:: Great! The dumps at sharewiki look fine. A dump every week (at share wiki there is one every day) would be even enough IMO if space becomes an issue.--[[User:Konrad|Konrad]] 04:15, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

::: I just tried setting this up but ran into a "MediaWiki internal error." (with same script that works fine on sharewiki). I can look further into this if this is still wanted. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 08:02, 17 July 2012 (UTC)

== Merge into Wikimedia travel guide? ==
Wikimedia is likely to [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Travel_Guide start a travel guide], mainly thanks to a group of Wikitravel admins who can't deal any more with Internet Brand. Considering the current status of Couchwiki it could be very interesting to see if it's possible to also merge Couchwiki into the WMF travel guide. Being non profit (forever) and about traveling it suits the spirit. It would be a big advantage in maintenance and it would also promote hospitality exchange (not just couchsurfing) to a larger audience that is hopefully more inclined to choose non profit hospex (especially the active editors). [[User:Guaka|guaka]] 08:02, 17 July 2012 (UTC)
:If we're honest, there is very little content here and I'd love to see it merged into a bigger/active project. So if the wikimedia project is really happening, let's go for it. Some active pages here like [[Guide_to_punk]] will get in trouble though. Also BeWelcome workpages - to bypass the rotten bw-wiki - won't survive the move. And the cynic in me is afraid in the german section of the wikimedia travelguide most areas will be white spots for not meeting the admins criterias of relevance ... anyway, it's time for a general travelguide wikistyle! [[User:Midsch|Midsch]] ([[User talk:Midsch|talk]]) 20:58, 13 August 2012 (CEST)

:If couchsurfing finally takes the couchsurfing wiki offline today we'll probably have some more activity here :) and it's probably good to just keep it independent as it as. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 00:44, 14 December 2012 (CET)

== Wikitravel links ==
Wikitravel was another nice project that was taken over by money. Meanwhile Wikivoyage has come up as a very decent alternative :) I was so free and changed all Wikitravel interwiki links into links to Wikivoyage. I hope nobody minds. If so, let me know and I'll see what I can do about it. [[User:Guaka|guaka]] ([[User talk:Guaka|talk]]) 16:31, 7 December 2012 (CET)

== [[Couchwiki]] or [[:nomad:|Nomadwiki]]? ==
I would like to [[:nomad:Community_portal#Info_from_other_wiki_.3F|move travel-related content from Sharewiki to Nomadwiki]]. Now i looked into [[Couchwiki]] and found many [[:Category:Stub_articles|stubs]] on regional pages and thought it might not be used that much. It looks a bit like the main intention was to escape from the now dead couchsurfingwiki. Would it be worth to move pages on hospitality to couchwiki or to nomadwiki, or even merge [[Couchwiki]] into [[:nomad:|Nomadwiki]]?? [[Couchwiki.org:Related wikis]] is not that clear about that.
This is what I could find as description for [[Couchwiki]]:
* [[Couchwiki.org:About]]: ''"travel community guide ... but more personal and more about community activity."''
* [[Couchwiki.org:How we want to keep Couchwiki]]: ''"global guide to hospitality exchange"''
--[[User:Traumschule|Traumschule]] ([[User talk:Traumschule|talk]]) 12:33, 1 September 2017 (CEST)

Trustroots Wiki:Related wikis

2017-09-01T10:24:40Z

Traumschule: +sharewiki, nomadwiki, cashwiki

* [http://www.wikivoyage.org/ Wikivoyage]
* [http://hitchwiki.org/ hitchwiki]
* [[:nomad:|Nomadwiki]]: travel-related, nomadism
* [[:share:|Sharewiki]]: sharing, less specific to hosting and nomadism
* [http://trashwiki.org/ Trashwiki]
* [[:cash:|Cashwiki]]

{{stub}}

User:Traumschule

2017-08-28T16:23:29Z

Traumschule: new

'''Traumschule''' is an [[:share:open space|open space]], platform for actions, [[nomadbase]], [https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/Hackbases Hackerspace] and much more located in the area [[:w:Altmark|Altmark]] in [[:hitch:Germany|Germany]]. It belongs to the [http://www.stiftung-freiraeume.de/ Freiräume foundation] and is part of a wider [[:share:Nomadbase-Network|Nomadbase-Network]] promoting the concept of free learning, self-organized [[:share:skillsharing|skillsharing]] and DIY projects.

[[:hitch:Hitchgathering/2017|Hitchgathering 2017]] was hosted here. The place is available for future [[:share:Category:Events|events]].

== Infrastructure ==
''See the list of [https://autoorganisation.org/wiki/Was_gibts_in_der_Traumschule%3F infrastructure] and [http://ts.blogsport.de/projekte/ projects] in german.''

The place contains a former [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_People%27s_Army NVA] military building with workshops, a [http://ts.blogsport.de/Bahnhof/ historical train station] and 4 hectare with some [http://www.appropedia.org/Permaculture permaculture] and fruit trees.

== Profiles ==
* '''Blog:''' [http://ts.blogsport.de ts.blogsport.de] (mostly german, some english and russian)

* [http://totalism.org/alike#____Traumschule_Riebau_-_Altmark_-_Germany totalism] (list of nomadbases)
* [https://autoorganisation.org/wiki/Traumschule autoorganisation.org] (german)

'''Traumschule at [[:share:hospitality|hospitality]] platforms'''
* [https://www.trustroots.org/profile/traumschule trustroots.org]
* [https://www.bewelcome.org/members/Traumschule BeWelcome]
* [https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/traum-schule Couchsurfing]

[[couch:User:Traumschule]]
[[hitch:User:Traumschule]]
[[trash:User:Traumschule]]
[[nomad:User:Traumschule]]
[[Category:Germany]]

Hanover

2017-08-28T16:20:39Z

Traumschule: Traumschule moved page Hanover to Hannover over redirect: typo

#REDIRECT [[Hannover]]

Hannover

2017-08-28T16:20:39Z

Traumschule: Traumschule moved page Hanover to Hannover over redirect: typo

{{Germany}}
{{City header
|city = Hanover
|country = Germany
|areas =
|toplinks =
|bwgroup = 275
|csgroup =
|wikipedia = Hanover
|hitchwiki = Hanover
|wikivoyage = Hanover
|image = Coat_of_arms_of_Hannover.svg
|imagetext = Coat of arms of Hannover
}}
{{TOCright}}

== General Information ==
Hanover (German: Hannover) is the capital of the German region [[Lower Saxony]].

{{Stub}}

== Hospitality Exchange ==
=== Hosting during fairs ===
There are a lot of fairs in Hanover and during bigger fairs all hostel and hotel beds are very expensive (Ø 200€/night). And you need to book a few month in advance to get one of those. This is the reason why the Hanover hosts get tons of requests, most of them from almost empty profiles.

'''Please follow these advises:'''

* Try to write more than two weeks before the fair.
* Write very personal requests.
* '''If you are new to hospitality exchange, take extra care to fill your profile with enough information and explain why you are joining at this moment'''
* If you come with friends, make sure that they have their own profile.
* Bring some time for your host and the social amenities of hospitality exchange and tell this in your request.
* Don't write only to experienced or centrally located hosts.
* Don't ask for a place to stay in the local Hanover groups (unless they're especially made for requests/emergencies), your post will be deleted very fast or ignored.

=== Special networks ===
==== CS Community Hannover ====

The Hannover CS Community organizes lots of local events. All events are announced in the Hannover Group.

'''Regular events:'''

* every 8th of the month
* every last Saturday of the month

==== BeWelcome ====

The [https://www.bewelcome.org/groups/275 BeWelcome community] is still small but starts to get active with meetings and alike right now.
[[trash:Hanover]]
[[hitch:Hanover]]