Blog #1 - Couchsurfing.org

Upon seeing the URL address "couchsurfing.org", I immediately pictured an online community centered around television. I guess the name just made me think of a guy sitting on his couch, flipping through channels. After actually visiting the site, I realized that my guess was way, way off compared to what the site actually is. Couchsurfing is a website where people can connect worldwide and open their homes for others to come and visit their local community. The site was designed to help bring people together and create a community of people from all different communities, allowing them to get a taste of each-other's lifestyles.

The site states that Couchsurfing began as a small project between four founding members, but other than that there isn't really much information pertaining to who made the site. I personally wouldn't consider joining this community because I can't really afford to travel out or open my family's home to a stranger from the internet. The safety issue is also a concern to me; I don't know if I could let someone who I had never met before to live in my home, even temporarily. Who knows if I can trust somebody from this community or not? I'm sure my family wouldn't be on board with the idea either due to similar (if not identical) concerns.

-B