thanks fiona!

OK, I just saw the list of links Fiona left us on Alex's post. Definitely looking into that tomorrow, looks like gold.

where's your sense of couchsurfing spirit?

On a completely different topic and possible area of interest, there has a tangible backlash against couchsurfing both as a concept and as a brand in the online travel community. The scandals Pip alludes to in her post are of course the most ostensible examples of bad press, making it all the way to more traditional media reportage, but there is no shortage of more stock criticism in some online fora. For instance, one blog, All that is wrong with the world, contains a lengthy discussion entitled ‘A criticism of Couchsurfing and review of alternatives’ in which the author makes known his disdain for, among other things, continual reference by couchsurfers to “couchsurfing spirit”. This, the author explains, is ”in practice in a close-minded, naïve and unrealistically optimistic outlook on life” espoused by “Super-Hippies”, the kind of crowd couchsurfing allegedly attracts.

It appears, then, that not everyone online who is interested in travel or even specifically interested in this kind of social travel experience is necessarily attracted to the sense of community which at least some elements the couchsurfing community enjoy.

After reading this particular blog (sic) I am starting to see this site becoming not just an analysis of couchsurfing as an online phenomenon but also an examination of the ‘community’ it creates and encourages, as well the rules and norms therein. This includes alleged stigma attached to negatively reviewing a couchsurfing host, although I am yet to research that particular area. Is someone else on that?

couchsurfing and finance.

Everything I’ve written to this point is, of course, only useful if we broaden our concept beyond the couchsurfing phenomenon, which is looking increasingly unlikely. With that in mind, I want to look at some possible feature angles and share some of my own ideas, but I’ve broken them up into two posts so people can give feedback on individual sections.

While it is tempting to look only at the social side of couchsurfing and understanding it as yet another clever use of the internet to bring people together, it’s important to consider the effect it has had on the billion-dollar hostel industry as the traditional port of call for younger/tighter-budget travelers. A recent article from Reportage Online does not see it necessarily as a threat to the hostel’s survival, but certainly envisages a decline in hostels’ share in the backpacker market (ideally to be replaced by the rise of the more lucrative “flashpacker”).

Beyond the obvious financial appeal of a free bed, I think it’s important that we try to understand what the appeal is in organizing travel socially rather than by more traditional commercial models. Also the extent to which hostel and other budget travel organizations (e.g. YHA, Contiki) have attempted to network socially to combat or replicate the success of couchsurfing, why they have done this and whether their success has been comparable.

the gameplan.

During our team meeting today it dawned on us that it was all well and good to do an exposition on couchsurfing and the like, but how could we really do it honestly and properly if none of us had ever actually tried it?

So with that I have courageously volunteered my services for the cause, to help us get a better understanding of the couchsurfing phenomenon! Now, my first preference was Hawaii - Jetstar even has a sale on right now. But, following a bit of research I discovered that we don't actually have a "budget" for this little production, and being the poor struggling university students we are I have downgraded my ambition to Melbourne. Considering I am probably the only Sydney University Arts student that hasn't been to Melbourne and realised that the culture is like, soooooooooo amazing down there, it will for all intents and purposes be a foreign experience.

STEP ONE!

Join the couchsurfing community - CHECK!

STEP TWO!

Edit my profile so that someone might actually want to host me - CHECK... errr, wait hang on

STEP THREE!

Find a willing compatriot in Melbourne ready to host yours truly and (hopefully) talk about their CS experiences - WORKING ON IT!

From this experience, I am hoping to develop a feature on a) what makes a good online 'couchsurfing profile' that would make someone want to host you, as well as b) the experience itself! Does online translate into real life? Can something meaningful really come of nothing?

If nothing else, hopefully i'll get a few free nights accommodation in Melbourne...

food for thought.

One of the most interesting aspects of the couch surfing phenomenon is the way in which it brings together the 'online' world with the physical one. Much has been written about people adopting particular online personas, however CS works - and only works - when people are up front and honest about a) their lives, interests etc and b) their intentions. The online vulnerability of children and the technologically ignorant has been well documented, however CS exposes that even the most thorough and switched on can be taken advantage of. Take for example the story of a chinese tourist who was allegedly raped by a man she had met through the couch surfing website. The couch surfing community is built around the concept of people helping people, yet this case shows that ill-intentioned people can infiltrate even the most well-intentioned of groups.

When a user has been sufficiently 'verified' by the couchsurfing.com they are given a small green tick in the corner of their profile picture, supposedly meaning that they can be trusted. But is it enough? Can we, as rational and sensible social beings, wholeheartedly trust relatively unknown John Citizen to house us and look after us based solely on a small 'about me' and a little green tick?

just couchsurfing?

I am 21 years old and I have travelled to over 30 countries, both on my own funds and with family. I have stayed in hostels, hotels, airport floors and the family homes of total strangers whose language I could not speak. I honestly love travelling and the vast array of experiences and adventures it can offer.

With that in mind, and to speak frankly for a moment, I am a little concerned about the fact that we seem to be focusing exclusively on the budget end of travel and generalizing as a result. Considering the trend in our posting and (sorry folks, unblogged) team meetings, you could be forgiven for thinking that not only is travel agency dead, but also the hotel, the hostel, business class air travel, and luggage weighing over 5kg. They are not; the safety and luxury of other forms of accommodation will always be in demand for those seeking that kind of experience and comfort. That isn’t to say, however, that these types of travel haven’t changed as a result of interface with online services, and this is something I would really like to see explored in our piece as Pip suggests (unless we do decide to restrict it to couchsurfing alone).

Referencing an article from MIT’s Sloan Review (to which I have as yet been unable to gain full access beyond the abstract through the university), Wikipedia’s article on travel agency suggests that the internet has contributed to the downfall of many value-added intermediary services, including travel agency. This disintermediation, it is argued, stems from travel and hospitality businesses increasingly using their websites as primary points of interaction with potential clients and, subsequently, as points of sale. What, then, remains of travel agency as a profession? Has it actually benefited in any way from interaction with the internet, or could it be becoming another redundant profession?

Watch this space for a (potential) video interview with my friend Roz from Jetset, who has agreed in principle to help us out.

Until then, YouTube hasn’t been particularly forthcoming with illustrative videos on this particular subject, so here’s what my mum thought couchsurfing was:

note: how not to couchsurf.

Couchsurfing?

Couchsurfing. Everyone has heard of it... maybe some of us have even done it. Last week one of my best friends played host to a famously attractive Dutch girl he randomly encountered and the airport, and I'm fairly certain that he's hoping she'll return the favour (she turned out to have a 'long term boyfriend', but that's beside the point...). For those unacquainted with the intricated details of this traveller's art, here is a little video to get you up to speed...



Now, Couch surfing in it's most basic format has existed for as long as people have been travelling; where do you think Alexander crashed every time he took over a new city? (well, for those that he didn't burn down at least) The internet and new media has seen the single greatest restructuring of this age old tradition, as scabs and paupers world wide no longer need to struggle with the hassles of trying to organise a bed by snail mail or international telephone calls, or even know the person who's pad they intend to crash.

The online Couchsurfing website has been marvellously successful at linking likeminded travellers out to save a few bucks, boasting over three and a half million positive couchsurfing experiences. Truly, this is a phenomenon worth a few moments of thought.

What leads people to just blindly trust the people they meet online to house them safely and without issue? And for that matter ... just how safe is it to couchsurf? At face value it seems like a fantastic idea but delve a little deeper and cracks start to show - one traveller posted this reflection on the Lonely Planet forums site.

The internet and new media have irrevocably changed this landscape, but for the better? to be continued...

ACME Blog and Travel's Core

Partial to its symbiotic relationship to the evolutionary nature of online media, the face of travel is constantly changing and adapting to meet the needs of a growing digital audience. Where once the average traveler would need to discuss and organize plans through a local agent - conducted through face to face meetings - travelers of today have the tools of the internet readily available at their fingertips, ensuring that anyone in any corner of the world can organize a trip within minutes.

But with this digital travel revolution comes an abundance of websites claiming to provide the best travel advice and accommodation, to such an extent that audiences are inundated with information and agencies that claim no responsibility for traveler's insurance or safety. Indeed, ACME Blog and Travel is an investigation into these very concerns. Understanding that the nature of travel will only continue to evolve parallel to the internet revolution, our website will not only seek to explore the ways that travel has undoubtedly changed but will crucially examine key online sites that claim to aid travelers. ACME Blog and Travel’s main concern is to provide the internet user with detailed and researched information that can supply a traveler with crucial knowledge into the nature of these sites and what they offer.

Perhaps the biggest benefactor of travel’s new online nature is the phenomenon known as ‘Couch Surfing’. Couchsurfing.org is fast becoming a hit with young globetrotters who are looking to share experiences, cultures, and their couch. Since its conception six years ago, this social networking site which makes it possible to stay in a local’s home in just about any country in the world, has attracted over two million members. This free travel website has opened up a world of opportunity for ‘surfers’ and those wanting to travel cheaply, but how has this affected not only the billon dollar backpacking industry but the very nature of a travelers journey and their awareness of travel experiences?

The organizers of ‘Couch Surfing’ claim no responsibility for the experiences of their users – be that experience good or bad. Rather, this site is based upon member and user ratings of specific ‘Couch Surfing’ sites that the user must research by themselves and for themselves before them embark on their journey. This form of ratings has remained un-changed even though claims of rape, sexual abuse and poor quality of sites have been expressed. What ACME Blog and Travel is concerned with is the nature of this site, how it works and how it crucially does not work properly by providing their audience with all the information available. We hope to discuss and examine these issues with members and even organizers of the ‘Couch Surfing’ site that will allow us to investigate the nature of this online travel website.

It is content similar to this exploratory nature of the ‘Couch Surfing’ site that we hope to provide on ACME Blog and Travel. Information that investigates the authority and usefulness of any website claiming to aid you in travel needs must surely be beneficial to members of all ages. In fact, the wide range of generations that will use our website will to some extent determine the layout of our page. Understandable to those with both a broad and small knowledge of the world wide web itself, ACME Blog and Travel will use both simple yet innovative online tools to provide the user with the best possible information and virtual experience. Feature articles and updates into certain internet sites and their travel claims will provide the backdrop for our home page, while tabs will lead users to certain travel investigative pieces – such as ‘Couch Surfing’.

Finally, ACME Blog and Travel understands its own role in the formation and development of travel’s changing online nature. Examining a subject and agencies that allow for our very website even to exist, ACME Blog and Travel does not seek to add to this ever growing pool that will continue to change the face of travel but rather consider and investigate the very nature of online travel now and how current sites add to this experience. 

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