Couchsurfing is a social networking website founded in 2002 that allows members to connect with other users to arrange free temporary housing or travel companions. It has over 5 million users across 250 states and territories. Security measures include references, credit card verification, and vouching from other members. Some have criticized its loss of data protection and conversion to a for-profit organization.
3. Social Travel Network
Founded in 2002 in London by J辿rome Touze (Co-CEO), Peter Ward (Co-CEO) and Mike Lines (CTO)
Discover where to go and what to do
Enables its users to create a profile and upload photos
Averages over 8 million unique users a month
Global Traffic Rank 2453 , Indian Traffic Rank 1246
Help its members fulfil their dreams by meeting like-minded people to do cool stuff with and by sharing their
intentions and experiences with others
WAYN Founders have also launched a new dating site under the WAYN umbrella. WAYN Dating helps people
find their match based on doing what they love.
Few considers it as malicious spam website
one of the few premium social networking communities that managed to become profitable
WAYN - Android Apps on Google Play
5. An online social networking portal
Facilitates offline group meetings in various localities around the world
13.26 million members in 196 countries
123, 298 meetup groups and 381,743 monthly meetups
Meetup allows members to find and join groups unified by a common
interest, such as books, games, movies, health, pets, careers or hobbies
Connects you into a network of other nearby users whom youve never
met and you can instantaneously initiate a chat with them.
6. Meetup Other social networking sites -
Helps you meet up with new Facebook
people, common interests Facebook connects you to your
Meetup more singularly friends, already in your social
focused, less distractions and circle
advertising Constant security settings, more
Easy to organize repeated events distractions and ads
Requires manual entry and
Meetup users are local, easier to tracking for repeated events
connect with people nearby Facebook is generic, users can be
from another country, inviting to
events in their country
Many features and tools - group
promotions such as new group More time consuming to filter
announcements, suggested through groups, e.g. Facebook
meetups, events calendar and (anyone can create)
email functions
Better support staff, more safety Relatively difficult to reach
and reachable support staff at other social
networking sites
7. Provides groups where members may seek travel partners or advice. Members
organize activities such as camping trips, bar crawls, meetings, and sporting
events.
Non-monetary means of exchange
Project started by Casey Fenton in 1999.
Mission to create inspiring experiences
Alexa Global Rank 2700
Security measures
References
Credit Card Verification
Vouching
5 million users as of January, 2013. 97,000 unique towns in 250 states and
territories.
Login Process
Problematic Policies Loss of data protection
Protests over conversion from a non-profit organization to profit org.
10. Is a social networking website but with a difference. It targets the online
goal setting community.
It works on tagging rather than explicit interpersonal connections
Users setup logins and make a list of goals or hopes that they wish to do.
Once the list is made, the text is being parsed and linked to the goals of
other users.
The connection established between goals of multiple people help in
cheering each other up and encouraging them towards achieving their
goals
11. Location based sharing is allowed enabling users to share their goals with
people of their own locality alone
Deadlines can be set for each of your goals thereby urging you to work
under a timed scenario
A family can be formed for similar minded users and they can cheer you
and tag you encouraging you to achieve your goal
You can add things you have bought on your consumption page and you
shall receive tips about other similar related items.
Can be integrated to Flickr, your own personal blog, etc
Editor's Notes
#8: Hospitality service,Hospitality exchange, international understanding,networkingFree to register. Members are encouraged to provide information and photos of themselves and of the accommodation they offer, if anySecurity detailsThere are three methods Couchsurfing that increase security and trust, which are all visible on member profiles for potential hosts and surfers:Personalreferences, which hosts and surfers have the option to leave after having used the service. It is also possible to leave neutral or negative references if it is deemed appropriate. Negative references are sometimes removed by the site.[3]An optionalcredit cardverificationsystem, allowing members to "lock in" their name and mailing address by making a credit card payment under any name and entering a code that Couchsurfing mails to an address of their choice. The verification program is the principal source of revenue for Couchsurfing. In an effort to increase economic fairness, the verification fee is based on a sliding scale, taking into account thePurchasing Power ParityandHuman Development Indexof the country of registration.A personalvouchingsystem, whereby a member that had been vouched for three times originally starting with the founders of the site might in turn vouch for any number of other members he knew or had met through Couchsurfing, andtrusts.