Comments on: (C)ouchSurfing’s Pathetic Shutdown http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/ Connecting the dots ... Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:19:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-662 Anonymous Sat, 15 Jul 2006 04:41:43 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-662 You can discuss the future of couchsurfing here http://thecouchsurfingbuilding2.hyperboards.com Discuss what should and should not be done to build a better couchsurfing site You can discuss the future of couchsurfing here

http://thecouchsurfingbuilding2.hyperboards.com

Discuss what should and should not be done to build a better couchsurfing site

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-661 Anonymous Sat, 08 Jul 2006 21:01:20 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-661 Dear Zoli, We all have moments where we question our very own capacities and limitations. Fortunately for Casey that moment lasted only a few days, and as you probably know, Couchsurfing is back online, and we welcome you to sign up and find out what our great community is all about. :) Duke Couchsurfing Administrator & member http://www.couchsurfing.com/duke Dear Zoli,

We all have moments where we question our very own capacities and limitations. Fortunately for Casey that moment lasted only a few days, and as you probably know, Couchsurfing is back online, and we welcome you to sign up and find out what our great community is all about. :)

Duke

Couchsurfing Administrator & member

http://www.couchsurfing.com/duke

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-660 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:53:06 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-660 He is already getting offers to help :-) Btw, a good 20 years ago I backpacked around Europe using an organization called <a href="http://www.servas.org/index.php?id=InfoCenter%3AWeb+sites%3AInternational%3AWhatIsServas" rel="nofollow">Servas</a>. The same concept: hosts and visitors, friendship... back then there was no Internet, email ..etc, it took a few months of snail-mailing to organize such a trip. But it worked... and still does, they are still alive, even though the website is not particularly impressive :-) He is already getting offers to help :-)

Btw, a good 20 years ago I backpacked around Europe using an organization called Servas.

The same concept: hosts and visitors, friendship… back then there was no Internet, email ..etc, it took a few months of snail-mailing to organize such a trip. But it worked… and still does, they are still alive, even though the website is not particularly impressive :-)

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-659 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:48:05 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-659 Actually, that up there was my first comment here ever. (first time reading as well, stumbled upon here by a blog search for couchsurfing). Ok, so I understand your POV about the critical mass now though, but on the other end, if your main goal isn't necessarily "profitability", such a large user base can almost become a "liability", ironically. But anyways, what I can tell you, is that I'm pretty sure this letter was written out of frustration and fatigue from trying to recover the data. There's basically no looking back now, if you just do a quick Google blog search for couchsurfing today, you'll notice that dozens of message boards, blogs and web spaces have cropped up to pick up the pieces. That community has obviously become way too big and passionnate to be stopped by just a website crash. It's just gonna be very interesting to see what happens next. I wouldn't be surprised if the site went back up pretty soon, one way or another. Actually, that up there was my first comment here ever. (first time reading as well, stumbled upon here by a blog search for couchsurfing). Ok, so I understand your POV about the critical mass now though, but on the other end, if your main goal isn’t necessarily “profitability”, such a large user base can almost become a “liability”, ironically.

But anyways, what I can tell you, is that I’m pretty sure this letter was written out of frustration and fatigue from trying to recover the data. There’s basically no looking back now, if you just do a quick Google blog search for couchsurfing today, you’ll notice that dozens of message boards, blogs and web spaces have cropped up to pick up the pieces.

That community has obviously become way too big and passionnate to be stopped by just a website crash. It’s just gonna be very interesting to see what happens next. I wouldn’t be surprised if the site went back up pretty soon, one way or another.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-658 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jun 2006 23:20:34 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-658 I do NOT know if it was a *business* or not, I clearly stated I had not known the site, and now that it's gone, there's not much I can find out. As for not counting as critical mass, you completely misunderstood my post. The whole point was that reaching critical mass is the most difficult part of a business (OK, a site), so once you have it, which these guys obviously do, you don't just give up due to a technical glitch, as disastrous as it is. If everything is wiped out, they are still better off rebuilding since they already have the critical mass than a new service would be without the loyal crowd. Btw, thanks for commenting here, but I really don't understand why you're doing it anonymously.... I do NOT know if it was a *business* or not, I clearly stated I had not known the site, and now that it’s gone, there’s not much I can find out.

As for not counting as critical mass, you completely misunderstood my post. The whole point was that reaching critical mass is the most difficult part of a business (OK, a site), so once you have it, which these guys obviously do, you don’t just give up due to a technical glitch, as disastrous as it is. If everything is wiped out, they are still better off rebuilding since they already have the critical mass than a new service would be without the loyal crowd.

Btw, thanks for commenting here, but I really don’t understand why you’re doing it anonymously….

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-657 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jun 2006 22:47:10 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-657 Wow, has anyone even thought that this might NOT have been a business ? Does EVERYTHING someone sets out to do have to have a business plan ? Just reading your post, and the other two comments, it is clear that you have absolutely no idea what that site was about, period. So, there we are again with yet another blog of people talking out of their **ses. And how does 90,000 subscribers not count as "critical mass" ?? Someone clearly needs to broaden up their horizons. Stop writing on blogs nobody reads and just get out there and experience a little something called "community spirit". If you really think the site is dead because there aren't enough people willing to support it financially or otherwise, you sure are in for a world of surprise. Wow, has anyone even thought that this might NOT have been a business ? Does EVERYTHING someone sets out to do have to have a business plan ? Just reading your post, and the other two comments, it is clear that you have absolutely no idea what that site was about, period. So, there we are again with yet another blog of people talking out of their **ses. And how does 90,000 subscribers not count as “critical mass” ?? Someone clearly needs to broaden up their horizons. Stop writing on blogs nobody reads and just get out there and experience a little something called “community spirit”.

If you really think the site is dead because there aren’t enough people willing to support it financially or otherwise, you sure are in for a world of surprise.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-656 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jun 2006 21:21:05 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-656 I think this touches on something that is often forgotten with the latest wave of web-applications, especially the "web 2.0" favorites; it should last longer than the initial six months of hype. For something like ta-da list (it's a good site - i don't imply something negatively about it) it's not the end of the world if it goes under, but for more personal or business critical information, data recovery and application availability is critical. I think it's great that we see new and innovative services pop-up but I hope the media and users will be more critical in terms of service stability and availability. I think this touches on something that is often forgotten with the latest wave of web-applications, especially the “web 2.0″ favorites; it should last longer than the initial six months of hype. For something like ta-da list (it’s a good site – i don’t imply something negatively about it) it’s not the end of the world if it goes under, but for more personal or business critical information, data recovery and application availability is critical. I think it’s great that we see new and innovative services pop-up but I hope the media and users will be more critical in terms of service stability and availability.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-655 Anonymous Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:22:54 +0000 http://www.zoliblog.com/2006/06/30/couchsurfings-pathetic-shutdown/#comment-655 You are absolutely right. The death was caused by lack of business fundamentals (the lack of infrastructure was just a symptom). My larger point is: I don't see anything that makes this case atypical. How will all the other companies without clear paths to profitability and access to unlimited investment dollars pull through? You are absolutely right.

The death was caused by lack of business fundamentals (the lack of infrastructure was just a symptom).

My larger point is: I don’t see anything that makes this case atypical. How will all the other companies without clear paths to profitability and access to unlimited investment dollars pull through?

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