Mark, Couchsurfing tips?

[Justin]

I'm thinkin about staying at a hostel for a few days in Buenos Aires and per your suggestion rent out an apartment for a month and just attempted to hang out with as many locals as possible

You mentioned that you used couchsurfing to meet people + get hook ups (girls, guys whatever)? What's the best way to go about doing that? I been just sending out mass messages to people who show up on the search with a generic "Hey, I'm goin to be in town, do you want to hang out" type of message

[Mark]

Yeah, that's more or less all I do. I send 5-10 messages to people who look cool and maybe a few cute girls. I don't do anything special and don't rely on it for hooking up at all. Most of the girls on there aren't anything to get excited about, and a lot of times meeting up with people on there is a very fleeting, quick experience. But it has happened (to myself and others), where you meet up just for coffee or whatever and you really hit it off... or you really hit it off with a friend of their's or whatever.

CS is a great tool to use when I land anywhere, but like I said, I don't depend on it for my social life and don't pursue it for hook-ups. It's just something to help get the ball rolling once you land.

[Mark]

I'll add, that from what I've heard, CS is becoming inundated with creepy guys messaging all the attractive girls, so purposely hitting on the girls on the site is becoming looked down upon. So yeah, keep everything casual and friendly. If you meet up and decide you like her, then worry about flirting with her.

[CharlesB]

I found out couchsurfing due to the blog,and it can really be helpful,if you are abroad,is one of the best ways.
If you are about to stay for a long time,I think it would be better to start by finding more solid people,than trying to meet every attractive local girl,through this.
But on the other side,I don't understand why Mark puts it like this.Yeah I know the idea of couchsurfing is more meeting people,and not flirting,but where the real boundaries are? What's wrong with people trying their luck through this?But outside of it,it is sad that it has that rumor,and people will not use it because of this.
I want to ask mark and every people who travelled,when he is travelling alone for some days,on a foreign country,if he has tried,opening randomly attractive girls on the street,and try to instant date then.Let's suppose is not an english speaking country.Which should be the ratio?

[CharlesB]

Ok re reading your post I understand the difference between flirty and not,and why you wrote it.I think I am most sad,because I really wanted internet game to work in the past.

[Mark]

Internet game does work in foreign countries. Couchsurfing is NOT internet game, so you shouldn't treat it as such.

And the problem is that if guys all start using CS to try and bang girls, girls will stop using CS, or stop responding to guys. It's not what the site is for and it's not why the girls are signing up.

And it's not a rumor. I've talked to a number of girls who have said that over the past year, they get more and more sexual or romantic type messages.

[CharlesB]

But otherway is unavoidable for every social network for people not to flirt.And all these women they know that they can be hosted everywhere they want.and some take advantage of it.
What do you mean internet game works in foreign countries?
You mean in other countries except USA or when somebody is in a foreign country?

[Mark]

When traveling to a foreign country, using the internet to meet women there works pretty well.

And yeah, you CAN flirt on CS, but it doesn't mean you SHOULD.