nabramow
Joined 6 years ago
Karma
22
Submissions
9
Member since
Mar 17
Recent submissions
Comment · 1 month ago
Thank you!!
Comment · 1 month ago
Thank you!
Comment · 1 month ago
I did see it! Similar concept for sure. Great minds think alike and so :)
Comment · 1 month ago
I've just released a lowkey hangout app called you coming on iOS and Android!
I moved to London and was drowning in tons of 500 person whatsapp group chats to make friends. It took way too much executive function just to go to a bar.
The way I think of it: chat apps like whatsapp and iMessage were designed around chatting. Facebook, Insta are designed around engagement with strangers, you coming is designed around hanging out.
How it works:
- add some friends, acquaintances, that person you met at that thing - throw out an idea, doesn't even need a time or place at first - or add something to your bucket list in your profile - people can opt-in, find a time if needed, or even pitch a plan everyone can vote on - chat only opens once the people-time-place is set, and self-destructs after the event - you can share events and collect RSVPs with people off-app, so not everyone needs to get it
I will start some curated events in London soon too (if you have events you'd like to see on there in your city, let's chat!)
Until then, check it out?
Comment · 1 year ago
Couchers Frontend Team Lead here. Aapeli is out for the night so I'm popping in to answer from my POV.
I think the main difference is that we're trying to capture the spirit of what CouchSurfing.com used to be: modern, easy to use, welcoming to newbies and centered on genuine social connection. But we also want to go beyond that. Build for today’s world—with better safety tools, better moderation, and more community-driven features that help people find each other easier.
Couchsurfing was initially about free hospitality and cultural exchange but is now largely driven by monetization. They also haven't really provided many new features to users since going for-profit.
BeWelcome is another alternative that came out of the CouchSurfing community years ago. It has a more ideological focus around democratic decision-making and they are not as newbie friendly, have an older UI, and are a bit slower to adopt new tech.
WarmShowers on the other hand is for a completely different crowd: it's for bike tourers that leave at the crack of dawn and arrive at sunset. They need a shower (hence the name), a place to put their bike, and a bed to sleep on. They'll probably be a bit too tired to socialize. That's very different from the traditional couch surfing platforms where socialization is the focus.
Comment · 1 year ago
Oh hey, volunteer dev at Couchers.org here. How cool to see this pop up on Hacker News!
For the n00bs: I think the best way to explain the concept of couch surfing is to imagine visiting a friend in another city — they show you around, you have a great time, and you crash on their couch, or guest room or whatever. With Couchers, it’s just like that — except you’re meeting that friend for the first time (via Couchers).
Anyway come join us we're fun lol.
Comment · 1 year ago
IMO AirBnb and Couchsurfing have to entirely different aims.
AirBnB is about the space itself. You pay for the space.
Couchsurfing is about the people sharing the space with you, cultural-exchange, etc. You do not pay, it's more about connecting and meeting with people.
Comment · 1 year ago
Volunteer dev for Couchers here. We're actually a totally separate website from Couchsurfing. Different team, different tech stack, though we hope to keep the original vibe of CS alive! You can find us at couchers.org.
Comment · 1 year ago
Volunteer dev for Couchers here, crazy seeing this pop up here!
Anyway to answer the question, we are totally separate from Couchsurfing.org!
We created Couchers in 2020 after Couchsurfing put up a pay wall, after going for-profit and going downhill for awhile.
We want to keep the original Couchsurfing spirit alive, so we started Couchers.org.
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