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The CouchSurfing Wiki, an informal workspace which anyone can edit.
Many people on CouchSurfing have a policy only to host members. This is due to a number of potential problematic issues with non-members.
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Member Profiles
Every CouchSurfing member has a profile. After a successful CouchSurfing encounter, the host and the guest will be able to write references for each other. This is an integral part of CouchSurfing, and helps others establish a more nuanced picture of their prospective hosts/guests, as well as provide a basic level of security: a guest with many positive references is not likely to cause trouble, but a guest with a few negative references might cause someone to think twice about hosting that person (unless the guest is a party animal and the host is too, in which case there is no problem!).
A non-member, on the other hand, does not have a profile, and thus the host has no way of leaving a reference for him.
Non-Members
If a member brings one or more friends who are not members, these friends won't have profiles, and therefore the host won't have any means of providing feedback for those guests. If a non-member is behaving badly, the host must make the difficult decision whether to write a negative comment on the member's page or not do anything at all.
A non-member may not have read the CouchSurfing Terms of Use or Guidelines, more importantly, a non-member may not even understand how CouchSurfing works.
A non-member is essentially a freeloader, because he or she is getting a place to stay, but isn't providing anything in return, Couchsurfing hasn't gained any new couch anywhere in the world and the host who hosts the freeloader, might have to turn down a real members request for a couch. Of course there is the posibility that this non-member will be so enthusiastic about Couchsurfing that he/she signs up immediately afterwards, but as a show of good faith, and for the sake and security of the host who are inviting strangers into their home, this person should just take the 20 minutes it takes to make a new profile, describe him or herself and go out and have a great time.
Example of non-member issues
A CouchSurfer was hosting another member and his non-member friend. While the member was fine, the non-member got into an argument with a girl living in the same house. When she came to hang up her laundry, the non-member was angrily asking her what she was doing here, as if it were his bedroom (it was the loft). The host was powerless to do anything about the episode, and as a result doesn't host any more since the other people living with him don't like strangers in the attic.
While this situation could have happened with anyone, a member is far more likely to be aware of how CouchSurfing works, and mindful of other people when he is being hosted; otherwise he might get a bad reference from his host explaining how he treated others disrespectfully.
CouchSurfing Spirit
CouchSurfers who travel with non-CouchSurfers have to accept the fact that CouchSurfing isn't for everyone. Even though anyone can sign up, it's possible that not everyone will want to sign up.
Some people are not comfortable being hosted by relative strangers; they might enjoy a hostel more. This is totally fine: people should not be dragged into CouchSurfing, but if you make them aware of it, they can check it out for themselves and decide if they want to be members or if CouchSurfing is not their thing. CouchSurfing.com already has a very large percentage of inactive members, many of whom might have been dragged into CouchSurfing involuntarily and thus left it again quickly.
Getting your friends signed up
If you are new to CouchSurfing and have just made a profile, it's natural to be excited about it. It's also natural to be a little worried about staying in strangers' houses, having complete strangers over, and so on.
The best way to get rid of the anxiety is to start slow: meet for coffee with another member, go to a meeting in your local area, and meet some of the other members in your area who might be able to tell you their stories and maybe their first time as a host or guest.
Getting your friends interested is easiest if you've actually tried hosting or been hosted yourself. But if you're on a limited time budget planning a trip and want to try out CouchSurfing, the best way is to get informed quickly and read all you can about CouchSurfing. A good place to start is the Main Page of this wiki, which provides plenty of links to reading material. You can also fill out your profile and set your Couch Availability to Definitely!; if you live in a large city, chances are that someone will ask to be hosted within a couple of days, or maybe even less if it's a busy time. Then you will quickly learn a lot about CouchSurfing, and because you've been a host yourself you will be much more experienced as a guest. Hosts are also more likely to accept you as a guest since you'll have a reference from another guest.
Then if your friends are interested, let them sign up, add them to your list of friends, and consider giving them a reference. That way your profiles will be more complete, and it will be easier for potential hosts to figure out who's who and who your friends are. Also remember to provide links to your friends' profiles in your CouchRequests.
When you look for potential hosts, remember to consider any friends who will be traveling with you; otherwise you might end up with a host who has a cat when one of your friends is allergic, or similar problems. This will also ensure that you find people with whom you can all get along.
Couch vs. Hostel
A Couch can mean many things. Some more traditional hosts insist on having a guest room with ready-made beds and towels: this is comparable to (or even better than) hostels or hotels, but might not include breakfast. Others, especially young people with limited funds and small apartments, might only be able to offer a couch, a mattress, a sleeping mat, or even just a floor.
People traveling on a tight budget are very grateful for just a floor, as this is much better and provides much more security than a beach or a park, where they might end up getting mugged or having their backpacks stolen. For them, a couch or mattress is merely icing on the cake, and a guest room with real beds will feel like a palace!
With a hostel or hotel, on the other hand, you know in advance what you will get, there are certain standards (things like beds and towels are assumed), and you can expect the level of service to match the price being charged. A hostel provides many of the same benefits as a Couch: you might not get to meet locals, but you will get to meet other travelers, and as long as you have money you will almost always be able to find accommodation. If you're unlucky, Couches in your destination city will be filled, especially in the busy summer periods when most people travel and the few who stay behind are burdened with the increased guest influx.
