Attention: An earlier post on Chennai Volvo City Buses has been totally revamped with latest photos, timing and other observations. Read that here
This information is sourced from Chennai Chronicle, a city supplement of Deccan Chronicle newspaper. (Oct 10 2007 Edition) Found it interesting and relevant hence sharing with you in this post.
Suppose you need to go to a new city and need a place to stay. Hotel stay being expensive, how about staying with a fellow blogger? You can stay as a guest at the residence of a fellow blogger who agrees to host you. You can return the complements when that blogger visits your city by allowing him/her to stay at your place.
Apparently, there’s a website called extrabed.in which was launched early this year which provides a platform for above purpose. If you’re willing to host bloggers visiting your city for a day or two, or are looking for someone who can host you during your visit to an alien city, this site allows that.
Advantages are many. Someone you’d known so far only by their writings, you get to know them in person. It helps to have someone who knows the city well to guide you if you’re not familiar with local language, places etc. You get to meet someone specializing in some different profession…
I’d written in my article Cyber begging, how Ramon Stoppelenburg, traveled all over the world for free by requesting people to allow him stay for one day each at their places. (Article here , his website: www.letmestayforaday.com )
Drop a comment what you think of this.
Do you like the idea?
As a blogger, how comfortable are you hosting or staying with a fellow blogger whom you know only by his/her writings?
How interested are you making real life friendship with someone whom you’d known so far only virtually?
What about safety issues?
Is it safe to entertain a stranger (physically, if not electronically)? While a small element of risk will always be there but I feel the risk if any is quite minimal. If you’ve been reading someone’s blog for some time you’ll usually have a good enough estimate of the person w.r.t his/her likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses etc. Chances of someone building a blog with a sole intention of cheating you is very low. It is very much possible to do a background check of the person before allowing him/her to be your guest and you can always refuse a request.
If any risk is still left , I think we can take few such small risks in life…
Not in my own house will I have a blogger because I have not known her personally. Apart from that, I may be willing to help her in every little way I can, including taking her to the right places, bargaining for her etc.
ReplyDeletewhy only "her"? If it is "him" you'll allow him to stay?
ReplyDeleteMy post is gender neutral...
we always can't go by blog posts to judge whether a person can be trusted or not, sometimes a blogger project a different personality.
ReplyDeleteShande, I think that was your first comment in my blog. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYes, a small amount of risk is there. I do not deny it.
One can do some basic background check my means of phone call, or checking with a common friend etc...
thanks for the mention, shrinidhi! :)
ReplyDeletePleasure is mine Hari...
ReplyDelete