Craigslist Review

I can't tell you when I first came across Craigslist.com, I can only state that I am darn glad I did.  Like a lot of the Internet revolution, the Craigslist.com website was started by a person who saw a not being met by the "big guys" and filled it with something simple and easy to us and maintain.  Craigslist.com traces it beginning to San Francisco as a way for everyday people gain access to classified ads, only the website does not charge; its free, and more importantly open and free from political and social dog piling! 

The Web Site

The first thing that struck me about the Craiglist.com web site is the simplicity of it all.  There are not flashy graphics, no Java script, no Flash intros, or Shockwave shows to delight us, just good old fashioned blue text hyperlinks, arranged in three columns and many, many rows. 

As I stated above Craiglist.com started in San Francisco, but has since spread to almost every major city in the United States, as well as major cities in the U.K, Canada, Asia, South & Central America, Europe, Africa, as well as Australia and New Zealand.  The basic structure is the same no matter what city or continent you live on; straight forward ads advertising goods and service, jobs, housing, personals, community activities, and discussion forums.  Within those groups there are of course other sub-divisions; there is even a place to post your resume if so inclined.       

My Viewpoint

I have had a mixed experience with Craiglist.com in my 4-year experience with the site, but overall the association has been overwhelmingly positive.  As I stated above, I answered and ad for my current job that was listed on Craiglist.com.  I have also participated in many, many paid focus groups by answering ads posted on Craiglist.com.  And I have very successful selling goods and services on the site; just last week I sold an excess printer I had listed on Craiglist.com, not to mention a charcoal grill and a desk a few weeks back.    

Yes Craiglist.com has been very good to me, but like any burgeoning city full of humans, scams are bound to increase as the population increases, and Craiglist.com has become a breeding ground for scam artists who try and dupe sellers into shipping product without paying for it.  Beware of those who profess to want what you are selling without making a counter-offer, or who want you to ship an item right away, or who will offer to pay shipping for you, or who offer (even insist) on paying via BidPay or certified check, or (and this is my favorite) write in very, very bad English. 

Conclusion

Despite the scam kings and queens, overall Craiglist.com is a great place to do business.  It is a community unique to the internet, but which spills over into "real" life is a very definitive way.  And if my experiences are any guide, the site is not being used just by average citizens, but by corporations as well to get things done, and circumvent the usual print media to place classified ads.  As proof of this, the venerable New York Times recently announced layoff's citing reduced revenue from classified ad placement, placements the newspaper said had gone to (free) Craiglist.com instead.