Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Although craigslist started as a source for local events, it soon transformed into
a host for job wanted ads, sales of automobiles and other products, and even a dat-
ing service. (In fact, there have been problems with offensive materials and adult
advertisements.)
Note
A famous murder case involved a medical student named Philip
Markoff who posted a fake job ad on craigslist to lure victims. He
murdered Julissa Brisman, who responded to the ad, and he became
known in the media as the “craigslist killer.” Markoff later commit-
ted suicide while in jail awaiting trial.
In 2000, Jim Buckmaster joined craigslist as Chief Programmer and CTO. He
introduced a number of technical changes, such as self-posting of ads, screening
for offensive materials, and interface improvements.
In 2004, eBay bought 25% ownership in craigslist, but the transaction appar-
ently was not a happy one because eBay and craigslist entered into litigation in
2008.
Craigslist is currently ranked as the tenth most widely visited website with
about 50 million monthly visitors. Income is derived from charges for various
kinds of ads, such as $75 for a job ad in the San Francisco region.
The success of craigslist as opposed to ads in local papers shows the social im-
pact of the web on modern commerce. Suppose you live in a small town with a
population of perhaps 20,000 and you want to sell a luxury automobile such as
a Lexus. The local paper and local ad brochures will only reach a few dozen po-
tential buyers, mainly in your own local community. This is the way business has
been done for more than 200 years.
An ad on craigslist, on the other hand, will also reach people in surrounding
towns and even adjacent states. Instead of a few dozen potential local buyers,
craigslist may reach several hundred potential buyers within a 75-mile radius. The
web and companies such as craigslist were expanding former neighborhood ser-
vices into wide-area services.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search