Craigslist: All human life is here, from classified ads to casual sex

Craigslist, the world's biggest small ads site, is the small operation that became a huge success, but stayed small. Craig Newmark started it as a hobby in 1995 and it now claims to have more than 50 million users and more than 12 billion page views per month. But it is still run from a small house in San Francisco, which is unique for one of the world's leading websites.

It has sections covering items for sale, housing, jobs, community activities, and a wide range of dating-oriented personals. Although most users are based in the US, it now covers more than 40 countries and big cities from Amsterdam to Zurich.

When Newmark is interviewed – he's been on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, among others – he is usually asked why he doesn't sell out for billions of dollars. His reply: "We just don't need the money."

Craigslist could probably bring in $500,000 to $1 billion a year, but it doesn't charge for classifieds, doesn't take a percentage of sales, and doesn't carry banner advertising. It may charge for job ads, apartment listings and adult-oriented entries, but this often looks like a response to abuse rather than an attempt to make money. For example, Craigslist started charging for New York apartment listings after the free list was swamped by people re-posting the same ads to keep them near the top of the chronological listing.

But it has a seamy side. Craigslist is used by prostitutes and escort services as well as people seeking casual sex via the Casual Encounters section. In Sleeping Around Craigslist, two middle-aged women wrote about their adventures having sex with lots of men, noting: "Probably because the ads are free and largely uncensored, Craigslist has become 'Hook-Up Central' on the Web. There's no long questionnaire and no profile required as there is on other dating sites. There's just a bunch of hungry people looking for everything".

There are adverts seeking people willing to appear in front of webcams or in adult movies, and to work as escorts, for example. "Girls needed for gangbang parties (London)" is one example.

Last week, the site acted "to prevent its online communities and classified ads from being misused for the facilitation of human trafficking, child exploitation, and other illegal activities." It said: "In addition to phone verification and other existing protective measures, craigslist will soon require credit card verification and a small fee per ad for posting in 'erotic services', to further encourage compliance with site guidelines."

An independent site called CraigsCrimeList posts stories about crimes and scams associated with Craigslist. Recent headlines include: Memphis craigslist hooker bust, Reader employment scam, Cali craigslist rapist convicted, and Madonna fans scammed. In one famous case, a Michigan woman advertised on Craigslist for a hitman to kill her lover's wife.

Craigslist publishes around 30 million small ads each month, so there are bound to be a few bad ones. But it's wise to assume the worst, and take great care when dealing with the rest.