Craigslist CEO on how 'adult' section will change site
The biggest difference between Craigslist soon-to-be defunct "erotic services" and the new "adult services" sections will be human monitoring.
Jim Buckmaster
Craigslist on Wednesday announced that the Web classifieds site will do away with its controversial "erotic services" section and replace it with a new "adult services" section. The move comes after Craigslist managers were pressured by several state attorneys general to help remove from their site the posting of numerous ads for prostitution.
All the texts and photos within ads submitted to the adults section will be reviewed by a Craigslist employee before being posted, said CEO Jim Buckmaster in an interview with CNET News. With erotic services, Craigslist relied on users to flag questionable ads and also required those who submitted ads to use a credit card. The thinking behind the idea was that wrong doers would be less inclined to post ads if they had to provide identification.
The first thing the new changes will mean is that it should be much harder to post prostitution ads to the adult section. Filtering text and photos means that ads will also take much longer to appear on Craigslist than in the past.
"There will be a wait," Buckmaster said. "It's not going to be like the rest of the site where ads will go up in 15 minute or less. We don't know exactly what that wait will be long-term. It will probably be longer (than 30 minutes initially). New ads will only be reviewed during business hours. Ads posted outside of business hours will wait until business hours will resume."
Another major change will be the cost to post. Postings to adult services will cost $10, but once approved, will be eligible for reposting at $5. The cost to post to the soon-to-be banned erotic services section was $5.
Buckmaster and Craigslist's founder Craig Newmark have always prided themselves on keeping the site's operating costs down. That's why, for most of its existence, Craigslist has employed barely two dozen people to operate a site that services millions of people in the United States and about 50 countries. The site now has 30 employees. How many staff members Craigslist plans to add is still undetermined said Buckmaster.
Those critical of the state attorneys general who pressured Craigslist to make the changes, including AGs from Illinois and South Carolina, say that sex workers are likely to respond by just posting more discreet ads in other areas of the site. Buckmaster said the service is prepared for that.
"We're going to be looking for that," Buckmaster said. "We have blocking and filtering technologies in place site wide. And of course our flagging system remains fully in effect across all the categories, but we will be monitoring that situation."
Asked what kind of impact these changes will have on prostitution, Buckmaster would only talk about Craigslist.
"We're optimistic this will be the right balance," he continued. As always, we never consider our work to be done. We continue to evaluate all aspects of the site."
"What we're trying top do is strike a new balance with respect to all of the feedback from the concerned groups, including the attorneys general," Buckmaster continued. "Trying to incorporate all of that feedback and reach the best possible balance we're able to, is what we've sought to do with this new set of measures."
Greg Sandoval covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News. He is a former reporter for The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. E-mail Greg, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sandoCNET. 
I never understand how someone could think a website is responsible for anything a user does. People in the US and this era always want someone else to blame for misfortune. It isn't enough to go after the person that has done the crime but also complain about the tool that was used. If it was a printed newspaper add that the person would go after the newspaper or yellow page ad? Grow up people. Websites, Newspapers, Yellow page ads, are there to list various services for people to provide.
If people were harmed or attacked because they put an ad on the site offering to sell some of their furniture before a move would they ask craigslist to remove the furniture section?
Personally I wish Craigslist had stuck to its guns and not backed down they had the law on their side...doing this changes the balance and now gives these attorneys more power than the law actually affords them.
Idiots.
Of course, if Cl were smart, they'd just move offshore and tell the AG to, well, go .... himself.
You cant stop people from what they are going to do but if they make it like they are obvious they are gone. They need to stop pointing fingers at the owners of a site they need to start pointing fingers at the parents, adults that are doing and teaching their kids from jump start.
You offer a service like a AD site people think you should take responsiblity for some grown ass persons decisions they make. That just plain up stupid.
Just a bunch of U-Whos that don't look in the mirror and go wow Im a dumb butt that should take the blame for my own actions. And for kids online the parents should get kicked in the head for not montoring thy childs actions. I have kids and I watch what they are doing and listen to them instead of blaming everyone else on something that has nothing to do with them.
People are just plain up, ignorant and dont want to look at themselves and their own actions. I think the guy from craigslist is a cool dude and awesome business man. Keep doing CL bro. When you do something great their will be a crap load of noobs trying to tare it down because its not them. People dying from craigslist NO!!! People die from their own stupidity of not being smart and using the brain GOD gave their silly arses.
Seems like a another setup site to me if you all know what I mean. Just go to omaticlist.com we are going to have a full monitor of what people post and ban noobs with craziness. Sorry, to theerocticsection.com and it's developers, really I as a webmaster don't understand a site launched and doesn't work? If you guys need some help with coding let us know? www.omatic-minds.com, we won't charge to much to take a look at your code to fix your issues.
- by ominds November 1, 2009 7:59 PM PST
- If your a legit company classified ad site. I don't want to deal with criminal sites or developers. If your legit! And if its law enforcement it would explain why the site at www.theeroticsection.com doesn't work, lol. Anyways, I just dont understand launched sites that dont work.
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