Anyone who likes to buy secondhand anything is probably more than a little interested in what happens on Craigslist. Scanning those bright blue links can become an addiction. We love Craigslist, but we'd be naive to deny the fact that it's got a few problems...
Those problems are the subject of a lengthy, interesting article by Gary Wolf in Wired magazine. According to Wolf, most of the issues that make Craigslist messy and less-than-perfect stem from founder Craig Newmark's resistance to change anything about the site.
The article is also a history of Craigslist and a profile of Newmark — a really fascinating read.
Do you have issues with Criagslist? Do you think there are ways it could work better for you?
Via Wired.com
(Image: Flickr member back_garage licensed for use under Creative Commons)
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Comments (5)
i love craigslist! i think it's absolutely positively fine the way it is...AND i like craig's attitude. i thought the article made the case more for him than against him-he's keeping it simple. i'm glad he doesn't sell ads-that would be very annoying! small changes to make navigation of the site easier are okay but other than let it be.
and-when it comes to the recent crimes. craigslist is an online community that reflects the realities of our physical communities. i don't think you can blame craigslist for the murders.
Remember how there was no law in Deadwood?
There was also no running water or septic system in Deadwood.
Craigslist = Deadwood.
Love the craigster. Love his list. My sister has seen him often dressed in pjs(?) outside the craigslist office in the Inner Sunset.
I always find what I need on craigslist. I like the way it is and it's 'wild west' attitude.
power to craig and his ideals!
Craiglist should stay the basic same! There's no need to fix something that's working. As a website builder, I admire the site's ability to adapt to the vast variety of browsers, internet user preference presets, and (mobil)devices. Furthermore, Craigslist's ability to adapt to each users preferred font style and size, makes the newly birthed verb, to craigs, much more comfortable for the user. The casual design of the site greatly reflects it's function: posting and access to simple classifieds. Craigslist isn't a corporate ad machine, so it would be silly to starting dressing it like one. So, keep it the same!
But like the article noted, somethings could be worthwhile in re-organizing and/or clarifying, example what is the difference between gig and job? More search options could be added too. When searching, I wish you could search for keywords in a specific neighborhood. The Boston/Camb/Brook tab doesn't lessen the geographic area enough, which I'm sure is a problem with other cities too. Maybe a drop down menu of the neighborhoods/squares/transit stops/landmarks within the Boston/Camb/Brook tab would be nice. Having a neighborhood menu as a separate entity would make the keyword search result in greater relevance.
You used to be able to sort out between owner and dealer when buying furniture. Now they're all mixed together and some days you have to wade through all the dealer junk to get to the individual sellers.