how the hell does craigslist make any money?

[Gato Moteado]

i love craigslist. i have to wonder how they are profitable. anyone know?

[Connonym]

1. According to wikipedia

"Its sole source of revenue is paid job ads in select cities ($75 per ad for the San Francisco Bay Area; $25 per ad for New York; Los Angeles; San Diego; Boston; Seattle; Washington D.C., Chicago) and paid broker apartment listings in New York City ($10 per ad)."

It is pretty great isn't it?

[Gato Moteado]

3. wow....and the service is free for us regular folk

that's the way everything should be.

let the corporations pay their fair share for once!

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. Hookers (n/t)

[Connonym]

6. you really ARE a pev!

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. Workin' on it

I'm tryin' to get with the program. :D

[Connonym]

9. The first step is admitting you have a pev problem ;-)

[InvisibleTouch]

4. Funny, I was just griping to myself about Craig's List.

I use it, and I appreciate its advantages, but people will e-mail me about my listings and then want me to call them. They think because it's local, the rest of the contact should be made by phone. Now, I hate hate hate the phone, and in fact one major reason I went into internet sales in the first place is so I wouldn't have to communicate by phone. And I figure, the person has e-mailed me initially, so they obviously have access to e-mail - so why can't we complete the deal by e-mail? My life has been on the net for years, I don't live in the "phone world" anymore. To me it's just abnormal.

None the less, Craig's List has saved me at the end of the month several times this summer, and the price is right.

[Gato Moteado]

5. do you ever list an item for sale and then get replies from....

...several people in nigeria that claim they want to buy it?

[InvisibleTouch]

7. Not yet!

Though I do get the occasional mail from Nigeria, unrelated to my listings. (Wow, they really want to give me that much money just for letting them use my bank account? Oooh! ;) ) And then I get some very strange requests from ostensible puppy buyers, who don't even get a virtual foot in the door, needless to say.

I do get Craig's Listers who say they're interested in an item, and I respond, and then never hear from them again. If they no longer need it, the least they could do is let me know. Worst of all, when I've actually surmounted my phobia and called them, and they tell me "Oh, I just bought one elsewhere." (Dammit, people, tell me that by e-mail like actual sentient beings!)

Sorry, but I'm irritated with just this exact issue tonight. Don't mind me. :)