by Iris Forester

Created on: November 24, 2008

Craigslist is a bulletin board, a phenomenon, an open cyber-door to your real-life community.

Craigslist got its name from Craig Newmark, who started it in 1995 as a hobby. He was working as a software engineer in San Francisco, and in his spare time he began an online listing of city events for some of his friends. Four years after launching this project from his home computer, he retired from his day job and began to work fulltime on Craigslist. That same year, it was incorporated as a for-profit concern, and the rest is history: As of September 2008, Craigslist is the eighth busiest website in English language page views. Hundreds of cities worldwide have Craigslist pages specifically for their areas, and more than 50 million people use the site each month.

There are countless reasons why people in a city need to connect with each other, and Craigslist provides an opportunity for every one of those connections. Or at least for the ones which are more or less legal. You can find commerce and companionship, the buying and selling of objects, the offering of services, the sharing of rants, the seeking of like-minded individuals. In an old tradition, politicians used to sometimes award someone an honorary "Key to the City". Now, Craigslist is the key to every city.

One reason why Craigslist is so beautifully functional is that it operates in real time. If you're moving and want to sell a dresser, you take its picture and post it that morning. Once someone has come to your house and picked it up, you take the ad down. It can all happen in an hour or so. For tickets or special items in high demand, you may actually need to call within 5 minutes of the ad being posted, if you want a chance at being the lucky person.

Have you found a wallet on the beach? Post a notice under the "Found" heading, and chances are good that the person who lost it will contact you within a few hours. Need a place to stay in Mexico City? Check the Mexico City Craigslist, in English or Spanish, under "apts for rent".

Actually, Craigslist is a boon to those seeking housing for several reasons. First, housing listings almost always show photos of the place they're advertising, so that you know immediately whether or not you're interested in pursuing it. Further, if you're being turned away from rentals because of credit problems, Craigslist provides you with an opportunity to connect in a personal way with a potential landlord and establish rapport, explaining why you will be a good renter.

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