Craigslist

Desperately seeking authenticity? Maybe it's time to ditch self-conscious, niche dating sites for the shrouded cloak of Craigslist. People there are anything but afraid to ask for what they want: "Looking for a fun woman to experiment with who likes Gossip Girl!" "Relationship in exchange for financial help." "Let's get married this year!"

But while Craigslist can seem sleazy, desperate, and even dangerous, writer Katherine Sharpe at n + 1 points out that at least users are being honest, unlike the folks with their primped pictures and rehearsed lines on Match. After all, how many people, she asks, can be "laid-back" and "not take themselves too seriously"? (Perhaps as many people who claim the The Da Vinci Code as their favorite book?)

Craigslist is the only dating site (that I know of) that hasn't morphed into a social-networking site, and so it's the only one to remain truly anonymous. It's honest and open — open all night! — and specific. So if you're looking for a fellow Gossip Girl fan who's uptight, hates long walks on the beach, and reads Kafka — Craigslist is your best bet.

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Craigslist is like a brothel, only safer. Yesterday, Slate gave a rundown of how the online classified site's recent decision to close down its erotic services section hurts both prostitutes and police.

Here are some key arguments in favor of facilitating the sale of sex online:

• Unlike brothels, Craigslist voluntarily provides client records to police. The records helped apprehend Phillip Markoff, the so-called Craigslist Killer.
• A high-trafficked destination for sex sales makes it easier for law enforcers to target their policing.
• Thanks to Craigslist, prostitutes could work for themselves without having to rely on a pimp or an agency.
• Selling sex online means fewer prostitutes selling their services on the streets.

Since there will always be a market for the oldest profession, do you think regulating the sale of sex online sounds like the safest option?

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Prior to garnering a namesake killer, Craigslist took a laissez-faire approach to erotic advertising. The site offered a gold mine for anyone looking to sell, or pay for, sex.

After the murders of call girls who advertised on the site, the classifieds giant will no longer advertise "erotic services." Craigslist announced today that it will create a new "adult services" category. (Semantics can be so sexy.) The change goes further than the name: Craigslist employees will monitor the site, and initial postings will cost $10.

For a while now, law enforcers around the country have argued that Craigslist abetted prostitution with its hands-off approach. If you're wondering how blatant ads for prostitution went on for so long, federal law says that online hosts cannot be held responsible if third-party posters violate the law.

Still, public pressure motivated Craigslist to make a change. It also noted in its statement that the site's violent crime rate is far lower than the violent crime rate associated with print classified and throughout general American society.

Do you think Craigslist is taking a responsible approach, or is this just "erotic services" with another name?

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• With Craigslist receiving so much scrutiny with the Philip Markoff murder case, the online classified site will remove its erotic services section and replace it with "adult services," which will be screened by staff. — The New York Times
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"Despite the billions of times well-meaning people have helped each other through Craigslist, it's been devastating to see that it can also be used by bad people to take cruel advantage of others."

–Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist at a gathering to honor a 24-year-old Minnesota woman, Katherine Ann Olson, who was murdered after responding to a fake ad for a babysitter.

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Emerging details from the case of the accused Craigslist Killer reveal that "clean cut" Phillip Markoff was likely living a life unrecognizable to his close friends and family.

This morning a man came forward on the Today Show to recount how Markoff petitioned him for sexual activities on Craigslist's Casual Encounters. The man said:

I posted an ad on Craigslist under "male for t," which stands for "males for transsexuals." That's where he found me.

This may be just the tip of the iceberg. Markoff reportedly told his family: "There's more coming out . . . Forget about me and move to California." If you were in the shoes of Markoff's family, what would you do?

To see video of the man who may have been targeted by Markoff, read more