Facts About Craigslist

I have to admit I’m still Internet challenged enough that I had heard of Craigslist but didn’t fully understand the site or the purpose so I decided to take a look and see what all the fuss was about. What I’ve found is that Craigslist is like the ultimate in classified advertising.

In order to use Craigslist you first need to go to the site www.craigslist.org. On the main page there is a column of options to the left that includes help pages, terms of use, a factsheet, and an about page among many others. These pages are information about the site and statistics in different areas.

The main section of the opening page is a series of links to different cities, states, territories and countries that have craigslist. If you are in the United States but not in one of the main cities listed, you will want to choose your state. From there you are taken to a page that lists all the cities in that state that has craigslist. Choose the city closest to you to go to the actual craigslist page.

The left column has an option to post to classified, view your account, links to the information pages that were on the site’s main page, the search box and an even calendar. The main part of the page looks similar to a classified section of the paper. There is a community area with activity postings, lost and found, volunteer opportunities and many others.

There are sections for jobs, housing, services, gigs and articles for sale. Within each section there are subsections that are links to narrow the list you are looking at. After clicking the link in the subsection, you are directed to a page that has the listing in that section. Each listing is itself a link and there may be important information like pricing or an address with each listing.

When you find a listing you want to see more about, click that listing. You are now on the page or the item or service that you have chosen. There may be pictures of the item or a more in depth description of the listing on this page. Under the title you will find date and time of posting and response information. In some cases there will be a link to reply through craigslist. In other cases, contact information is part of the advertisement itself. If there is no way listed to contact the person or company, there is an area at the bottom of the page that you can click to have craigslist send them a note.

On the far right top of the page you will find an option to email the listing to someone who may be interested in the posting. There is also a place to flag the posting as miscategorized, prohibited, spam or best of craigslist.

There are a couple of areas that are unique to craigslist that a classified section of a newspaper doesn’t have available. The first is a place to post a resume. If you click on that section, the postings come up in reverse date order. The title of the posting is a link that takes you to what the person has listed as a resume. Contact information may be part of the listing or can be replied to at craigslist.

The other unique area is the discussion forums. There topics in all different areas; including health, electronics, sexuality, home improvement and many more. People create a thread to ask a question or make a comment about a topic. Others can respond in that same thread. It looks like the usernames are nicknames and not a person’s real name. Some forum areas do require log in to create a thread or reply.

Most areas of the site do not require that you have an account to respond to ads but if you feel like you might use craigslist frequently, it would be a good idea to register for a free account. It’s easier to manage posts; create, edit, delete or re-post expired ads. You would also need an account if you are posting an ad that requires payment.

Overall, craigslist appears to be a good resource for local or regional information community events, housing, available jobs, etc. It would also be a good place for someone who is thinking of moving to a particular area of the country or any of the other countries that have craigslist.

As with any face to face meeting you have with a person you meet online, caution is very important. If you are going to meet someone to buy or sell an item, provide or receive a service or for any other reason; it is important to remember the following tips to protect yourself:

• Meet the person in a public place and in an area familiar to you
• Do not invite the person to your home or agree to meet in a secluded area
• Beware if the item you are buying or selling has a high financial value
• Be sure to tell a friend or family member where you are going and provide them a copy of the listing
• If you have a cell phone, make sure it is charged and with you
• Ask a friend or family member to go with you
• If something about the situation doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts

Most people on craigslist are honest, hardworking people who have listed their item or service for legitimate reasons. It is always better to be alert to any problems when meeting and doing business with a stranger.