Why Is Craigslist So Flippin Crazy

[Danda]

I made an ad on Craigslist with a throwaway email account. And I am sitting here looking through the inbox and honestly my mind is blown.

 

I mean yes, it is Craigslist, but I still don't understand why Craigslist is like this as far as the people on it, like compared to an OLD website or something. And yes I am on it, and yes I fully grasp the irony. Lol.

 

But seriously.

 

My ad is pretty straightforward but with a friendly flavor to it. I have a generalized description of myself, a short list of what I am looking for, a short list of what means someone should not reply to my ad, and the extremely simple and reasonable request of changing the subject line and telling me as much about them as I told about myself.

 

My inbox is basically flooded, **** yall not almost 300 replies, but seriously almost all of them, I just don't understand. I don't understand because if my odds were poor, I would at least follow the simple requests. Like what would be the point of replying if I'm going to eliminate myself instantly.

 

I have opened, at this point, 158 replies, and 6 of them followed my basic requests (changed the subject line and gave me as much info about them as I gave about myself). SIX. Out of 158 so far.

 

Many of them are actually demanding more information from me and also photos without divulging any information about themselves. Many of them sent me their phone numbers and demanded that I text them, again giving no information about themselves. Many of them are telling me they are what I'm looking for - and list a trait I specifically said I did not want. (Are they trolling? I can't even tell, this is a lot of trolls if that's the case.) Many of them have ordered me to not have a certain requirement (my looking-for list) because they don't meet it, while also telling me in some manner of words or another that I don't actually know what I want or not.

 

I actually lost all interest regarding the original objective but did develop a more social experiment type interest and have made different folders for the sake of data. One folder is titled "Pics?" because so far there are over 40 responses where that was all it was, asking for my pics with nothing else (meaning no info about them or pic of them, either). What woman in her right mind is going to send her photos to hundreds of men in her own area when these men are incapable or unwilling to even put together one sentence about themselves. Wtf.

 

Now look, this is not a dig at men. Like the title of this thread implies, I am just wondering why is CL like this lol. I have looked at the ads from women in the dating section, and a lot of them are flippin bizarre. Lots of really deluded and creepy ones, mostly about them wanting real men which apparently means surrogate parents, combined with lots of venting about exes, over in that section.

 

I just. Why is Craigslist like this? Is there a history or a story that explains it, or something?

 

On OLD websites I occasionally see some weird **** but for the most part people can read and make conversation. Even the profiles that just want casual sex, whether implied or obvious, they still seem sane and can communicate effectively.

 

I also read a lot of m4w ads when I am lurking through CL that specifically say NO MEN, sometimes with a small rant about gay men pretending to be women or even arguing at straight men about how a BJ is a BJ even if it's from a man. Does this happen on OLD? Anyone? Where gay men make profiles pretending to be women, in an attempt to seduce and **** straight men? Or is this another weird CL thing?

 

What attracts all of these crazy people to CL? What attracts me to CL is that it's quick and convenient and seemingly popular, it's another avenue among others (OLD websites, community events, etc) that I am tapping, but maybe there is something deeper that is super wrong with me for me to even be trying to use CL. I'm serious. I'm still going through my inbox and I don't even know.

 

Do more people lurk CL but just not admit it? It's probably one of those things I shouldn't admit haha, but whatever. I just don't understand why so many people take the time to reply yet can't or won't do basic things.

 

As a lurker I also recognize several commonalities between certain posts, and sometimes too much to be coincidence. This isn't me being Rain Man or anything, just explaining how I know that sometimes one person will make like 5-10 ads within the span of an hour, all just a tiny bit different. And these are people who are not savvy enough to make the ads different enough that it's not obvious it's all them. But what if they were savvy enough. Maybe it's really like.. me and 10 other crazy-ass people on this CL page lmao.

 

Idunno CL just gets like a morbid curiosity of me or something, but I genuinely don't understand why it's like this. It cracks me up and makes me question myself at the same time.

[preraph]

craigslist is widely known to be used mainly by hookers to get clients and by clients to get hookers.

[Danda]

craigslist is widely known to be used mainly by hookers to get clients and by clients to get hookers.

 

Sarcasm or serious? Do most of the people who respond to me think I'm a prostitute? If that's true it actually.. makes a lot things make a lot more sense.

[Popsicle]

They are probably all married.

 

Or, think you're a prostitute (or at least hope you are)

[somedude81]

Craiglsist is free and it attracts the lowest common denominator of people.

 

Danda you did a good thing by requesting that they change the subject of the message to what you specified. Though you didn't follow it up by ignoring every message that didn't meet that requirement; unless your intention was to conduct this experiment.

[Danda]

Craiglsist is free and it attracts the lowest common denominator of people.

 

Danda you did a good thing by requesting that they change the subject of the message to what you specified. Though you didn't follow it up by ignoring every message that didn't meet that requirement; unless your intention was to conduct this experiment.

 

I tend to be too forgiving in many regards, and yes it is because I am often desperate. I don't really have a problem admitting to my own issues and such. I play devil's advocate for almost anyone. But when over 95% of responses are all so ridiculous I guess it was enough to slap my brain upside the head as "something aint right here."

[preraph]

Sarcasm or serious? Do most of the people who respond to me think I'm a prostitute? If that's true it actually.. makes a lot things make a lot more sense.

 

It's probably a mixed bag by now, because of new people like you going on thinking it's like any other OLD or whatever, but it's had widespread problems with being used for prostitution and this is where you go to order a hooker at your nearest motel and have them there in 20 minutes. Of course, they can't just come out and say that's what they are, so what they say is a lot like what you're saying, but all the johns know it's hookerville there. So yeah, get off it.

 

Even going to buy something off there can be someone looking for a hooker. That's how bad it is. I went to look at a century modern sofa a few years ago. The photo was on craigslist as for sale. It looked legit to me. As I drove up, alone, a woman was leaving the house, as if she was waiting for me to arrive to leave.

 

The man took me to a den where the sofa was, but it also had a bed in there. Immediately, he began explaining to me that because of some health problems, his wife was no longer having sex. I was thinking, "WTF do I care??" It became clear he was at least hoping I was a hooker there to sleep with him and that his wife was agreeable to it and that this was to take place in the room with the sofa. In order to be coy and avoid the police busting him, he had it set up so maybe a hooker would show up and if not, well, he did have the sofa there. I made him load the sofa into my van and left. I recovered it straightaway. craigslist is a cesspool. But I have found good appliances off there from guys who were just trying to sell appliances, so....

 

Certain things are suspicious about that list. For example, if you go looking for a certain handyman, you might find a whole page of stuff but it's all the same phone number.

[Danda]

It's probably a mixed bag by now, because of new people like you going on thinking it's like any other OLD or whatever, but it's had widespread problems with being used for prostitution and this is where you go to order a hooker at your nearest motel and have them there in 20 minutes. Of course, they can't just come out and say that's what they are, so what they say is a lot like what you're saying, but all the johns know it's hookerville there. So yeah, get off it.

 

Even going to buy something off there can be someone looking for a hooker. That's how bad it is. I went to look at a century modern sofa a few years ago. The photo was on craigslist as for sale. It looked legit to me. As I drove up, alone, a woman was leaving the house, as if she was waiting for me to arrive to leave.

 

The man took me to a den where the sofa was, but it also had a bed in there. Immediately, he began explaining to me that because of some health problems, his wife was no longer having sex. I was thinking, "WTF do I care??" It became clear he was at least hoping I was a hooker there to sleep with him and that his wife was agreeable to it and that this was to take place in the room with the sofa. In order to be coy and avoid the police busting him, he had it set up so maybe a hooker would show up and if not, well, he did have the sofa there. I made him load the sofa into my van and left. I recovered it straightaway. craigslist is a cesspool. But I have found good appliances off there from guys who were just trying to sell appliances, so....

 

Certain things are suspicious about that list. For example, if you go looking for a certain handyman, you might find a whole page of stuff but it's all the same phone number.

 

Holy **** that's ridiculous lol. But it's also hilarious and awesome that you took the sofa anyway!

 

Well geeze. This is so frustrating. I was just hoping to try some light bondage play with someone around my age who is also looking to experiment a bit and have some safe fun. Like genuine fun as far as two younger people goofin around as light-hearted newbies. I didn't think it was a super out-there ad. But also felt a bit unsure about putting it in an OLD profile with my pictures, never know who is on OLD haha.

 

Oh well. =/

 

Although I did get one very polite older gentlemen (said he was in his 50s) who expressed concern for my naivety and advised me to try fetlife instead. So there was at least one cool, normal, good person in the mix! Faith in humanity restored. Gonna take his advice, too.

[shet]

My fairly short experience of OLD has indeed found it chockablock with men pretending to be women, or men just being men and still messaging you. I guess there are as many ****tarded gay men as there are straight ones on there, it's probably an insight into what life is like for women. I'm never sure if they're gay, or latently gay and getting a kick out of "trolling" men (I've had that and laughed for days at their closeted-ness) or attempting some form of identity theft (very very often they clearly aren't British, can barely speak the language and frankly barely speak at all, and if the app/site has a geolocation feature the next day they'll magically be 200 miles away or in another country entirely because they obviously use GPS spoofing apps).

[MissBee]

After I watched that movie on the Craigslist Killer...I view it with much suspicion.

 

But seriously, in looking for furniture or other items I've clicked the personals section and mostly found it comical and creepy and didn't think it was serious. I can admit I only thought people into particularly kinky or strange things used it as that's all I've ever seen. One of my friends uses it, but to be honest, she's into the BDSM subculture and so I think that also colored my view of it where I imagined the subset of people who are on it are going to be colorful in their tastes or extremely weird if not crazy.

 

Why? I genuinely don't know. Maybe it provides a level of anonymity that's more than OLD so attracts crazier people. OLD I suppose is more structured, there are rules on there, people can report and block you, there is some set up of what is the norm to do, you need pictures, they have explicit things for you to fill out, it's more mainstream I suppose whereas with Craigslist it's truly a mixed bag and not as structured so people can do whatever. While crazy folks are on OLD as well I think Craigslist provides more anonymity in its set up to where those at the highest level of kink or crazy can feel more comfortable bearing it all than when they have an established profile that is constant on an OLD site.

[Frank2thepoint]

Yes Craigslist is full of really weird, wonky, and funny posts. I've only used it once years ago in the missed connection section. I saw a really cute nurse on the subway, and we were eyeballing each other. I did not have a chance to chat her up quickly, so I figured I may get lucky through CL. I posted and lurked for over a week. No dice.

[MissBee]

Tried to edit to add: I didn't read your full posts. I just saw the stuff on bondage play after I posted and that would seem like that's mostly what people on there are looking for, lots of people with specific fetish or kinks seem to be on there. I guess I'm more on the vanilla side of things so maybe I'm biased but I find it difficult to understand looking to Craiglist for that, simply because I think it requires so much more trust and can get more dangerous than vanilla sex, so if I were into that, I'd not feel comfortable looking for some random on Craigslist to do that with.

 

The same friend I mentioned I think she participates in an online forum for those into BDSM and that's one way she gets to meet men into what she's into and I think she mentioned there was some dungeon club place she went to once. I'd imagine such spaces where it's more of an established community might be safer or work better than looking on Craigslist.

[hoping2heal]

Not an expert on Craigslist but I guess I have never heard of the site as anything but in a joking context. People who put up crazy stuff, private parts, and then there's the probably legit side of the site where people are looking to buy and sell stuff. Is Craigslist moderated? Well, the fact that you could make a throwaway account to use the site says its pretty low key. No standards? Means no standards. You're going to get the crap that seeps through every other filter out there. Which is why I can't for the love of me understand why you would want to look for dates there. Call me Judgemental Judy the b*tch but I just cannot picture a legit person with a good head on their shoulders and something going for them in life using Craigslist to date.

[Danda]

Yes Craigslist is full of really weird, wonky, and funny posts. I've only used it once years ago in the missed connection section. I saw a really cute nurse on the subway, and we were eyeballing each other. I did not have a chance to chat her up quickly, so I figured I may get lucky through CL. I posted and lurked for over a week. No dice.

 

Funnily enough the Missed Connections section is my favorite to browse. And I did find a post from my ex towards me one time, about a year ago, which was sort of ironic in the sense that we're both so weird and dysfunctional that we both lurk on CL at the same time. But it's the section I check almost every night, whereas the others it's just when I'm in certain moods. My favorite missed connections post I ever read was one from a guy saying that a woman holding a bunch of balloons accidentally walked in on his vasectomy, and he thought she really pretty and wanted to take her out on a date.

[TigerLilly78]

You ever peeked into their "rants" sections? thats a hoot and a half its kinda frighting to think some of them might actually be my nabors..your right craigslist has its pros ive used it to get houseing and so on but it also has its cons!.there was a movie made about this its called "Craigslist Joe" its a really interesting doco on Netflix...

[Danda]

Not an expert on Craigslist but I guess I have never heard of the site as anything but in a joking context. People who put up crazy stuff, private parts, and then there's the probably legit side of the site where people are looking to buy and sell stuff. Is Craigslist moderated? Well, the fact that you could make a throwaway account to use the site says its pretty low key. No standards? Means no standards. You're going to get the crap that seeps through every other filter out there. Which is why I can't for the love of me understand why you would want to look for dates there. Call me Judgemental Judy the b*tch but I just cannot picture a legit person with a good head on their shoulders and something going for them in life using Craigslist to date.

 

I'm pretty forthcoming over the reality that I don't have my head on entirely straight, so yeah that is probably a big part of it, heh.

[Danda]

You ever peeked into their "rants" sections? thats a hoot and a half its kinda frighting to think some of them might actually be my nabors..your right craigslist has its pros ive used it to get houseing and so on but it also has its cons!.there was a movie made about this its called "Craigslist Joe" its a really interesting doco on Netflix...

 

The Rants/Raves section is depressing to me. Very rare for anyone to "rave" about anything. It's mostly just a wall of insults, trolling and viscous racism (at least where I live). It reminds me of a pub where all holy hell as broken out and everyone is drunk and mindlessly beating on each other and smashing chairs.

[coolheadal]

I have never use CL for my own self, but I had sold one of prior cars the same day when I had posted on CL! Cash in the hand at the end of day. I only had 2 calls but the first one was serious the second one wanted me to put it on lay-way! I didn't feel is was serious about the purchase.

 

CL if your going to post yourself just have to weed out all the replies you get. Then keep 10 and go with those. Email them back and see how they answer some of your questions correctly. Then reduce that list to down to 5. Until you hit the magic number 1.

[TigerLilly78]

It's probably a mixed bag by now, because of new people like you going on thinking it's like any other OLD or whatever, but it's had widespread problems with being used for prostitution and this is where you go to order a hooker at your nearest motel and have them there in 20 minutes. Of course, they can't just come out and say that's what they are, so what they say is a lot like what you're saying, but all the johns know it's hookerville there. So yeah, get off it.

 

Even going to buy something off there can be someone looking for a hooker. That's how bad it is. I went to look at a century modern sofa a few years ago. The photo was on craigslist as for sale. It looked legit to me. As I drove up, alone, a woman was leaving the house, as if she was waiting for me to arrive to leave.

 

The man took me to a den where the sofa was, but it also had a bed in there. Immediately, he began explaining to me that because of some health problems, his wife was no longer having sex. I was thinking, "WTF do I care??" It became clear he was at least hoping I was a hooker there to sleep with him and that his wife was agreeable to it and that this was to take place in the room with the sofa. In order to be coy and avoid the police busting him, he had it set up so maybe a hooker would show up and if not, well, he did have the sofa there. I made him load the sofa into my van and left. I recovered it straightaway. craigslist is a cesspool. But I have found good appliances off there from guys who were just trying to sell appliances, so....

 

Certain things are suspicious about that list. For example, if you go looking for a certain handyman, you might find a whole page of stuff but it's all the same phone number.

 

Well this kind of explains the weird calls I was getting when I tried to sell a cell phone on there and why I was still getting calls month's after the add had ran the one guy was down right nasty now it makes a little more sense..thanks!

[preraph]

Holy **** that's ridiculous lol. But it's also hilarious and awesome that you took the sofa anyway!

 

Well geeze. This is so frustrating. I was just hoping to try some light bondage play with someone around my age who is also looking to experiment a bit and have some safe fun. Like genuine fun as far as two younger people goofin around as light-hearted newbies. I didn't think it was a super out-there ad. But also felt a bit unsure about putting it in an OLD profile with my pictures, never know who is on OLD haha.

 

Oh well. =/

 

Although I did get one very polite older gentlemen (said he was in his 50s) who expressed concern for my naivety and advised me to try fetlife instead. So there was at least one cool, normal, good person in the mix! Faith in humanity restored. Gonna take his advice, too.

 

My best advice for finding someone to try light bondage would be just to date and once you trust someone, then introduce it yourself and see if there's interest. It being light bondage, I think most men would be game for it. I'd be afraid to go to specialty sites. I've heard too many stories (mainly from gay men) who got themselves into something more serious and rough than they intended. I would think it would be a bit dangerous for a woman to do that as well. I think with people you date as long as you don't make whatever your fetish the thing you present up front and make it the main thing, but just include it sometimes along with the standard fare, it wouldn't scare many guys off. For example, no one likes to think a person has this one thing they're fanatical about, like foot fetishes, etc., because being that singular is weird any way you slice it, but no one minds a good foot massage in amongst the regular stuff. You could always take a poll here and see how many guys it would send running. I think normally as long as you whip out a pretty scarf, especially one you're still wearing, or his necktie rather than a lasso and cattle prod, you will not encounter much resistance.

[FitChick]

If I list my sewing machine for sale on craigslist, will some guy think that is a code for kinky sex?

[Danda]

If I list my sewing machine for sale on craigslist, will some guy think that is a code for kinky sex?

 

Well I used a sewing machine once, home economics class, and saw how it worked, I could see it as a metaphor.

 

Although hopefully not a metaphor for me. I kept screwing it up and had my classmate finish it for me.