Slashdot Mirror
Ebay Buys Into Craiglist
unboring writes "The news out today morning is that eBay has bought a minority stake in Craigslist. Here's Craig's take on the whole issue. For those unaware of Craigslist, it was launched by Craig Newmark in 1995 in San Francisco, and is an online network of classified ads and forums aimed at people looking to find an apartment rental, meet friends or trade goods. For those unaware of eBay, get out from under that rock! Google news stories for your convenience here. So will Craigslist now become more corporate/evil? Personally, I've benefited a lot from Craigslist classifieds and I hope it doesn't lose its attitude."
The article title says "Craiglist", but it should be "Craigslist."
I've used the barter/trading section of craigslist before but was leery of trusting the people who I traded with.
Then again, craiglist works only when you trade in person unlike ebay.
And the listings are free...
I'm gonna have to check them out. Say, have any of you heard of this new interweb thing that's starting up? I hear that this company named America Inline might offer something like it.
is how craigslist is a virtual hook-up community, as well. If you want no strings attached sex and can host, you have a good chance of meeting someone to fuck in the major metro area of your choice.
Reason, free market capitalism, and individualism
Breakfast served all day!
eBay is really trying to squeeze itself into every possible market it can, which deals with basically buying/selling.
It has also bought of India's largest trade portal baazee. Lets keep an eye on its tale of acquisitions in 04.
EBay bought 25% stake in Craigslist, as founder Craig commented in his blog. This is not your usual "community effort sold out to big corporation" story. It begins when craigslist first established as company, Craig made a gift of some equity to a guy who was working with him at the time. He reasons that the equity really had more symbolic than actual dollar value. Given the success of craigslist, this is probably self-deprecation. Indeed, this person latter left the company and decided to sold his stake to eBay. The irony is this person is going to make all the monetary gain while Craig would likely to shoulder all the criticism.
Being a for-profit company or owned by big corporation is not necessary a bad thing. People need to make a living and an office need money to run. Even slashdot.org a fervently independent outlet is now owned by VA Software. But craigslist has made a name of itself by strongly resist to commercialize. The web design is basic and text only, entirely free from advertisement. All services are free with the exception of job posting as its sole income. Had it decided to brought in venture capital, craigslist has every potential to be a contender to eBay, a 50 billion dollars corporate giant. But it choose to stay this way, running like a struggling non-profit, forgoing the dream of uncountable wealth.
While it might look a mistake now that he gave away equity to a person who later sell to big corporation and profited, I believe he acted in the interest of the organization at that time. He understand the website that bears his name is more than himself. By making some form of employee ownership he could make it a better and more accountable organization.
I can only hope the ownership change will strengthen craigslist's service without straying it from its mission. No matter what it is going to be, craigslist has already made its name as an antidote to the dot-com frenzy
(Comment replicated from my blog)
...putting craigslist up for bid on their website?
This issue is clearly at the top of my list where businesses begin to fail their customers, they lose that rough edge they had when they started out, that panache which got them noticed, their attention to fixing what was important and not wasting energy putting doilies on things, and lastly being accessible -- too damn many online companies have buried their customer service behind FAQ's and forms to the point you try to alert them to a problem and the square peg won't fit their round-hole request template and you never really know if anyone did receive that urgent missive, but you do get a form letter which seems completely out of context with your concern. In short, they become 'Sirius Cybernetics', a mindless bunch of jerks who should be first up against the wall when the revolution comes.
I'm fairly pissed off with eBay, for their constant fscking around with user interfaces and services that don't need half the crap they put into it and it never really quite works as well as it used to, but it's full of cutesy sh!t pictures and things, oh, and the pages are really big now, lots of bloat in there. I hope Craig's doesn't fall under the heel of the eBay design wizards, but expect some day for 'Craig' to be dropped, to look more corporate.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Craigslist has its quirky charm, and it's free to use.
... is Pierre Omidyar in any way involved in eBay anymore? I notice that Craig thanks him in his announcement, and that seems odd. I thought Pierre had long since cut the cord and gone on to charitable stuff.
I certainly hope neither of those things will change.
It's always had a reputation for being a bit anti-corporate, so seeing a press release written in boilerplate corpspeak is more than a little appalling.
I also wonder about liability problems associated with the Erotic Services and Casual Encounters categories. That seems like the kind of thing a major corporation would be forced to neuter.
Still, it is a minority stake which I daresay gives them no rights at all. I wonder how much they paid for those no rights.
Oh
D
Personally, I've benefited a lot from Craigslist classifieds
Translates to:
I've hooked up with many gay lovers, unknown to my wife, through Craigslist classifieds.
What was the winning bid?
I've used Craigslist to sell loads of stuff very successfully. I prefer it because it allows me to sell things locally eliminating the need for shipping, and concerns with payment. I've sold everything so far with a "look at it, test it, if you like it pay cash" model. No frills ad, FREE and annonomous email. Simple and effective. I trust cash. No disatisfied buyers yet.
I've avoided ebay because I prefer local not global. I may be the only one that does not trust a buyer I do not meet. Ebay is not free or allowing annonomous email.
My hope is Craig keeps it simple and free. I still have lots of stuff I plan to sell and do not need the hassles of ebay. I doubt ebay can effectily morph to meet local and face to face transactions. certainly not for free...
Fark selling headlines?
e.
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
When asked to comment on the purchase, Craig's only comment was "Fast Payment Welcome to Bid Anytime A+++++".
There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
:wq
I like the rants people put in there. Like the 405 loogies. It's from the Seattle area, but applies anywhere http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/35334909. html
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