Crucifying Craigslist

[girl gone mad]

I'm not familiar with this person or her blog, but I completely agree with the sentiments expressed in this piece. I've been thinking along the same lines since the media first started on their "Craigslist Killer" kick. The moniker seems like a too-convenient way to slander one of their perceived new media enemies. Now that we know he was a Young Republican, can we start calling him the "Young Republican Killer" instead?

Crucifying Craigslist
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000554.html

Greetings. As I write this, Google News shows over 2500 entries for the search term "craigslist killer" -- and many more for similar searches. Was someone at Craigslist killed? Did some at Craigslist kill anybody?

Of course not. As you probably know by now, "Craigslist Killer" has become the media shorthand for references to alleged robber and killer Philip Markoff, who reportedly used Craigslist to find potential victims to finance what appears to have been a gambling obsession.

Since it has become so popular to blame open communications and the Internet in particular for most of society's problems these days, it perhaps was to be expected that mainstream media would home in on the Craigslist connection. But why?

Ads similar in every respect to the "erotic services" ads for which Craigslist is being condemned are available from openly accessible newspaper racks and vending machines in virtually every major city. To the extent that prostitution is an issue, I've seen absolutely no statistics to suggest that there have been measurable changes in its incidence with the arrival of Craigslist in a city. The world's "oldest profession" has managed to flourish -- with all of its attendant risks -- since the dawn of civilization, it is not a creation of the Internet. It will continue even if our technological civilization collapses, so long as humans exist.

Media reports are spending at least as much time with their concerted effort to crucify Craigslist as they are on the alleged killer himself, and the gambling connection that apparently drove the robberies eventually leading to murder.

In a particularly disgraceful interview example, ABC News' Martin Bashir asked Craigslist founder Craig Newmark if he "regarded himself as a law-abiding citizen of America." One can only assume that "enhanced interrogation techniques" might be next on the agenda after a question like that. (Full disclosure: Craig is a founding signatory of my NNSquad project, but I have never discussed with him nor anyone else at Craigslist any aspects of Craigslist policies or operations.)

http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000554.html">More...

[phantom power]

1. It would be irresponsible not to.

:evilgrin:

[Ian David]

2. We need to call him "The Young Republican Killer." See prior threads:

http://tinyurl.com/TheCraigsListKiller

http://tinyurl.com/YoungRepublican

http://tinyurl.com/YoungRepublicanKiller


Also:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8364484&mesg_id=8369025

[JonLP24]

3. It hits it right on the head there

My local paper under the Escorts section for jobs cleverly describe illegal activities such as 'Need man atleast 18 years old, to find and recruit attractive young women to be escorted. No experience necessary, will train.' Hello, that's just another way of saying pimp. I'm serious that was very similar to an actual ad.

[Duer 157099]

4. You know, there was a time when this might have actually been harmful to CL

But now, I think, so many people already know about it and have already defined it for themselves as either useful or not, that it's just moot.

If anything, it's should be seen as complimentary to CL that the name has become such a part of our lexicon. Append whatever to it -- it won't make CL go away or change. I hope, anyway.

[nichomachus]

5. Well, Craigslist is responsible for the death

OF NEWSPAPERS -- no wonder they're so up in arms. Criagslist is eating their lunch on classified ads. This is why newspapers hate Craigslist.

But people love to go all ballistic on things that are new. If the killer had met his victims in church or at the library -- no one would be advocating closing down the churches or the libraries.

And, from the victims' point of view, Craiglist is a lot safer than the time-honored tradition of standing on a street corner in a seedy part of town.

If you're in the sexworker business, you're probably going to run into a few wackos -- no matter where you meet them. It's not right, but it's a fact of life. Where you meet them is irrelevant.

Even if the victims had met the guy in a public place before going to the hotel, they probably still would have gone with him -- intelligent, handsome, well-built, well-dressed, apparently could be charming. Why wouldn't they have gone with him? So, even the "meet someone first in a public place" advice is faulty.

[corpseratemedia]

6. I wonder also if this relentless corporate media carping about craigslist is

really about how corporations HATE person-to-person business (esp. trade), because they'll lose their hegemony.