The Dark History of Craigslist - How One Website Shaped The Internet

[@HowHistoryWorks]

The first 100 people to use code HowHistoryWorks with the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: incogni.com/howhistoryworks

[@whatisahandle_69]

No

[@jaynycha1705]

Bro, I'm so old I've: Bought furniture, found and posted jobs, sold random stuff, on Craigslist. (hard to believe it's still a thing)

[@HowHistoryWorks]

You are not old, you are an internet pioneer!

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

I found a really nice secondhand DJ set for a nice price on there THIS YEAR. It still hits just depends on where you are.

[@Drarkiee]

@@HowHistoryWorksi bought a car on Craigslist in 2019, im only 25 years old

[@lostboy8084]

Bro I'm so old I used DOS commands as the basic way of operating the computer. I remember when the world wide web came out and the beloved dial up tone 😂

[@Blackdiamondprod.]

I still do all of that.

[@morezco]

I do not know whether Craigslist will remain relevant in the future, but I think it speaks volumes that all throughout this video I felt like visiting it while none of the modern social media apps feel at all appealing to me

[@Not_Always]

I literally went back to Craigslist as this video was playing lol

[@malcolmneate5852]

I was thinking the same thing

[@Mix1mum]

In my opinion, Craigslist only has one peer, and thats Wikipedia. The last two sites on the web that just are. I miss the old web. This new one is garbage.

[@eliaspfeffer]

Why do you think so? Of their simplicity?

[@RoflcopterLamo]

@@eliaspfeffer Of their absence of ruining the internet for profit. Any website now just wants money and nothing else. Everything done is thought of in terms of how much money it makes and any reaction to some problem/issue is for keeping the flow of money or increasing it.

[@whatisahandle_69]

​@@eliaspfeffersimple, utilitarian, to the point, no click bait (arguably not true for wiki depending on what you're looking up) minimal ads.

[@ajs1189]

The internet now is like television or radio before it. It’s corporatized and the only thing on every channel is aggressive advertising.

[@IN-tm8mw]

@@whatisahandle_69 I feel the same way about Reddit when looking for a topic.

[@ProductBasement]

All websites should look like Craigslist. Going to any modern website is such a pain. You have massive high-resolution pictures or videos at the top, which take forever to load, with a tiny amount of text in a huge font. Huge fonts, huge buttons, minimal actual information... whereas Craigslist has a ton of very simple, information-dense text in a serif font (serifs make smaller font sizes legible)

[@abhinav1860]

I feel the same with modern UI in our computers too😢

[@Signupking]

"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all." - Futurama this just fits to having a perfect web design

[@LucMMailloux]

My life would be drastically different without Craigslist. I've made long-time musician friends through the "community" section, bought/sold several instruments in the "for sale" section, found the apartment I currently occupy in the "housing" section (back in 2017), and I even found a job in the "jobs" section in 2015. I STILL use it occasionally. Classic and efficient.

[@BofaDee33]

When I lived in Korea for 14 years I was much more comfortable with English than with Korean. I did all my job searching on Craigslist Seoul it was a wonderful experience. I think what people need to remember is context. You find what you look for. If your the type of person who is looking to hook up with a dude who posts ads that person probably is seeing more than 1 person. If your looking for a hooker you can't really blame the site when you find one and an STD. People need to just chill look at themselves and say if I am not in danger of being burned than I have nothing to worry about. When it comes to kids, and human trafficking everyone needs to put a stop to it. However if you aren't on there looking for that sort of thing it's hard to just stumble onto it.

[@paran0ia7]

The cold, utilitarian layout of Craigslist is always such a pleasure to navigate, and feels almost... futuristic now, in a weird way. It's a place for finding things, and anything that doesn't directly contribute to that goal simply isn't present; because why would it be?

[@Microtonal_Cats]

I'm sure there are new startups that spend money on analyzing Craigslist's interface to try to replicate its ease of use, then keep adding "just one more feature" until it's a normal modern klunky site.

[@twelvetoes-e9n]

I was living in San Francisco in 2002 and using craigslist just when it started to be common across the whole country. I remember passing that basement office while on a bus, (or maybe it was the N Judah?) and thinking WTF ? I thought it was an art installation and had to confirm it was their real office with a friend in the tech industry. Even back then I was surprised it was that small. The people I knew that knew Craig talked about him like he was some kind of wizard. Like he went into the internet having already figured it out. Like he was Nostra-RAM-us. great video!

[@logankuzyk]

Bought my first car and found my first apartment on Craigslist, been using it since about 2015. Simple is good!

[@geramer]

Craigslist is ahead of the curve. No digital confetti.

[@DJdoppIer]

Craigslist's interface is refreshing simple, and I love it. Everything you need is right there. You're not bombarded with pop-ups or messages, you don't have to scroll through meaningless tiles or useless pictures. It's nearly perfect in every way.

[@anymancandoitwiththerightools]

@7:07 utility companies have the absolute worst websites for no reason at all.

[@riledmouse4677]

The WORST!!

[@WiscoDrinks]

the biggest issue i have with craigslist is not having confidence in sellers or buyers being either real or not scammers or some unhinged goober.

[@zbob1461]

I really enjoyed reading the missed connections section.

[@1211]

So proud of this man. Kept it simple which made it eternal.

[@robertharker]

Craigslist will survive because of it's simple design which means low server farm requirements which in turn means low operating costs.

[@johnchedsey1306]

I've used Craigslist quite a bit for nearly 20 years, which is a bit insane to consider. I've found jobs, sold stuff, met people who became friends (and some "other" stuff), hired people for gigs, found rentals, posted random goofy stuff and casually check new posts all the time to see what oddness is in my community. I've dealt with super honest people as well as attempts to catfish or scam. It's never boring. But I do dislike that posting these days can be a crapshoot because of how things can be abruptly removed or blocked, while a very similar ad is allowed. And there's not really any recourse via Craigslist.

[@Ben-kv7wr]

Craigslist is like an online haven for the working class gotten so much second hand aquarium stuff just bc people were tired of it and didn’t want to see it collect dust, or trade stuff with people and pick their brains a bit before you go home

[@SlugSage]

Had no idea KZbin started as a dating platform

[@ProudKisbeeOwner89]

You said early thirties. You meant early forties? As a man in my mid-thirties, who have achieved nothing close to Craigslist, I take great anxiety in your error!

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

You're actually a Xennial.

[@Madelyn24]

If he was born in 1952 and Craigslist started in 1995 (these are the years given in this video), you're right, he was in his early forties.

[@jonanddy]

😂😂

[@alkaholic4848]

Couple of minor corrections in the opening - Dating apps like tinder and hinge have did not make it easier to connect with people online. Tinder ruined online dating, and dating in general. - Nobody was flexing about 3.5" floppies in the era of CD ROMs. It's the other way around. A CD could hold about 350 times more data than a floppy.

[@jonanddy]

It did make it easier to connect with people while simultaneously ruining dating in general

[@unclestinky6388]

In my area Craigslist is no where close to as relevant now as it was ten years ago. FB Marketplace seems to be the go-to source for classified ads

[@christopherchilton-smith6482]

8:32 Cant help myself here. The rich live within a facade of poor to hide their wealth for various reasons. The poor occasionaly "live rich" (like use food stamps to buy lobster and crab for Christmas) to experience moments of dignity within an otherwise wretched existence.

[@unclestinky6388]

Stunning and brave

[@RRW359]

3:45 The internet and the Web aren't exactally the same thing, then or now.

[@Tpbraut]

Craigslist has a loyal community!

[@Anythingeverything899]

1:03 - to be fair, a 3.5 in floppy is still impressive

[@biggbluh]

When Craigslist personals went down... I literally fell into a depression!! For legal degenerates like me... it was the ideal way to get laid with other freaks!! Tinder & all the other solutions... don't work the same since there's a pretense on looks which Craigslist didn't have!!

[@riledmouse4677]

If I hadn’t used Craigslist to find sublet in 2003, my life would have taken a completely different trajectory. I’d be curious how many lives have been fundamentally shaped by this one simple website.

[@ThoroldArkym]

Smooth and straightforward-no more seller problems like on Craigslist! 🙌

[@2514ben88]

Thanks for the history lesson I enjoy your video

[@cobaltlukather9045]

Craigslist is the Aldi's of the internet

[@sperosversis3678]

Great analogy!

[@MARILYNANDERSON88]

I plan to use Craigslist even more after this report. I have had immediate success using Craigslist, and met interesting locals that like to share.

[@rdbb-pv7et]

Craigslists work as it is. There is no reason everything needs to be like stupid fakebook or crApple!

[@shidditiddis]

Been watching your videos for a couple weeks and couldn’t figure out where I recognized your voice until tonight. Mr. Doesn’t Exist, love all your shit.

[@ASMRPeople]

Craigslist was dead to me when they outlawed escorts. The last place to find such things without pop-ups or viruses.

[@Miryr]

Is this AI written or is it another writer? Sounds weird, for some reason.

[@HowHistoryWorks]

No it's written by same like all of the other videos but if you figure out what you find weird let us know.

[@Miryr]

​@@HowHistoryWorksI think it tried to be too jovial, overly jokey and too friendly, like a car salesman that is trying to befriend you. Think it might've mostly been the start that was overdone. Anyway, don't mean to offend. Love your work, just somehow felt this particular one felt weird.

[@_Silly-Dad_]

The cadence is off from most of your other videos... Maybe the inflection?

[@princem5155]

Yeah like Sam from HAI wrote it

[@TheRubberJohnson]

@@HowHistoryWorks Sounds like you have a cold

[@CatDaddyx2]

One of my fondness memories is of my cousin and I prank calling a pimp on Craigslist back in middle school

[@ryelor123]

I like it. Bought many things and never had a problem.

[@joshuagharis9017]

"You've got mail" 😊

[@glowingfatedie]

Lol... "blue times new roman font" my ass

[@jbbrutal6714]

"The dark history" is a bit much. This is just the history of Craigslist. Which is awesome all by itself. I love that the UI is still the same, but mostly I love that "growth" isn't important here and I wish that was the standard. Thanks for the video my dude.

[@valmarsiglia]

OK, so Craig Newmark was born in 1952, he launched Craig's List in 1995, but you think he was in his early 30s when he did so?

[@paulm5935]

Wasn't Geocities on a similar trajectory before it failed? Paul M. Atlanta, GA

[@user-wg3or1tu5y]

You must be 70 years old to sign off with your name and state/city

[@mroie]

Craigslist HAS BEEN AN BLESSING FOR US

[@MrGreen-nl3yv]

Craigslist is the Godfather of social media.

[@papanga1197]

7 seconds in

[@kayrow11]

How they not Mention BP? That was Craigslist biggest Competitor

[@archiebunker7688]

And Topix got the plug pulled because of so many Hillary haters.😮

[@mirzaahmed6589]

5:42 that's not Times New Roman.

[@stevojohn]

That's not Times New Roman - that'a a Sans Serif font.

[@rayden54]

Unfortunately Craigslist's never been very useful for me. I live in the middle of nowhere. The listing for Southern, MY State is actually the listing for a bigger city on the far west side of the state, whereas my small town is all the way on the east side of the state (about 100 miles apart). I'm only a few miles from the state to my east, but unfortunately nobody looks in that state for listings in my area and if I list something in my state they all assume I'm in the city. I'm not driving 100 miles to sell a $50 monitor.

[@brianskanes1]

What's up w the X logo at 2:48 ? Was that added as a joke or has musk just stole the logo from somthing in the 90's ?

[@lowwastehighmelanin]

I don't find tumbleweeds funny they're an invasive species and an absolute nightmare

[@MikeStoneJapan]

I'd argue that early internet forums were really the foundation of todays social media and the like

[@lorn4867]

6:44 Try to find the customer support telephone number. 😮 *instant stress*

[@gigi4874-w3w]

Craigslist has a lot of scam listings.

[@Microtonal_Cats]

Someone should make a VR app for Craigslist.

[@CheMichone]

I wonder if Bulletin Board Systems had any part of this journey .

[@jerbear7952]

Are you from Dayton?

[@riledmouse4677]

KZbin started out as a dating site?

[@chattw6885]

I think noone knows of Craigslist outside of the USA. Atleast I and my friends have never heard it

[@Disthron]

The Rich live poor... and the Poor live rich... That makes no sense

[@sperosversis3678]

It has to do with how people spend/save/invest their money. "The rich live poor"... they live " below their means;" they can afford to buy whatever they want, but don't, They are thoughtful, mindful, specific and conservative in how they spend and manage it. These people may not "look" like they have a lot of money, but they do. "The poor live rich"... they spend every penny they have, on "extras." without saving/investing(this does NOT refer to those in the working poor, who are barely able to" keep a roof over their head or food on the table," despite working long hours and very hard), but to those that create obscene debt on "stuff" they don't need, but really-really want. These people "look" like they have a lot of money, but all they have is a lot of "debt."

[@Ratinevo]

The voice of this channel had a cold when recording this?

[@sourabhmayekar3354]

Nice

[@xandersheppard1542]

28 yrs ago wtf

[@AnAntidisestablishmentarianist]

I've searched for a job and a place to live on CL and I hate the outdated UX. Sure, you can get to were you want to go in a couple clicks, but once you're there you spend way too much time wading through a bunch of crap that you can't properly filter & sort because the site lacks the proper tools. Stupid hippies.

[@malcolmneate5852]

That was fascinating. I’ve course I’d heard of Craigslist but I’ve never visited the site or even knew what it was. I kinda like the ethical ideas behind it. Sure bad people will always find ways of doing bad things but from what I could tell from this short documentary piece, it lets people decide for themselves which in my mind is way more democratic then most offers companies and apps use of censorship etc.

[@tgypoi]

I met my wife on Craigslist.

[@natebaer273]

are you sick, your voice sounds different??

[@Stiflex]

stonks

[@tigerlily2941]

Ummm you did yoyr math wrong. 1995 is less then 30 years ago. Its 28 to be exact.

[@ladiesman2048]

Must be American thing as I've never visited the site

[@idkanaccountname]

Ah heck 😂

[@tomfoolery-4444]

"homosexual males and females" why do you say it like that 😭

[@llydrsn]

What do you mean Toy Story by saying Toy Story premiered 30 years ago??? It's not! It's only about 10 years 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 Goodness, I'm old. 😑

[@paulm5935]

Honey, Goodness ain't got nuthin' to do with it! Mae West (Of course!)

[@rnt45t1]

LOL at you saying "tinder and hinge makes it EASIER for people to connect online." Obviously haven't been single recently...

[@bernardkealey6449]

How about covering the ongoing right wing war on sex workers, rather than making out like Craigslist was problematic here? Between your obliviousness to that and inability to say “gay” I won’t hold my breath.

[@squirrel9760]

Why would he talk about that… the videos is about Craigslist and how it was made. Also how it’s going to keep existing.

[@bernardkealey6449]

@@squirrel9760 because it is titled “the dark history of” when 99.975% of its history is not at “dark” but was targeted by bigoted loonies.

[@unclestinky6388]

Stunning and brave