# Bizarro Craigslist ad **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871 "2008-08-05T02:47:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/1 "2008-08-05T02:47:50Z")
Can anyone explain to me what the purpose of [this](http://orlando.craigslist.org/lab/734320290.html) Craigslist ad is? My spidey sense is picking up something nefarious, but I don’t know enough about this kind of thing to tell what. It reads like spam. Is it? If so, what’s the point of putting it on Craigslist, particularly under the title of “Janitor”? ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/2 "2008-08-05T03:05:07Z")
The man was obviously on drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/3 "2008-08-05T03:09:42Z")
Definitely spam. The same wording is used in [dozens of craigslist ads](http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&safe=off&q=%22attorney+duties+you.+thank+weekends%22+&btnG=Search) across the country. Example: [Admin Clerk (Syracuse)](http://syracuse.craigslist.org/ofc/738476047.html) ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/4 "2008-08-05T03:10:20Z")
People who recruit for shady MLM sales jobs will stop at nothing to place their ads. They also like to position their ads as not sales, since most normal people will avoid shady-sounding sales ads. They operate with the mindset that once they have you in their clutches, they can sell you on the “opportunity.” I’m not sure how closely Craigslist screens their ads, but newspapers usually restrict the MLM folks pretty closely on how they can word their ads, what job heading they can put it under, needing to indicate sales, etc. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/5 "2008-08-05T05:51:07Z")
> [@](#): > > detail must prior qualifications: attorney duties you. thank weekends. no day), (every 9am-6pm friday through mondayetc. billing calendaring, filing, screening basic responsible mostly us. assist errors setting, preferably required capable personable for answering functions administrative key low casual friendly, responsibilities > > dz eo gst able for. we qualifications you if apply only please experience. sales candidate ideal personable. friendly orientated Yes, I’d say they need a lot of assist with their errors setting, preferably required. ---
**Author:** ![zeno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zeno/32/15040_2.png) [@zeno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeno)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/6 "2008-08-05T06:29:14Z")
They probably post the same ad all over the place, but you’re not supposed to do that. So they change a few letters around and add a few random strings of numbers so the craigslist system doesn’t pick up that they are duplicate posts. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarro-craigslist-ad/458871/7 "2008-08-05T14:35:20Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Definitely spam. The same wording is used in [dozens of craigslist ads](http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&safe=off&q=%22attorney+duties+you.+thank+weekends%22+&btnG=Search) across the country. Example: [Admin Clerk (Syracuse)](http://syracuse.craigslist.org/ofc/738476047.html) [/QUOTE] Yep. The OP’s link: “This ad has been flagged for removal.” One wonders only why it takes Craigslist so long to pick these things up. You’d think a halfway intelligent bot could flag them more or less immediately.