Can somebody explain Craigslist to me?

[JohnT]

@MeanOldLady

John, it’s pretty much because Craig’s List is all user generated and moderated, and users are douchebags. You’re right: there is no Craig’s List staff. Good luck getting support out of those guys. If the people reading don’t like what you write (because it uses too many exclamation points, or they don’t like the description, or even because they’ve heard of your company and plain don’t like it!), whether or not it is legitimate, they can flag it. Enough flags = removal. There is no appeals committee you can go to to say, “Hey, my ad was legit!” If the readers don’t like it, no matter how silly their reasons, too bad. That is how it crumbles, cookiewise.

So yeah, what they said. You have to compose your ad in a way such that Angry Joe Craig’s List Reader doesn’t get his feathers ruffled. Tough breaks, but you know.

Nice that I get some confirmation bias out of this thread - I’m glad that it’s not just me that thinks that C/L is an amatuerish piece of shit.

[kayaker]

@JohnT

Nice that I get some confirmation bias out of this thread - I’m glad that it’s not just me that thinks that C/L is an amatuerish piece of shit.

But (at least for the “for sale” section) it is cheap and effective, IMO. I have bought and sold a few things, and have been very pleased. Of course, I would have to be hard up as hell to look for a job via CL.

[GrandWino]

I believe it takes more than one person flagging your post in order to get it removed from CL. I think the magic number is three flags (at least, it could be more) to get removed, but I don’t know if they actually give that info out. Just thought it was worth noting that it’s likely not just one obnoxious user getting your posts removed.

[MeanOldLady]

@JohnT

Nice that I get some confirmation bias out of this thread - I’m glad that it’s not just me that thinks that C/L is an amatuerish piece of shit.

In CL’s defense, it’s not all bad. I still occasionally use it to buy and sell stuff. Also, when I was living in Los Angeles, I used to to find jobs, and successfully at that. When I moved to Minneapolis, I was taken aback to find the whole thing was a giant pile of horse shit. I theorize that the difference is in Los Angeles (and in SF, NY and some other cities) employers have to pay to post listings there. Helps weed out the riffraff a bit.

[aceplace57]

I had a quick question about ads.

How long are they usually kept before expiring?

I bookmarked one for tutoring. I’m not sure yet if I need the help. I didn’t want to email the person until I decide. Will the bookmark still be valid 2 or 3 months from now?

[MeanOldLady]

30 days.

[aceplace57]

Expires that quick? Wow. I better email them after all. At least make contact.
thanks

[Swallowed_My_Cellphone]

Hm, I got a “scam” vibe too. I think it’s the “Earn Extra Money” which is how most of the pyramid scheme ads start out, plus the “orientation class” part looks a little like one of the group brainwashing sessions that they hold by Amway or the door-to-door Kirby vacuum cleaner people.

In real life, giving the ad the benefit of the doubt, it looks like it’s really a lot more like a paper route, or maybe the kind where the kid hangs a bag with a sample of margarine on your door or something.

(I don’t even know what “full-time temporary help” is, but that’s beyond the issue).

“Full-time temporary” or "temporary full-time) means the position is temporary, such as a 6-week stint, but that you will be working full-time hours (35-40 hours/week) during that time.

[chappachula]

I no nothing about craigslist…but ,wow, your ad looks bad! And suspiciously like spam…

1. As already mentioned—remove the exclamation points, and for Og’s sake don’t use the word “product”.

2. be much, much more specific—say exactly what the product is, how heavy it is (does the poor employee have to lug 500 copies at a time of a thick magazine, or is it a one-page flyer?)

3. is a car necesary to transport the “product”? Can several people work from one car, walking nearby routes (this is important info for, say, a church youth group leader)

4. be specific about who you are.

And the company’s name is on the ad, and anybody who gave a shiite could Google it,

Why expect me to google you— Why not list your website up front,and tell me about your company—give me reason to trust you …then I’ll google you and look for objective info from other sources to make you seem even more trustworthy. But first impressions are important—and ,so far, you sound more like an Amway-style cult than a legit business.

5. the “orientation” class sounds like a scam…You need to state out loud that it is not a trick …the employee will not pay anything up front

[Swallowed_My_Cellphone]

@chappachula

I no nothing about craigslist…but ,wow, your ad looks bad! And suspiciously like spam…

2. be much, much more specific—say exactly what the product is, how heavy it is (does the poor employee have to lug 500 copies at a time of a thick magazine, or is it a one-page flyer?)
3. is a car necesary to transport the “product”? Can several people work from one car, walking nearby routes (this is important info for, say, a church youth group leader)
4. be specific about who you are.

Wow, these are all really good points. Particularly the lack of a product description. I knew there was something else that was really bugging me and that was it. In a sentence, like “employees will pick up the Product, and deliver them” totally sound bogus.

Just say specifically what type of product it really is: “You’ll deliver product catalogs and order forms, and occasionally product samples, such as small containers of margarine, soap, toothpaste, or sports drink.”

And I agree that a short company bio is in order. “Company X is a Texas-based company founded in 1991 that specializes in product marketing and mail order distribution. We have offices in four states, and clients that include major retail chains and snack food vendors.”

5. the “orientation” class sounds like a scam…You need to state out loud that it is not a trick …the employee will not pay anything up front

I wouldn’t even mention it in the ad. That would be something I would just wait and talk to an applicant about once I’d find someone I would like to hire. It’s part of the job training, and you don’t really need to state it in the ad. “Mike, we would like to hire you. We do need to schedule you for training session to ensure that you understand the process rom start to finish. Would you be able to attend on X date, at Y o’clock?”