http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090513/us_nm/us_craigslist

I am really unhappy with this new CL development.

I have used CL extensively in my past and, honestly, still occasionally advertise on there when business is slow. But I have other avenues - I advertise on Eros, Cityvibe and MFP. I like to think that I've graduated to a level in this career where I have enough income to spend on advertising in more legitimate places.

But what about the provider who can't do that? It's not easy to shell out $75 or more a month for advertising if you are, say, raising a family. Or going to school. Or dealing with some kind of substance abuse (and no, just because a provider has an addiction issue doesn't necessarily mean she is out to rip you off). Or any number of other things.  A lot of providers who advertise on CL do it because they are, simply put, out of options. The CL erotic services category is (was) the street corner of the internet. It wasn't the safest place to be, but it was free and gave providers a small buffer between themselves and prospective clients (not to mention LE).

It was a huge blow when CL started charging $5 and requiring credit card information from posters. The new regulations and prices are outlandish - especially for a website that was founded on the free exchange of information. We don't see the effects of this as much in Minnesota, because we're so small and sheltered here, but I would be willing to bet that street prostitution and pimping have gone up in larger cities. Girls (or guys, or transfolk, or whatever) who don't have the initial cash to put out, or don't have/aren't willing to use a credit card, are left with about two options: Advertise on another section of CL (where their ad would most likely either get flagged or ignored) or hit the street and hope to not get arrested, raped, robbed, or worse.

I have nothing against street workers - I think it's a very brave thing to do and I support anyone who feels that that is the right choice for them (pimping, of course, is an entirely different matter). But in a society like ours, there's no question that with increased street prostitution comes a rise in crime and a drop in the morale of a neighborhood. Until sex work is given the dignity and legality it deserves, if providers and clients can stay behind the safe barrier of the internet, they should by all means.

I'm guessing this new CL crackdown is in some way a response to the Julissa Brisman murder. Regardless of their intentions, though, these new rules aren't going to make it safer for anyone, providers or clients. It makes those of us who relied on CL to get our needs met so much more vulnerable.

I'm just becoming more and more disgusted with the way this country treats our industry. End-demand legislation is completely pointless. You make heroin illegal, people aren't going to stop using it. You gentrify a ghetto and the ghetto will go somewhere else, it won't stop existing. Et cetera. Et cetera.

Just some stuff to chew on.

Remy

was said to be the killing of this lady using that portion of CL.  I will say that I would be infuriated if I was the family of the young lady that was killed after posting and ad as a babysitter and was killed.  How come that section was not closed and a paid section used to replace it requiring name verification.  Wouldn't it be easier to track people that would kill on any areea of CL?  Why is one person life worth more than anothers, they both used the same media and both met the same fate.  The reaction by our goverment should be the same!

But street walking will never be accepted.  People don't want it going on in front of their homes and I find that viewpoint quite reasonable.  The story I heard that was behind the city councilmember who pushed for Minneapolis posting the pics of people arrested for prostitution on a billboard was that he had people upset that their daughters were being propositioned on the streets where a lot of street walkers worked.  I gotta admit that would piss me off as well.

I have been using an alias via Visa for the past 6 months. Several websites require ALL your information, yet the only one that has mine is Eros. All other websites have my alias on file with the credit card number associated with it. So, that deterent is mute! Xoxo, Giamarie ***I apologize for mispelled words, given I'm posting from my handheld.

It's true. I don't know what the solution to that is, either. A lot of places in the world have red light districts, but that's just a fancy term for a sex ghetto. I don't think they are generally very pleasant places to live or work.

Remy, I've been planning to see you, now I can't wait to talk to you as well!  Nice insight into a misguided 'gentrification' of formerly free speech exchange.

And as long as we are dealing with the "lower class" there will be those who want to get rid of that class in the arenas they frequent. So, unfortunately said providers will be on the streets again. That's the reality. Given my upbringing, it certainly hits home as well. Yet, we must move on. Kisses Remy. Xoxo, Giamarie

How does requiring the ladies to give info protect them from the crazies that contact them?  I guess that was my meaning of the first post.  The lady killed trying to provide massage could have just as well posted in the theraputic section.  The lady responding to a babysitter job still has no protection and as you say, the info required can be easily faked.  Sigh...

It will be filled. As profitable as this type of service is, someone will take the risk to fill the need.

Very well said.

Hm, yeah I was actually a little confused even when they did the $5 dollar per ad thing. I just didn't really see how that would make it any more "legal" at all.

It did weed down on fradulent posts (which CL in general still has tons of), but cut down on hobbyist stuff? That was kind of funny.

However with Backpage and Cityvibe, it's just kind of funny that they beleive they are striking some kind of blow for their cause.

Besides, as they mentioned in the article and many other times before, they are only 28 people....how exactly even in the new section are they going to screen every ad posted? I think that's a laugh.

If so they might as well start finally doing a better job of screening the other sections, because they are rife with BS postings.

With the economy's issues and prevalent Minneapolis cancelations, $75 is A LOT to some providers. That $75 may be what they pay towards their rent to keep a roof over their children or other living expenses. Or that $75 might be the money they need to ensure they are physical prepared for you gents...gym membership ($50), pedicure ($30), etc. $75 is a lot to some and some providers just are not as popular or sought after despite how "reliable" they are. Xoxo, Giamarie *possible typos given I'm on my handheld.

About CL shitting down erotic services, saying basically that it will hurt girls at the lower end of the spectrum especially, and that is mostly a cynical ploy by politicians looking to increase their political profile.

It's simply a way for the police to get your REAL info if they are able to bust you.  I would think if ones screens properly and uses some discretion in their ads, there should never be a problem with LE.    Of course, all the best efforts in screening may not stop the lunatics and crazies.

You must remember that what we do is not legal.  It has just been a matter of time before CL got shut down.  I'm really surprised it lasted this long.

The ladies are going anywhere and they will find other ways to market to us.

This hobby must continue to evolve to continue to grow.

JMHO

Well said.

I still use it on occasion too because it's there and I can pick up some slack if I have the time.
However, I'm frustrated at the bullshit img tag block they installed on certain sections I use there yet they still have an "adult" section now and allow their pictures .
It makes absolutely no sense to me because it does not prevent anyone from working or protect anyone from harm to take away certain features and to charge a fee like that.
If anything it's just pushed all the spam and miscategorized or the scam postings to other sections .
That site in my opinion is becoming completely useless & far too dangerous each passing year.
I've been using it since 2000 without one problem until these past 3 years aside from their "technical issues".

Well yeah that's a good point, I didn't really think about it that way, but the fact is that they really couldn't/wouldn't bust everyone, and from the sound of it rarely did it, so basically it felt like a very open acknowledgement that CL was cool with it since the non-LE relevant stuff posted was still probably around 10% .

Frankly, if they just legalized this and weed and taxed it (which i'm sure some people on here wouldn't like), our economy would get a huge shot in the arm .