There are some very good providers who post on CL. They use it as a mechanism to say they are available when the other ads sites take days to put up ads.

Not everyone who uses CL, either to advertise, or to see service is a lowlife. Perhaps if I lived in a major city it would be different, but in the sticks, CL is the main source for advertising.

I live more than a 6 hour drive from the nearest city that TER has a category for. If I relied solely upon TER, and other internet sources that I advertise with, I'd starve. I advertise on Craig's List because there are very few alternatives that actually produce a steady flow of clients. I recognize the fact that CL is far riskier than other avenues, but for now, it works for me.