1. Introduction to How Craigslist Works
Craigslist.org, originally a San Francisco community
electronic newsletter, is now one of the most visited
English language Web sites, with local classifieds for
more than 450 cities worldwide. The site's main
function is to host classified ads that cover
practically every category you can think of, including
housing, job postings, items for sale, services and
personals. There's also a forums section that allows
users to discuss topics on everything from
gardening to the Linux operating system.

2. The Craigslist Network
Each craigslist site focuses on a specific community.
Originally, craigslist only listed classifieds and
announcements within San Francisco. As the
service grew in popularity, expanding well beyond
founder Craig Newmark's original concept,
craigslist added other cities to its network. The first
city to join the network was Boston in 2000. A
couple of months later, Chicago, Los Angeles, New
York City, Portland, San Diego, Seattle and
Washington, D.C. followed suit. Today, more than
450 cities have a craigslist community site.

3. Craigslist Financials
Craigslist started as a pet project but blossomed
into a full-fledged company. In 1999, craigslist
incorporated as a for-profit organization. The
company also purchased the domain
craigslist.com to prevent anyone from buying it
and misleading craigslist members. Each year
since then, craigslist has expanded to cover
more cities and communities, becoming a
powerful financial force in the process

4. Craigslist Controversy
One of the biggest challenges for the craigslist
community is weeding out scam artists. The site
has a section describing common scam tactics
and what users should do if they come across
them. Scams might involve fake money orders or
checks, bait-and-switch, phishing schemes
designed to obtain personal information,
identity theft schemes and other unethical and
illegal activities.

5. Lots More Information
Think about a "normal Web site." It usually has
a home page, with links to lots of sub-pages that
have more detail. HowStuffWorks is like this,
with thousands of information pages all
organized under a home page. A small business
site follows the same format -- it might have a
home page and five or 10 sub-pages. Most
traditional Web sites follow this format. If the
site is small, it is sort of like an online brochure.
If it is large, it is like an electronic encyclopedia.

6. See all Business Profiles articles
A social networking service is an online service,
platform, or site that focuses on building and
reflecting of social networks or social relations
among people, who, for example, share interests
and/or activities. A social network service consists
of a representation of each user (often a profile),
his/her social links, and a variety of additional
services. Most social network services are web-
based and provide means for users to interact over
the Internet.