Craigslist is a classified advertisements website that hosts listings in categories like housing, jobs, items for sale, services, and personals. It started as a local newsletter in San Francisco but now receives over 30 million visits per month from users primarily in the United States. The site generates revenue from fees on job postings in major cities and apartment listings in New York City. While popular, Craigslist also faces controversies like scam artists posting fraudulent ads and some using it to solicit illegal goods or services.

1. How Craigslist Works

2. Contents
・Introduction
・The Craigslist Network
・Craigslist Financials
・Craigslist Controversy

3. Introduction to How Craigslist Works
・What is Craigslist?
Craigslist.org, originally a San Francisco community electronic newsletter,
is now one of the most visited English language Web sites.
・What does Craigslist do?
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.

4. The Craigslist Network
As the service grew in popularity, expanding well beyond founder
Craig Newmark's original concept, craigslist added other cities to its
network.
Every month Craigslist has
・more than 25 million new classified ads
・more than 1.5 million job postings
・more than 75 million user postings in the forums section
・more than 10 million new photos uploaded
・more than 30 million user visits, most of which are from the United States
・more than 8 billion page views, putting craigslist in the top 10 English-language sites

5. Craigslist Financials
In 1999, craigslist incorporated as a for-profit organization.
Newmark and Buckmaster strive to keep craigslist
service based company focused on online
communities.
The site earns revenue by setting fees for job
postings in a few cities and for apartment
listings in New York City.
The job posting fee in Boston , Los Angeles , New York City, San Diego , Seattle and
Washington, DC.
The site generates enough revenue to support its entire staff of 25 people.
Craigslist founder Craig Newmark with CEO Jim Buckmaste

6. 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 schemes (in which you
think you're getting one thing but end up with another), phishing schemes designed to obtain personal
information, identity theft schemes and other unethical and illegal activities.
・One scam that has popped up in several craigslist communities involves a
buyer overpaying for an item.
・Police scan craigslist for ads soliciting illegal goods or services.
・The terms of use on craigslist make it clear that the site has nothing to do with
the content users post, that it will work with authorities in cases involving illegal
activity and that violating the site's terms can result in stiff fines.