Even though craigslist has a multitude of different pages, each with its own special brand of absurdity, I have to admit that the Personals section has an unending allure to me. It's like some kind of eternally burning ember of doomed hope, a queue of people who refuse to communicate with one another despite the potential helpfulness of encouragement or warning. Posters keep on going back for more, maybe out of stubbornness or desperation or spite. What's even more fascinating is that each subsection has a distinct flavor. The Men Seeking Women page is a grand display of social cluelessness, the Women Seeking Men page a mix of obvious lies and incredible self-delusion. Of course, those are the same descriptors we can apply to heterosexual dating in the real world. Anyone who has visited either of the same-sex dating pages can tell you that they are worlds unto themselves. The Men Seeking Men page is nothing other than sex without the pretense of real social interaction. As such, it's probably the most successful page on the entire site. But the Women Seeking Women page is a different creature altogether.

SEXY FEMMI FEMALE SEEKIN THE SAME FEMMI.. 2 PLAY 2NITE! (NO MEN)

 
send a pic for my pic! lookin to do this 2nite! 20 yrs old bisexual femmi female 5"1 130 pounds shaved and clean %100 clean drug n disease fee and you MUST BE 2!!! NO MEN IM MARRIED! no email games send a pic for my PIC.... looking to meet up 2nite drama free people only! I CAN HOST..... im actually lookin for a friend who lives near so we can do this a few times my husband WONT b here at all or b involved!!! NO crazy ppl please! im chill like to tan, dance clubbing,drink get my nails done im chill n laid back person I DONT SMOKE SO I"D RATHER U NOT EITHER...

This ad is something of an outlier on the W4W page, in that it looks like a W4M Casual Encounters ad. I can't imagine this post would attract, well, anyone, especially not another woman. From what little I understand of the fairer sex, I can surmise that the above train wreck is pretty much the opposite of what a woman of any age would want in a first impression. The problem with W4W is that I don't think they've quite figured out what it is they do want. Observe:

Want to know why your post was flagged?

First off, Im not the one flagging anyone here but I do understand why it is happening. While there actually might be some ladies that really want to hook up(get ahold of me lol) and have a good time the MAJORITY are prostitutes who are looking for money or as they call it "donations". Hookers are not wanted or needed on craigslist.

Women seeking Women

If you are a man posting to "Women seeking Women" forum then you deserve to be flagged. Geez I know you just made a mistake you meant to post to the "Men seeking Women" forum and you just pushed the wrong button, I know you are not deliberately trying to be deceptive.

A significant portion of the posts made in the W4W section are meta-craig discussions about flagging. Why are people flagged? Who deserves to get flagged? What is the psychology of individuals who invite flagging with their behavior? It's almost disappointing to find out that much of the W4W page is the exact opposite of the M4M page. It's just a little on-the-nose, isn't it? The M4M page makes getting sex almost too easy, while the W4W page is like having to slog through some kind of emotional bureaucracy with constantly changing standards. Being a lesbian must be incredibly difficult.

the rainforest

Hello,
Felt au revoir for the (state) mushroom farm and now I find myself in (city), originally for the purpose of singing ethereal for my dancer friends emotionally lush performance, ocean of energy this place I will be grounding here for some time. tao, I am whispered to do so, deep roots depth of darkness, fluidly breathing, shadows telling tales of eternal, rainforest sanctuary, scorpionic plutonian sensual transformative energies...therefore, may I borrow a shower or perhaps a couch as well for a few days within warmth and kindness while I solidify permanence? by the way I am simply wanting a friend.
Peace and Light,
Melanie

And then there's this insanity. For those of you who don't speak Unfathomably Annoying Hippie, the above poster is a childish dirtball of the highest order who is asking for a place to crash. Why she decided to post in W4W is really beside the point. She might like having sex with women, or she might be one of those ultra-feminist New Age types who thrives on vagueness and the undeserved charity of more mature individuals. No matter the origin, this girl Melanie has officially attained the title of Most Irritating Person Alive in my book. If she is in fact a lesbian, I am incredibly thankful that she is no longer a part of any dating pool with which I might interact.