Today, craigslist's own CEO Jim Buckmaster released his very own national media Rants & Raves post once again defending his site's role in 21^st century cyber-whoring. In his essay he makes a few good points along with a few claims that are borderline ridiculous. I'd be remiss if I didn't use this column to respond to Buckmaster's article (and let's be honest, mock it a bit).

The main thrust of the article is Jim Buckmaster's insistence that craigslist is no longer a den of child prostitution and human trafficking. Congratulations? Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the people behind the List have made a public effort to not facilitate horrible crimes against humanity, but that doesn't change the fact that there's something inherent about the site that makes said horrible crimes possible. Let's say your cousin is an 8-months clean, recovering heroin addict who, in the height of his habit, beat you up and robbed your house to buy more smack. Seeing him take a little responsibility and promise to never do it again doesn't change the fact that the prick very seriously wronged you.

Throughout his article, Buckmaster references “experts” who applaud craigslist on its efforts to curtail human trafficking. None of these experts or the organizations they represent are named, but that's just a nitpick. What really bugs me about the article is that Buckmaster posits craigslist as some kind of forward-thinking champion of child protection and sexual rights. He spends a lot of time lauding the List's wide variety of warning text, as if the necessity of its existence is a good thing. Indeed, craigslist is slathered in big, multicolored warnings about fraud, human trafficking, STI's and identity theft. They're like the Surgeon General's warning on packs of cigarettes. The label doesn't make the contents any less dangerous or ill-advised.

Most laughably, Jim Buckmaster threw some language into his essay about how certain activities, like prostitution, ought to be legalized and regulated, likening craigslist's Adult Services section to the opening volley in such a process. Oh, I'm right there with Jimbo on the need to legalize and regulate vice, I just don't respect the version we get on craigslist. Let's take a gander at an average, screened, fee-paying, phone-confirmed Adult Services ad:

SwEEt CaNdY NiCkoLe

Friendly, Beautiful and Intelligent.

Upscale ALWAYS.

Prv In/Outbound

5’4

36/25/36

15>60 30>85 60>150. Ages 27+ please.

Nickole

3/ 0 /3/ 5/ 2/0 6/ 1 / 9 /2

NO BLOCKED CALLS/TEXTS/OR RUDE TALK

Real classy, eh? Totally not a run-of-the-mill hooker who is completely unregulated and illegal. Personally, I would rather things like prostitution and marijuana remain against the law than be a part of polite society in the forms in which they appear on craigslist. If this is the face of regulated prostitution, then why don't we just start selling alcohol to people with ads that say, “AWESOME BOOZE GUNNA GIT U TTLY WASTED 2NITE!!!”? Sorry, Buckmaster. Your site is still the dregs of the Internet and the only thing the switch to Adult Services did was make your company ten dollars richer per post.