Craigslist crackdown backfires

The surprise outcome of Craigslist's new restrictions on its Erotic Services category? Clients are reporting that it's easier than ever to sort out the legitimate ads — women you can hire and meet with in person, today — from the telewank webcam girls and phone sex companies posing as escorts.

Says MiaGood on MyPinkBook, a forum for Bay Area working girls:

Now CL will allow you to post 3 ads per account — per 2 day period, they just changed it from 5 to 3 today now. A customer of mine who is a math expert says that there are over 50 percent fewer ads on CL now than there were pre-phone verification days. 1 month ago, ads were on page 1 for only 10 minutes, no it is 30 + minutes. So there is more visibility for your ads. So CL wants even further cuts in ad #'s. Now there may be about 1/3 less ads with the cut to 3 posts max. But that will also encourage pimps to get new phones and more accounts.

Clients are no longer snared by spammy ads that tease with the possibility of sex but don't pan out. Instead, they're being led right to the real women they can pay for a date right now. In adversity, Craigslist yet again finds a way to deliver.

(Photo courtesy of Tatum Reed, available by advance booking in San Francisco)

12:00 PM on Wed Apr 2 2008
By Melissa Gira Grant
4,634 views
13 comments

Comments

sample032 at 12:23 PM on 04/02/08
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Connectedness Index: 74
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The easy way to find real girls is look for ones with some sort of online presence, like an escort blog, or she frequents adult-oriented forums.
FiveStarEggRoll at 12:34 PM on 04/02/08
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"But that will also encourage pimps to get new phones and more accounts."

Does this mean that SEOs are thusly pimps...to some extent? Ha!

Harry "you know they will" Wang
Fidel on the Roof at 01:04 PM on 04/02/08
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Tatum Reed is looking for $800 an hour?? I don't think so.
FiveStarEggRoll at 01:18 PM on 04/02/08
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@Fidel on the Roof: 800? Yikes. I agree with your questioning of the price wholeheartedly.

Harry "appreciates the humility of the common corner street ho" Wang
FiveStarEggRoll at 01:22 PM on 04/02/08
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[Wondering if my other reply will show up.]

At $800/hour she should be into anything and everything including a2m, mutual watersports, etc. I doubt it.

Harry "appreciates the humility of the common corner street ho" Wang
Dweezil at 01:29 PM on 04/02/08
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@Fidel on the Roof: If it was that brunette from a couple of her videos it would be worth it.
michaellamb at 01:48 PM on 04/02/08
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does that girl have boobs?
Lawrence at 03:05 PM on 04/02/08
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it's a tranny
bugz321 at 03:10 PM on 04/02/08
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@FiveStarEggRoll: Even extreme kink isn't enough to command those prices. She's selling the fantasy of being with a porn star. Well-known porn actresses can get upwards of $2K for an hour. Personally, I'd go for someone cheaper and just turn out the lights and pretend.
WhatBubble at 03:26 PM on 04/02/08
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Is this the first nipple courtesy of Melissa?
FiveStarEggRoll at 04:54 PM on 04/02/08
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Didn't know she was a porn star.

Harry "somewhat embarrassed" Wang
Fidel on the Roof at 08:09 PM on 04/02/08
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@FiveStarEggRoll: Sloppy 9,543nds?
microserfin at 11:30 AM on 04/03/08
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LOL I see nipple