Is Craigslist the Last Real Place on the Internet?

"The writer and comedian Megan Koester got her first writing job, reviewing internet pornography, from a Craigslist ad she responded to more than 15 years ago. Several years after that, she used the listings website to find the rent-controlled apartment where she still lives today. When she wanted to buy property, she scrolled through Craigslist and found a parcel of land in the Mojave Desert."

""There's so many elements of my life that are suffused with Craigslist," says Koester, 42, whose Instagram account is dedicated, at least in part, to cataloging screenshots of what she has dubbed "harrowing images" from the site's free section; on the day we speak, she's wearing a cashmere sweater that cost her nothing, besides the faith it took to respond to an ad with no pictures. "I'm ride or die.""

"Koester is one of untold numbers of Craigslist aficionados, many of them in their thirties and forties, who not only still use the old-school classifieds site but also consider it an essential, if anachronistic, part of their everyday lives. It's a place where anonymity is still possible, where money doesn't have to be exchanged, and where strangers can make meaningful connections-for romantic pursuits, straightforward transactions, and even to cast unusual creative projects, including experimental TV shows like The Rehearsal on HBO and Amazon Freevee's ."

Megan Koester used Craigslist to land a writing job reviewing internet pornography, find a rent-controlled apartment, buy land in the Mojave Desert, and furnish an unpermitted dwelling entirely from the site's free section. She catalogs "harrowing images" from the free listings on Instagram and credits Craigslist with providing many elements of her life. Many users in their thirties and forties continue to rely on Craigslist for anonymity, cash-free transactions, and personal connections. Craigslist lacks profiles, ratings, or algorithmic feeds, enabling a low-surveillance, old-school classifieds environment used for everything from romance to casting experimental TV projects.

Read at WIRED