Updates from September, 2010 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Greg Collier 4:24 pm on September 13, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    A Big Day For Change 

    changes

    It is with great pride that Geebo has removed it’s Personal Ads section, effective today. While we are pleased to be the first classified outlet, both digital or print, to make such a move, we want to be clear that this decision isn’t premised on our desire to distinguish ourselves from any other classified service. This is about social responsibility and our concerns about human rights violations occurring on OTHER classified ad sites. Please be assured that Geebo has never encountered any problems or concerns regarding our personals section or any other content. This we attribute to our thorough review process and exceptional staff.

    Currently, Geebo is experiencing more first-time visitors than at any other point on our 10-year history. We are also enjoying endorsements and partnerships with a wide variety of service and support organizations that share our focus on social responsibility. While we are ecstatic over our numbers and our partnerships, we want to be sure that all of these new users are as protected as possible. Removing the personals component is purely a precautionary measure.

    We do want to emphasize that there is nothing wrong with utilizing sites such as Match.com or eHarmony.com in pursuit of love, lust, or friendship. These sites are large, trusted organizations that have done a terrific job monitoring their content. Being as Geebo is much more than a dating site, and a smaller company, we feel that it is in the best interests of our users to focus on what we are best at and most equipped for.

    Thank you for your continued support. As we grow, we will continue to do all we can to provide you with a safe, enjoyable community classifieds experience.

     

    • Lauren Taylor 4:05 pm on September 14, 2010 Permalink

      Thank you Greg for your leadership in the online classifieds community! This is a brave and heroic move.

    • kat 10:44 am on October 14, 2010 Permalink

      Weather you meet someone online, in a bar or in a library,everyone could be a crazed murderer or rapist.The problem with government and the powers that be coercing websites to shut down erotic services and personals are the end to freedom of speech and personal rights.We should be more live and let live like Canada and Europe where prositution and gay marriage are legal.

    • Greg Collier 10:55 am on October 14, 2010 Permalink

      Funny you should mention Canada…
      http://bit.ly/aTznMF

    • Ashley 2:44 pm on October 21, 2010 Permalink

      Kat, I believe that you meant for your comments to reflect your viewpoints as open-minded and tolerant, but placing gay marriage and prostitution in the same breath and using them as frames of reference synonymous with each other was anything but (open-minded and tolerant).

      Have you seen the personals on these other sites (I won’t use any names out of respect for Geebo’s reputation and as to avoid any false slander speculation)? They are filthy. I hold no reservations about making that judgement (or rather observation) because I believe it to be absolutely true, and when prostitution becomes such an easy option, it can and does become an addiction. I’ve seen it first hand and it is a tragedy.

      This isn’t a matter of human rights. If someone so desires to bring prostitution via internet personals into the light as something that falls under the pursuit of happiness, I will be interested in the results. It seems however, that most people who resort to prostitution through these personal sites are doing so out of desperation and it would prove difficult to find enough people that are passionate enough about prostitution to start that movement.

      This is, however, a matter of safety. People have died. Prostitution is an inherently dangerous business, and to claim that we should be more like “Canada and Europe” is not at all relevent to this decision to eliminate the personals section, because in these situations over the internet, there is absolute anonymity and no disclosure of intent. Also, I think it might have served you well to do a brief check into the prostitution policies in “Canada and Europe.” In Canada, the act of prostitution itself is legal, however almost all means are procuring and participating in this act are out-lawed. In Europe, there are eight nations in which prostitution is legal and irregulated. The UK, Sweden, Ireland, France (ironic? Laissez-faire?), Norway and Iceland all hold laws prohibiting prostitution (as well as a large portion of Eastern Europe, mainly from a moral standpoint). And even in the countries where prostitution is legal, there have been so many violent (and often deadly) repercussions that it seems hard to view that as a positive mold.

      Long story short, to lump gay marriage in with prostitution is exactly the kind of backwards thinking that is maintaining gay marriage’s status as illegal in the majority of the United States. Think before you type.

      P.S. The weather is nice, whether you believe it or not.

    • Bill Lema 10:56 am on October 27, 2010 Permalink

      Rock on

  • Greg Collier 3:19 pm on September 7, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Easy Summertime Living 

    beach

    What did you do on your summer vacation?

    Remember when this was this first thing you discussed once you returned to school each September? Man, I miss those days. People do some amazing things over the summer months, and I for one would like to hear about it!

    As for what I did… I loved life. Seems simple enough, and maybe even a bit cliché, but it is true. This summer has been exceptional between work and family. For me, summer has the ability to slow down the work pace, but not the work load. I take advantage of the feeling that I can relax a bit and spend more time with family and catching up with long-time friends. I hope everyone does this. I would recommend it to anyone. Work (of any sort) will always be there waiting.

    Summer also seems to provide the best time to escape. I think it is the years of having summer vacation as a child that translates into a sense of vacation entitlement as an adult when June, July, and August set in. Heck, I am as guilty as the next person. I didn’t go anywhere crazy or exotic, but I got in enough to satisfy that urge to be elsewhere.

    Now the air has turned a bit brisk and college football has begun (Go Bears!). It is definitely not summer any more. My hope is that this summer’s warmth, both in temperature and in adventure, will sustain me through the pending months of snow and sleet. If nothing else, I will do my best to employ my summer state of mind. Life, and summer, are far too short to be stressful.

    Whether you went out of town or embraced the recession-friendly staycation, I hope you celebrated summer. And if you feel like sharing what you did on your summer vacation… please drop me a note at greg {at} geebo.com. I’d love to hear about it.

    Dang, I miss the beach already.

     

  • Greg Collier 5:14 pm on September 4, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    No Such Thing As Craigslist Censorship 

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/05/MN841F8URH.DTLIn the last twenty-four hours Craigslist has “censored” their adult services section. When users go to access that facet of the site they will now be met with a black bar reading “censored.” I wish this post was a celebratory one, or at least a sigh of relief for a step in the right direction. It, however, is not.

    Last month, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark gave an interview to CNN where he attempted to dodge and disarm questions regarding whether the Craigslist site facilitates child prostitution. Craig’s shaky, tangential response was far from an answer and it wasn’t just the correspondent who noticed. In the wake of the interview, 17 attorney generals multiple states called for the removal of the adult services section. In typical Craigslist fashion, Newmark and Bucky (Jim Buckmaster) pointed the finger elsewhere and attempted to direct attention from the obvious…that their site facilitates child prostitution! AND THEY KNOW IT!

    Shockingly, Craigslist minimally acquiesced by censoring that part of their site. Removing it, however, is obviously out of the question. It is likely that once this bit of bad press dissipates, the adult services section will again be up and running. How do I know? Empirically, this tactic has been employed multiple timnes by Craigslist over the past few years. Even when a murder or rape has been attributed to the site, Craigslist has managed to do as little as possible during the headlines, and then revert back to their regular practices once a new tragedy occurs. It is a sick twisted cycle that is in full swing throughout media outlets today.

    The last thing people should be doing is applauding Craigslist’s “effort.” Their personal ads section is still fully functioning, providing the same prostitution promoting features as their adult services section. Such illegal activities are simply being posted under a different name. Instead of “adult services,” one can access “casual encounters.” Last time I checked, casual encounters were still very adult. They are also full of the same ads that adult services section contained…including those that facilitate the exploitation of children.

    The personal ads section also lacks any sort of regulatory features. Posting in this section does not subject a user to a more rigorous screening simply because the classification is more PG. Craigslist is able to operate per usual, while receiving an undeserved commendation for change. This is not right.

    It isn’t the existence of one section over another that makes a difference…it comes down to regulation and responsibility. Until Craigers and Bucky opt for accountability, no one should cheer on their manipulative tactics. A headline today does not ensure safety for their users tomorrow.

     

    • KathyT 2:24 pm on September 6, 2010 Permalink

      “Craiglist halts ads for adult services” is the quintessence of misleading. I should say that CM and JM are wannabe politicians. They have the rhetoric down to a science.

    • KathyT 2:26 pm on September 6, 2010 Permalink

      Also, there is a very popular saying, from the 20th century, which is this, “all I know is what I read in the papers” LET US NOT FALL VICTIM TO THAT IGNORANCE.

    • Rick James 12:09 pm on September 18, 2010 Permalink

      Craigslist has the same rights as you i.e. the right to post nonsense. Exactly how does Craigslist facilitate child prostitution?

    • Greg Collier 10:17 pm on September 20, 2010 Permalink

      We at Geebo are strong proponents of the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. However, we are also strong proponents of protection and responsibility. We do not contend that Craigslist lacks the right to post anything that they choose. Our offense comes as a result of their irresponsible, and reckless, choices.

      Craigslist’s facilitates child prostitution in their refusal to adequately regulate their classified postings. Instead of employing a process that reviews postings prior to online publication, such as the method Geebo utilizes, Craigslist relies on their users. Instead of doing the potentially life-saving work themselves, Craigslist places the responsibility in the hands of both people who care and people who don’t. It is the category of “people who don’t” that cause the problem. Unfortunately, the founders of Craigslist have classified themselves in the latter in their failure to implement a review process that is overseen by themselves or a well-trained staff. Security that hinges upon users flagging the inappropriate content is doomed to fail. And has. Multiple times.

      When it comes to protecting our users, we defer to the wise words of Thomas Jefferson. “With every freedom comes responsibility.” Craigslist’s decision to forego their responsibility facilitates child prostitution and human trafficking. Sometimes it is not best to let freedom ring.

    • Neon Light : 11:15 pm on October 31, 2010 Permalink

      i admire Craig Newark of craiglists because he became a milionaire in such a short time .

    • Surrogate Mother %0A 2:01 am on November 25, 2010 Permalink

      somtimes i also sell stuff on craigslist because there are many users on it.

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