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  • Greg Collier 1:41 pm on December 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Hold Your Applause 

    not impressedCraigslist’s recent decision to quietly remove the adult category from their international locations is not one to be celebrated…yet. Though the category is gone, the problem is not. The issue is not having a specific category to post ads for prostitution within, it is about the absence of a review process that would prevent such solicitation from being published.

    Like many of Craigslist’s decisions, this one should raise a few suspicions. Why now? Why so quietly? When Craigslist suspended their U.S. adult section a few months ago they went to great lengths to make sure it was known. Placing the word “Censored” over the section caused quite a media stir. This time, unless you religiously read tech blogs, you are likely unaware that their adult category was nixed internationally. Perhaps their silence is quite a loud admission. They know they are not doing enough and they are not doing what is necessary to stop the illegal activity their site fosters.

    Craigslist’s decision comes on the eve of a U.S. House vote on the Senate-passed Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act. This is a fantastic piece of legislation that will establish pilot programs to provide counseling, education, and basic support for sex trafficking victims. Additionally, this bill will mandate participation by all levels of law enforcement, including educating officers and prosecutors on how to identify, investigate and prosecute human traffickers. Craigslist is hoping to insert itself into this progressive conversation and ride the positive coattails of this pending law without implementing anything consistent with the law’s intent. This is not okay.

    This move by Craigslist also comes right before the Lifetime movie “The Craigslist Killer” debuts on January 3rd, 2011, at 9pm eastern. My guess is they are attempting to generate as much good press, though not deserved press, prior to their site’s reality being brought to life and into millions of homes for the public to truly see.

    You can’t cure a disease without acknowledging and treating the symptoms. A submission review process is the ONLY way to combat the presence of human trafficking on a classified site. Craigslist can remove as many categories as they want but until they employ a thorough review procedure that prevents ads from automatically going live on their site, nothing will change. Today on Craigslist, the sex trafficking continues…

    We at Geebo, albeit preemptively, removed our personal ads section so as to guarantee we would never have a problem with sex trafficking. We did this in conjunction with our thorough and manual review process that has been employed since the beginning. The extra time it takes is worth the lives of our users. This should be a no-brainer for any classified site.

    For Craigslist the decision to remove the adult category throughout the world is more about strategy than security. This is not a mentality to encourage.

    Hold your applause until Craigslist does something worth clapping for.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:04 am on December 5, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Cheers to the Bold 

    borat-high-fiveGeebo has a lot to be thankful for. In the past year we have remained dedicated to our mission of providing an accessible, community focused classified site that prioritizes customer safety and security. Consistent with this pursuit, we preemptively removed our personal ads section more than two months ago. As a result of our thorough and comprehensive review process we had never had an issue with human trafficking, prostitution, or violence…and we never wanted too. Removing the personal ads section was the only way we could guarantee our users the type of security they have come to expect and the kind of safety we believe they deserve. Call us old fashioned but customer satisfaction, continued patronage, and life, is something we are thankful for.

    What else are we thankful for? We are glad you asked, and even more thrilled to answer. Olx.com, a widely popular international classified site, has joined Geebo on the short-list of sites that have removed their personals section. While Olx.com denies that their decision to terminate their personal ads is a result of sex trafficking or solicitation, their rationale for confiscating this category is not particularly relevant. What is important is that Olx.com and its worldwide audience is safer. For that, we are thankful.

    Geebo is also thankful for the optimism that Olx.com’s decision brings. Far too often classified sites proceed down the path of least resistance in the hopes of rising to a widely trafficked destination. Traffic is imperative to a classified site’s success…but the human trafficking that permeates sites similar to Craigslist.org and Backpage.com is intolerable. Every site that reforms their practices or begins with precautions in place renews Geebo’s faith in the power of social responsibility. Slowly, but surely, perhaps the “right” decision will become the only decision for classified sites.

    This holiday season Geebo would be honored for you to join us in raising your class and toasting the decisions of those, like Olx.com, that are bold enough to do what is right. Where reason fails to exist, the decision to act is what matters. Cheers!

     

  • Greg Collier 12:33 pm on November 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Haven’t Had Enough? 

    fake

    Last week a Vallejo woman was kidnapped and sexually assaulted, repeatedly, by two individuals she met via Craigslist. How could this be? Craigslist removed its adult services section weeks ago. You mean there other places to post? Yes. The rest of the Craigslist site is fair game for such postings. The cycle of violence has therefore, and unfortunately, continued.

    Security and safety for online classified sites come from their internal processes, not their external offerings. Sure, eliminating an adult services section from the homepage can reduce illicit behavior, but it won’t stop it. All Craigslist has done by removing their adult section is to make it minutely harder for a john to get a date or a criminal to find a victim. This “safeguard” is nothing more than a roadblock. To provide genuine online protection, Craigslist needed to implement a posting review procedure that would prevent postings involving illegal content from ever making it online.

    Yes, Geebo also removed its personal ads section a couple of months ago. We, however, have never had a problem with such illegal and dangerous behavior being solicited on our site. Our step was a preemptive one in the interest of our community members. Geebo has employed a thorough and rigorous review process for ALL submissions from the beginning. If someone tries to post an “adult service” through our “real estate” section, we know and we stop it before it becomes live. Not Craigers, Bucky, or any other member of their staff has any idea about the contents posted on their site. Their way of finding out is the same as you or I… the news, in the wake of another tragedy.

    This horrific and horrendous crime is another brutal reminder that Craigslist has not done enough. They haven’t even come close. Unfortunately, more rapes, kidnappings, burglaries, and even murders that can be credited to Craigslist’s correctable deficiencies, are more likely to occur than a change in Craigslist practice.

     

  • Greg Collier 4:16 pm on October 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Is it the thought that counts? 

    pretending

    Have you ever gotten a present that you weren’t really a fan of? It might have been from a crazy aunt or an awkward co-worker, but you smiled and said thank-you. After all, it is the thought that counts, right? Wrong. Outside of poor gift giving, it really isn’t the thought that counts but the action or inaction that matters.

    Recently, Backpage.com announced that they were suspending some of their adult categories. The keyword is some. The Women for Men, No Strings Attached, and Missed Connections sections have all been made “temporarily unavailable,” but the paid adult services on Backpage.com are still up and thriving. Geebo shares the same question as Sharon Hill in her October 18, 2010 article on AIMGroup.com, “Did they really think people wouldn’t notice that the moneymakers are still up and running – with ad copy and photos that are more blatantly sexual than anything Craigslist allowed in its adult services heyday?” Apparently Backpage.com thinks it really is just the thought that counts. Wrong.

    In the past month, Geebo completely removed our personal ad section as a preemptive and preventative measure. Unlike sites such as Craigslist and Backpage, we never had a problem with our site being utilized for prostitution, escort services, or child trafficking. Since Geebo’s inception a thorough review process of all classifieds submitted for publication has been employed. We never found this to be a novel concept, just a socially responsible business practice. But, even with history on our side, this wasn’t good enough. We vehemently exercise our belief that being socially responsible isn’t about complacency, but about pushing yourself and your company to be better and safer for its community of users. It really isn’t asking that much.

    Backpage.com has said that they are now going to be reviewing ads in their adult categories, increasing staff to assist in this process, implementing barriers to prevent minor’s use, and educating their users about online safety. This is great…but once that newly hired person finds an unacceptable submission, what do they do? Is there a timeline for these new procedures? Are they going to educate their users on how to protect themselves on the very site on which they are using? The “thought” by Backpage.com doesn’t count unless some action, or plan for action, accompanies. As Hill points out, “if Village Voice intent is to clean up its adult services act, the actions taken today by BackPage have fallen far short of goal.”

    Encouraging an “it is the thought that counts” mentality does nothing more than alleviate responsibility and affirm the status quo. This is not the type of behavior that should be celebrated. Instead of supporting companies that do something for their user’s protection, we should be supporting companies that do everything for their user’s protection. It is more than social responsibility. It is about being human.

     

  • Greg Collier 10:51 am on October 8, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Strength in Solidarity 

    Strength-in-Numbers

    As a classified site owner, the news of the Washington Post’s discontinuance of massage parlor ads came as wonderful news. A few weeks, Geebo, removed its personal ads section. From the inception we had applied a rigorous and thorough screening procedure to prevent postings that promoted illegal activities from appearing on our site. We never felt, however, that we had done enough.

    Geebo, like the Post, is about community. A community looks out for its members. To ensure that we were providing our users with the type of safety, security, and privacy we would want for our own family and friends, we removed the personal ads completely. While we knew we were the first to make such a commitment, we trusted we would not be alone for long. And we were right.

    Thank you, Washington Post for responding meaningfully to your readers concerns. Far too often both people and media listen without actually hearing, considering, or acting. When it comes down to people’s lives, safety, and security, inaction is the ultimate failure.

    When it only takes one to make a difference, there truly is power in numbers.

     

  • 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.

  • Greg Collier 2:24 pm on August 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Yes, Everyone Else is Doing It 

    Social Responsibility

    Have you ever given the old adage, “It takes a village to raise a child,” much thought? As of late, this has been on my mind. As a father, I recognize the little things communities do to unite and assist with the upbringing of my child. While I would never entrust my child to a stranger, I do appreciate my community’s dedication to providing identification drives, healthy eating seminars, and theater in the park. It may not seem like much, and though it can be easily overlooked, this type of mentality is the embodiment of the now cliché term, social responsibility.

    From major corporations to mom-and-pop stores, being socially responsible has become the newest “it” thing. But for the first time, in a long time, this mainstream ideal could accomplish something great.

    One of the most socially responsible companies is many people’s morning addiction…Starbucks. Since their inception, Starbucks has advocated and implemented sustainable harvesting practices and free trade. Were you aware that your grande skinny vanilla latte was helping preserve the environment and enhance the quality of life in Central and South American countries? Likely not…and yet, here you are being socially responsible!

    On the flip side, you have individuals who sneer and steer clear of franchises in favor of local restaurants and coffee shops. In most cases, this is equally as socially responsible…even if you didn’t realize it. There is a restaurant down the street from my home that regularly participates in fundraising efforts for the local school system. A few times a year, this restaurant donates between 10%-50% of that day or night’s revenue to fund marching band trips, forensic teams, and more. By doing nothing more than eating at that restaurant, on either a fundraising night or a regular night, one has been socially responsible.

    Though this may seem like a greater undertaking for a local business, as opposed to a multi-national corporation, it is all relative and all beneficial.

    The simplicity of it all is amazing. Care about your community? Your family? Your environment? Bring your business to those who feel the same way. Your support, regardless of how big or small, combined with the support of others is what makes the impact of socially responsible practices so great.

    We at Geebo are proud to support every community we are a part of in both monetary donations and participation. While it does take a village to raise a child…it also takes a coffee shop to preserve the environment and your favorite diner to create educational opportunities.

    Whether you decide to “Go Green” or “Buy Local,” I hope you are socially responsible for you, today.

     

  • Greg Collier 8:45 am on July 27, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    32 Billion Reasons to Read 

    Last Thursday, I attended one of those rare events that change your life, shape your perspective, and urge you to action. Alongside others at Richmond’s Byrd Theater I watched the documentary “Call + Response,” that chronicles modern day slavery. Men, women and children are enslaved for many purposes including sex, pornography, forced labor, and indentured servitude.

    At the conclusion of the screening a sex trade survivor shared her story with a small group of us. The courage and conviction of this individual was astounding. It never ceases to amaze me at what humans can survive and humanity can perpetuate.

    I was able to speak with Sara Pomeroy, the creator of the Richmond Justice Imitative, at the event’s close. Sara is amazing woman who devotes her time to rescuing and seeking justice for victims of human trafficking in Virginia. This is no small job. Virginia is one of only four states that does not have a comprehensive law in place against human trafficking. Events like the “Call + Response” screening give Sara the opportunity to raise awareness and generate conversation over this increasing domestic problem. She also works in conjunction with local outreach organizations and churches to get her message out.

    Currently, there are 27 million slaves worldwide…2 million of which are children! This isn’t purely a third-world country problem. For those of you who live under this assumption, you are sorely mistaken. In the United States alone, between 150,000 and 300,000 children are enslaved and sold for sex. Slavery, unfortunately, is in our very own back yard.

    One of the scariest statistics of the sex trade is how much money it generates. Each year, the global sex slavery market generates $32 billion in profits. I am sure it comes as no surprise that the money it generates does not trickle down to the creation of schools, clean water systems, or safe-sex education process. No, the sex slavery instead has become an increasingly important revenue source for organized crime because each young girl can earn between $150,000 and $200,000 each year for her pimp.

    This problem is real. And this problem is big.

    I encourage you to share these statistics and this short clip from the WTVR News with people you know, people you don’t, and people who will listen.

     
    This blog post is but a small contribution to the effort I hope to make in raising awareness on the issue of slavery. Every little thing we do is a part of our collective call to justice. Please join me.

     

    • Laura 9:54 am on August 19, 2010 Permalink

      Greg, I’m so glad you had a chance to see C+R. It’s an EXCELLENT film.

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