Craigslist to me, beyond something I still use regularly to hunt for musical instruments, electronics, bikes, furniture, garage sales, etc, is an enduring shibb

Craigslist to me, beyond something I still use regularly to hunt for musical instruments, electronics, bikes, furniture, garage sales, etc, is an enduring shibboleth when it comes to "design." When someone says "Craigslist design sucks," I can probably guess how that person thinks about design and what it means to them. IMO Craigslist has survived as long as it has, in spite of no promotion, no advertising, no partner deals, no api integrations, yadda yadda, precisely because it is designed very well for its purpose and its users. I would never claim that CL is the most aesthetically pleasing site to look at, but when it comes to posting, searching and browsing classified ads (and even participating in its message boards), it does the job quite well and with minimum hassle. For the first three weeks after I moved to San Francisco, more than sixteen years ago, I couch surfed at my boss's place on Stanyan street in Cole Valley. At the time, Craig also lived nearby. My boss and he were friends and would frequently meet at a coffee shop, and I would often join them. When I was first introduced to Craig, I quipped that I had recently moved, and did he know a good place to search for apartments? He gave me a gentle smirk and a merely mildly condescending roll of the eyes. Very pleasant, intelligent, and unassuming person.