3 ms·

I'm speculating here, but perhaps this was the root of CL suing PadMapper in the first place.

minouye 14y ago
They've been looking for a front-end developer with "integrated mapping technology" experience since early this year, so not a completely unreasonable guess. http://www.craigslist.org/about/craigslist_is_hiring http://www.craigslist.org/about/craigslist_is_hiring
dumb-dumb 14y ago
You think they had this functionality in the works before PadMapper? It certinaly doesn't look good for CL, IMO, if they only started working on it after PadMapper started gaining momentum. It's an interesting question.
- bmm6o 14y ago
  Only if by "look[ing] good", you mean it changes your opinion of them. From most perspectives it doesn't really matter when they decided to move in this direction since it's their data. It's the same thing we've seen over and over, where a small guys builds on someone else's platform, and the platform provider uses their inherent advantages to take over.
  - dumb-dumb 14y ago
    IMO = in my opinion How did you get your numbers for your conclusion about "most perspectives"? That is not just an opinion, correct? Otherwise you might have used words like "I think" or "in my opinion". Another related conclusion I'm curious about is "their data" (i.e. the data users uploaded is now CL's data). That is not just an opinion, correct? When I search for a clear answer on that issue, I can't find one. I'd love to see some clear guidance on this question. Platform providers do sometimes use their advantages unfairly. But platforms cannot succeed without some level of symbiosis between those who provide them and those who use them. This is only my opinion. However I have seen others say much the same thing.
    - bmm6o 14y ago
      Sorry, misinterpreted the "IMO".
vijayr 14y ago
They needn't have sued. If their implementation was as good as padmapper or better, then padmapper would've lost their audience anyway. We could argue whether it is good or bad for platforms to copy a feature and push services like padmapper out, but it is still their platform. But a big guy suing a small guy, especially when he was making the service better definitely looks like bullying.

They've been looking for a front-end developer with "integrated mapping technology" experience since early this year, so not a completely unreasonable guess. http://www.craigslist.org/about/craigslist_is_hiring http://www.craigslist.org/about/craigslist_is_hiring

dumb-dumb 14y ago

You think they had this functionality in the works before PadMapper? It certinaly doesn't look good for CL, IMO, if they only started working on it after PadMapper started gaining momentum. It's an interesting question.

bmm6o 14y ago
Only if by "look[ing] good", you mean it changes your opinion of them. From most perspectives it doesn't really matter when they decided to move in this direction since it's their data. It's the same thing we've seen over and over, where a small guys builds on someone else's platform, and the platform provider uses their inherent advantages to take over.
- dumb-dumb 14y ago
  IMO = in my opinion How did you get your numbers for your conclusion about "most perspectives"? That is not just an opinion, correct? Otherwise you might have used words like "I think" or "in my opinion". Another related conclusion I'm curious about is "their data" (i.e. the data users uploaded is now CL's data). That is not just an opinion, correct? When I search for a clear answer on that issue, I can't find one. I'd love to see some clear guidance on this question. Platform providers do sometimes use their advantages unfairly. But platforms cannot succeed without some level of symbiosis between those who provide them and those who use them. This is only my opinion. However I have seen others say much the same thing.
  - bmm6o 14y ago
    Sorry, misinterpreted the "IMO".

vijayr 14y ago

They needn't have sued. If their implementation was as good as padmapper or better, then padmapper would've lost their audience anyway. We could argue whether it is good or bad for platforms to copy a feature and push services like padmapper out, but it is still their platform. But a big guy suing a small guy, especially when he was making the service better definitely looks like bullying.