On: Bringing Craigslist Back

[hollerith]

What Craigslist is afraid of (probably) is Padmapper becoming the first place most people turn to when looking for an apartment. Once that happens, Padmapper can cut Craigslist out of the loop by inviting landlords to make Padmapper listings instead of Craigslist listings. (Note that once Padmapper become to "go to" place for apartment hunters, Padmapper's refusing to continue to host or "index" Craigslist listings helps towards that goal.)

Regardless the morality or legality of Padmapper's latest action, it is pretty clear to those of us who have spent a lot of time observing online ecosystems and software ecosystems that Padmapper's latest action is not in the interests of Craigslist since (even if Craigslist is not out to make money, but rather out to influence the world for the better) the only important source of Craigslist's potential for making money and of Craigslist's influence is Craigslist's being the first place people turn to when apartment hunting and doing other important things.

That is why Craigslist is against Padmapper's latest action even if Padmapper never posts the full Craigslist listing.

[stcredzero → hollerith]

And in that, Craigslist is clearly acting in its own interests contrary to the interests of its users.

[jmduke → stcredzero]

Contrary to the interests of Padmapper users (some of whom are also Craigslist users.)

The vast majority of Craigslist users don't want to use anything else, nor are aware of anything else.