Not very long ago there was a website called “Craigslist” which became one of the biggest, most popular websites on the internet. You could scroll through hundreds of listings for everything from cars, to jobs and even scam business partnerships. Most people used it to find cheap iPhones and second-hand furniture in Perth.
However, the site’s most popular feature had to be its ‘Personals’ section. Here there was a sub-section for men seeking women, women seeking women, and men seeking men. Despite the section’s popularity Craigslist Personals crashed and burned to signify the end of an era.
So, the question is, why did Craigslist Personals crash and burn if it was so popular? Well, that’s what we’ll be examining in this article.
What is Craigslist?
Craigslist for those who don’t know is a website where you are free to post and view any number of classified ads. The ads range from real estate and job postings to gigs, services, items for sale and even local events. Think of it as an online version of the old fashioned newspaper classified ads page, except here people can search for an ad that interests them. A couple of similar sites include Gumtree and Locanto amongst others.
Established in the mid-90s, Craigslist was also one of the first websites to be dedicated to classifieds. At one point, the website received millions of visitors a month and made millions in revenue annually. The website was so popular that it also became a fixture on the internet and American culture. Many popular TV shows, video games, movies etc. would mention Craigslist.
Even though Craigslist is an American website, the service extended to over 70 countries. There were several Australia specific subsites, for Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Not to mention that many Australians were hooked on Craigslist too.
What was Perth’s Craigslist Personals?
Now out of all the sections on Craigslist, ‘Personals’ was the most popular one. At one point the section was home to thousands of personal ads, which ranged from dates to friendship and casual sex. The section was very popular amongst the LGBT community because it was one of the few places where gays and lesbians could hookup, especially in parts of Australia that were more conservative.
All of this was happening on Craigslist at a time when there was a great deal of stigma surrounding casual hookups and online dating. So in a way, you can consider them the pioneers of online dating. Today, if you enjoy swiping through Tinder or checking out Grindr for an upcoming date, you have perhaps Craigslist to thank for showing that it was possible.
What happened to Craigslist Personals Perth?
To the surprise of many lovesick and sex, thirsty adults across the world, Craigslist Personals was shuttered in 2018. However, the company only pulled the plug on the Personals section, because everything else is still up and running. The section was mainly discontinued in response to the FOSTA/SESTA, laws in the US, meant to combat sex trafficking.
The law states that the government of America can impose civil and criminal liabilities on any website or platform that makes it easy to solicit sex trafficking and prostitution. Speaking of sex, Craigslist also used to have an “adult/erotic services” section which listed everything from sex workers to erotic massage therapists in just about every major city in the US and Australia. But that was closed even earlier in 2010, after which the company kicked off their personals section.
After FOSTA was passed in the US, Craigslist later decided to pull the plug on the personals section to prevent the site from getting banned. However, what transpired after the section was closed was Craigslist receiving a great deal of pushback from people in the sex industry. Sex workers, in particular, claimed that removal of the section from Backpage and Craigslist made it difficult to near impossible for them to find work and screen clients. They implied that it made doing sex work unsafe!
Now sex workers who were once looking for clients from the safety of their couch, hand to go out on to the streets risking their lives. The websites that do allow this type of thing to be posted are now exploiting sex workers by charging them a lot of money to post ads as compared to good old Craigslist that was cheaper.
What alternatives are there for Craigslist personals in Perth?
After Craigslist pulled the plug on their Personals section, there were many people who started looking for alternatives for sex work, dating and hookups. Fortunately, for them, there were and still are a few different alternatives that allow them to make the needed connections or even have a no-string-attached type situation.
Snapchat: OK, so Snapchat isn’t a dating app, but many cam girls and sex workers use the platform to sell nudes, update their fans and connect with clients from across the world.
Tinder: It is the king of all dating apps. The best thing about it is you can find matches within seconds. Swipe through them and message the ones that interest you. It’s like Craigslist Personals on steroids!
OkCupid: It is an OG dating site. You signup by answering questions about yourself and then the system’s AI uses that to match you to compatible people.
Doublelist: It is mainly focused on personal ads. You can signup and view ads. However, they don’t allow sex work. But they are very similar to Craigslist Personals in other respects.
Seeking Arrangement: Sugar daddies and mommies will find this the best place to get hooked up with a sugar baby. Similarly, sugar babies can find clients too.
Grindr: It is a staple of the gay community. Here you will find a list of all homosexual men in the city and area, safely and without judgement.
While Craigslist Personals was a great place to find hookups and dates, all good things come to an end at some point. While it will be missed, fortunately, there are now loads of alternatives that are just as good if not better.