Once upon a time, Craigslist was one of the biggest websites on the internet. Gen X-ers will remember scrolling through its mysterious annals, whether it was to read a sweet missed connection or find some second-hand furniture.
The closing down of Craigslist Personals signalled the end of an era, and we decided to pay tribute to this relic from the old days of the internet by taking you on a trip down memory lane!
It is reminiscent of newspaper classifieds, except people can search for specific ads that interest them quite easily. Similar sites include Locanto, Gumtree, and Doublelist. The site, established in the mids, was one of the first sites dedicated to classified ads. At its peak, the site brought in millions of visitors every month and millions of dollars in revenue every year.
Craigslist was so popular, it became a fixture in American and internet culture. Although Craigslist is an American site, the service expanded to over 70 countries around the world. There are even specific subsites for Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. It was particularly popular for members of the LGBT community because, at the time, it was one of the only spaces where gay and lesbian people could freely make connections, especially in more conservative regions.
Unfortunately for lovesick and thirsty adults all over the world, Craigslist Personals was officially shut down in , although the rest of Craigslist remains up and running. According to the law, the government can impose criminal and civil liabilities on any website that provides a platform for prostitution and sex trafficking. When FOSTA passed, Craigslist decided to simply discontinue the personals section to prevent the rest of the site from getting shut down as well.
