Bye Bye Craigslist Erotic Services

Today, I read on JoeMyGod that Craigslist is dropping their “Erotic Services” category:

Online classified ads service Craigslist will get rid of its “erotic services” category that critics called a front for prostitution, replacing it with an adult category that will be reviewed by Web site employees, state attorneys general announced Wednesday. Pressure to remove the category increased this spring after a Boston medical student was charged with killing a masseuse who authorities say he met through Craigslist. Two months ago, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart filed a lawsuit alleging that Craigslist allowed the solicitation of prostitution and had created the “largest source of prostitution in America.” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the attorneys general of Connecticut and Missouri met with Craigslist officials last week seeking an end to ads they contended were advertisements for illegal sexual activities. Madigan’s office said Wednesday such existing ads on the Craiglist Web site will expire in seven days. –Associated Press

What y’all do behind closed doors, especially with sex, is none of my business. It’s terribly unfortunate that people are abusing the system and others are being attacked and killed as a result of this kind of instant access to one another, but I don’t think that removing the category will change anything. There will be a new way to present a for-profit sexual service, through some acronym like P2bD (Payment to be Discussed), in another category like the personals section.

Craigslist Ads: 23 (detail)
2008
book, edition of 23
7 1/2″ x 5″ x 5/16″

Perhaps Craigslist will just have to be a place for furniture and freelance work, and we’ll all have to get used to it being a platonic site. As if.