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Craig
Newmark created San Francisco's most recognized online community with
an intention so simple that he doesn't even remember the date he launched
Craigslist, which now logs a million
visitors per month. "Some time in 1995," Craigslist.org became the City's
online outpost, a platform says Craig, "where people can get a break." If
you're looking for a job, a ride, a place to live, someone with whom to
play the harmonica (or bass, or theremin for that matter), a nanny, stuff,
a place to sell your stuff, or a date, Craigslist is for you. Craig, who
founded the web site from his Cole Valley apartment, is one of few survivors
of the dot com gold rush. Before starting Craigslist, the 49 year old self
described nerd was doing programming on a contract basis. "There used to
be a lot of work doing that," he deadpans. Today, Craig is a reluctant celebrity.
He says he had no clue the site would become so successful. "It's surreal,"
Craig says, "But that's okay; our lives in San Francisco are surreal and
absurd." He was featured on Mornings on 2 as one of the City's most eligible
bachelors, one of many media appearances including the Today show. Craig
didn't get a date from the local show but jests that Katie Couric was "all
hands." Craig is disarmingly funny for someone who claims to lack basic
social skills. On April 1, 2001, Craigslist issued a press release "admitting"
there was no Craig in Craigslist, and that Newmark was a fictional character.
Local scribes might be a little wary the next time April Fool's Day comes
around.
Heart
of the City 02/26/02
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