Hey, idk if this is the right forum but w/e I live in a small town, and I dont get out much so I rely on online dating. Craigslist is one of the sites I "reluctantly" use. Lately, my posts which ask for someone who is looking for a relationship, keep getting deleted. I don't know why or by who. I am pretty sure that I follow the rules to craigslist, and that someone is just doing this to piss me off (it's working). Does anyone with Craigslist experience know how to stop someone from flagging my posts, or atleast appeal it? Or something? I know Craigslist's reputation, and I don't seriously expect to find the love of my life on there, but still. :eusa_doh:
Err your not putting your e-mail in the ad are you? Because I believe that gets your ad taken off in five seconds. If you're contacted, its through the e-mail provided at the top of the ad, the @craigslist one. And it just gets sent to your e-mail that you provided to post the ad.
Putting your email or number doesn't get your shit deleted. You HAVE to at least provide your email anonymously to even post the ad. And another thing, Craigslist automatically deletes ads after a certain amount of time to ensure bandwidth space. Either it's that, or someone's being a pretty epic troll and flagging your shit repeatedly. Another thing to check: You say you're "pretty sure" you're following the rules. Don't just be pretty sure, be 100% sure you're following their guidelines before contacting Craigslist. Yes, that means read ALL of their TOS and Privacy Policies, etc.
I ("reluctantly") use Craigslist as well. I have quite a bit of experience with it, as I've used it for a couple years now. Haha. It is difficult to know what may or may not be wrong with your ad without see it. However, one of my initial problems was repeating a similar ad too often. Of course how often you can (or should) repost depends on your area. More populated areas with a higher rate of posts will mean your posts will disappear down the list rather quickly. So you could probably get away with more rapid posting. Slower areas will obviously mean less often. I would wait at least a week before posting again to make sure this is not the issue. There are many problems that could be causing your ad to get flagged. The way craigslist is set up allows less official reasons as well. An ad may even be flagged until it is taken off simply because people don't like it. One thing you can try if it is repetitive is try the craigslist flag help forum. (craigslist -> discussion forums -> cl - flag help)
Craigslist sucks because the owners simply don't care how much the flagging system is abused by members. If you are posting other than in the "platonic friends" section, then it's probably getting flagged by bitter old queens who don't believe relationships are possible. That's an abuse of the flagging system, but it happens in every category (I've had help wanted ads removed, ads seeking people for participation in documentaries, all sorts of stuff) and Craig lives in this airy-fairy world where everything is wonderful and no Craigslist users would ever do anything bad for the community. The other thing is, I've not heard of anyone having success with relationships on craigslist. It seems a lot more focused on the, uh, quick-and-dirty. Not much you can do about it, unfortunately.
OMFG This was an ad I just posted: "Just want to meet a guy, around my age. Hang out and see what's up. I'm clean, and not overweight/chubby, you be to. Not into older and/or bigger guys. Put the name of something you like in the title so I know you're not spam. Any messages with "Hang out?" for their title will just get deleted >_> " AND IT GOT FLAGGED. THIS IS BULLSHIT.
As I said above, bitter people, people who think you're too attractive, who themselves are overweight or unattractive or whatever... people who are just unhappy with their lives... flag anything they don't like. That's why craigslist sucks. Really nothing you can do. Their customer service is nonexistent and they're assholes who have this arrogant and naive "Oh, we know our community and they will always do the right thing" attitude. Unfortunately, you just have to use it expecting that 90% of your postings will be flagged for no valid reason.
Not that craigslist was a goldmine of oppertunities, but since it doesn't look like I'll get to use it anytime soon, any other suggestions for meeting a guy?
I know that, thank you. I mean other than dating sites, because there are never a lot of guys in my area.
Honestly, Craigslist is fail for finding a relationship. It's good for trading, buying and selling and that's it. I'd look at other websites and you may have to deal with there not being a lot of people in your area because that's just the way it is.
I disagree with that. The signal to noise ratio is a lot lower, but it doesn't hurt to check it out. I know a couple of people that met their partners on Craigslist. As for no guys in your area. If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain. You may need to extend your search area and be willing to travel a little further.
I would like to move to a different city altogether but, as a 19 year old whose only source of income is cashiering part-time at walmart, I doubt I can find a place within my price range. yup.
