Power Sellers Unite

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 17235 Location: Texas

Fresh on the heels of a controversy involving its erotic services ads section, craigslist has opened another can of worms. In his keynote at the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy 2009 conference today, founder Craig Newmark said he recently spoke with a customer who made a compelling case for allowing gun ads on the classifieds site.

Newmark said that craigslist is always evolving in response to requests from its customers. “We are driven by our community,” he said. That’s how Newmark and CEO Jim Buckmaster arrived at the decision to pull the site’s erotic services section, he said. South Carolina’s attorney general had pressured craigslist to make the move by threatening the site’s management with criminal investigation.

While craigslist’s execs are still weighing allowing gun ads on the site, they are already looking to make its content available in more languages.

more.. link to news article

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

That way, the kooks and crazies that want to stalk, rape and murder those who respond to Craigslist ads, will be able to get their guns and ammunition too.

It appears to have all the makings of true "One-stop" shopping.

Northern Nights · Joined: 18 Oct 2008 Posts: 145

How silly.

Guns don't stalk, rape or murder people on their own and the crazies already have them if they want them or would certainly know where to find them if they did without going on CL.

Blaming CL for what crazy people do just does not seem reasonable to me. Sorry but I think the crazies will just have to take responsibility for their own actions.

Lets go after Grandpa that likes to hunt and dares keep guns in his own home instead. I mean gosh if he didn't have them there then the crazies could not break in and take them and use them against anyone. So it is Grandpas fault. Right?

Ok I confess I am one of those horrible people that believe in owning guns. Break into my home and I bet there would be at least 2 (or more) aimed at you before you got all the way inside.

At the same time we respect firearms for the harm they can cause and never aim at anything we don't fully intend to kill.

Would I buy a gun off of CL? Depends on the firearm.

cohibastore.com · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 4908

DaLizardsLair wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")That way, the kooks and crazies that want to stalk, rape and murder those who respond to Craigslist ads, will be able to get their guns and ammunition too.

It appears to have all the makings of true "One-stop" shopping.

People who live fear die in chains.

JaBek1 · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 36 Location: Ocoee, Florida USA

I must admit. Guns don't kill people. People kill people. Of course, there are quite a few laws already on the books to regulate the lawful sale of firearms. For unlawful sales it doesn't matter since a murderer or armed robber isn't going to worry about them anyway.

cohibastore.com · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 4908

Thats the problem with politicians. They only pass laws but never follow to to ensure they are enforced.

METZYMOM · Joined: 18 Feb 2008 Posts: 1218

There will be certain steps, checks and balances, that will have to take place on Craigs List, but OnlineAuction.com has guns for sale on the site and have had no problems (at least to my knowledge)...

mikessportingoods · Joined: 05 Mar 2009 Posts: 34

We are a fishing and hunting store. We do sell guns online; however, we use gunbroker. It will interesting to see what develops with Craig's list,

www.mikessportingoods.ecrater.com

DaLizardsLair · Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 4780

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with people owning or using firearms.

Selling guns online runs into many different problems, especially if they include handguns, which must be registered, background checks, etc.

In my area, a person must get a permit, to be able to even hold a handgun in a store, if they are looking at purchasing it.

But at the same time, unless you have a history of mental problems or have a criminal record, the local police cannot block you from getting a CCW permit.

I figure CL will limit ads to the sale of long guns (rifles, shotguns, etc.), but then again, they ban the listing of porno, but you see tons of ads for it everyday.

Hopefully, they can do a better job here.

diesel_parts · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 723

Usually criminals buy handguns off the street from other criminals or they steal them in a robbery. The criminal element will always have guns.

In Mexico a private citizen cannot own a gun of any kind. The Mexician criminals have a good supply of guns. Most come from the US but if they couldn't get them here they would get them from somewhere else. Chinese firearms dealers would supply them by the container loads.

I think gun laws should be relaxed for the private citizen. The more restrictive gun laws are the better the criminals like it. No burglar wants to get shot by a little old lady with a 45.

envidex · Joined: 05 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Envidex

seems like a great idea for the consumer. seems like a huge issue for craigslist.

envidex · Joined: 05 Jun 2009 Posts: 7

Envidex

one thing about it, the sale of guns may begin to be facilitated among honest buyers and sellers instead of between pawn shops and meth heads. it might actually be a better system of a secondary market for guns.