craigslist

Craigslist sues PadMapper for 'mass harvesting' listings

Craigslist made good on its promise to go after PadMapper if it continued using Craigslist content on its site. The online classifieds company filed a lawsuit in San Francisco's federal court on Friday against both PadMapper and the data harvester it uses -- 3taps.

"For their own commercial benefit, defendants 3Taps and PadMapper are unlawfully and unabashedly mass-harvesting and redistributing postings entrusted by Craigslist users to their local Craigslist sites," reads the complaint filed by Craigslist. "This exploitation of Craigslist content undermines the integrity of local Craigslist communities, ultimately harming both Craigslist and its users."… Read more

PadMapper finds 'legally kosher' workaround for Craigslist ads

An apartment listing aggregator says it has found a "legally kosher" way to circumvent a Craigslist ban on displaying its listings.

PadMapper collects all listings around a specific city or ZIP code from Craigslist and other services and displays them on a Google map, allowing users to search by area, apartment size, and rental price. However, that arrangement didn't sit well with Craigslist, which last month sent PadMapper creator Eric DeMenthon a cease-and-desist letter that claimed the app violated its terms of use.

Craigslist, which has become a popular portal for apartment ads, prohibits "copying, aggregation, … Read more

The 404 1,038: Where you're going to want to sit down for this (podcast)

Crusty Craigslist may finally be getting an update based on this job listing for a senior user-interface engineer, so Jeff and I are brainstorming the features we think Craig should incorporate in CL2.0.

Jeff likes to indulge in the art of self-reflection, and a friendly chat about Blu-ray discs this weekend inspires him to question the value of physical discs and their jewel cases. On that note, what is the best way to display a collection? Is it on...what are they called again? Oh yeah, towers? A discussion on subtle self-promotion follows.… Read more

If your account is subpoenaed, Facebook sends police, well, everything

We all live in the hope that we will never enjoy the prying eyes of the law.

But what happens if someone in authority decides they want to discover a little more about you? What if, despite your fine privacy settings on Facebook, the police or a prosecutor decides they'd like to bypass all of that?

As part of its investigation of Philip Markoff, the so-called Craigslist Killer, the Boston Phoenix got hold of the documents that Facebook sent the authorities after a subpoena had been issued.

These documents were part of the Boston Police Department's case file. … Read more

Mint Market is all pre-owned stuff in near-mint condition

Shopping on Craigslist is awesome, but sometimes it can be a pain to find the high-quality goods you're looking for. The hidden gems tend to be buried between listings for worn-down junk, and in many cases, it can be difficult to differentiate between the two. To solve this problem, the new Mint Market app promises a more targeted experience.

Much like Craigslist, Mint Market (download: Android | iPhone) covers everything from clothing and furniture to auto parts and event tickets. The difference, however, is that sellers on Mint Market only list items in new or like-new condition. What's more, … Read more

It's all like-new on Mint Market

Mint Market is a mobile marketplace for preowned goods in mint or near-mint condition. Much like Craigslist, it covers everything from clothing to furniture to auto parts to event tickets, but what makes it uniquely useful, is that it focuses only on new or like-new products.

The first thing that struck me about Mint Market was its interface. While it may not be the most user-friendly thing in the world, it's certainly visually attractive. The Home screen features a long, vertical stream of listings, with each item displaying a large photo, name, and price. This layout makes it easy … Read more

Gazelle ups iPad 2 trade-in price, but better deals can be had

iPad 2 owners looking to unload their tablets will find some tempting offers online.

Online buying site Gazelle is now offering the following deals for iPad 2 owners aiming to cash in their tablets:

iPad 2 Wi-Fi (16GB) - $260 iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (16GB) - $275 iPad 2 Wi-Fi (32GB) - $290 iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (32GB) - $320 iPad 2 Wi-Fi (64GB) - $300 iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (64GB) - $370 for AT&T and $450 for Verizon.

These prices are for iPad 2 tablets in "flawless" condition, meaning no noticeable defects or scratches, no … Read more

Can prof's algorithm reunite Craigslist Missed Connections?

Love is in the air this week. You can tell by the smell of overpriced roses, highly inflated balloons, and restaurant servers who are in the gym early, training to turn tables over four times in a night.

How touching, then, that Luke DuBois, a digital-media professor at NYU-Poly, has used his vast and loving skills to try to bring together those who seek true love on Craigslist's "Missed Connections."

At LukeDubois.com/missed, you are offered hope if you failed to get the phone number or other personal details of someone who stared a little too long at you in your local library or hookah lounge.

DuBois told The Brooklyn Paper that his site uses an algorithm that attempts to find similar words used in different Missed Connections posts in the very same city.

It does sound so much more ingenious than the methods of that slightly wordy lady on "The Millionaire Matchmaker."… Read more

Rumgr is the iPhone app Craigslist should have built

There's something fun about rummaging through garage sales, but what if you could see what people are selling near you before spending the time driving all around your neighborhood?

Starting today, Rumgr, which has been in beta and attracting a small but loyal following in its home base of Las Vegas, is hoping to help with that problem. The company, which was founded by former Zappos employees Dylan Bathurst, Ray Morgan, and Alex Coleman, has released the second version of its iPhone app, a tool that lets buyers see what is being sold near where they are right now … Read more