Sources used in this document:

Online University Virtual Marketplace: Craigslist Model

Craigslist is a virtual community that has been around since 1995 (Torres, 2002) It is fairly low tech and has remained that way through the years. It is primarily a list service with many community portals, where anonymous local citizens list ads to provide or procure everything from jobs and furniture. The popularity of the website has only skyrocketed and with the human connection and sense community which is fostered because individuals are interacting with locals. The posts organized by categories include spaces where members can debate politics, philosophy, and even rant or rave about terrible and often humorous situations. The sections for artists to promote events would translate very well onto campus. It is likely that in the university setting the most popular areas would be the sale and purchase of textbooks, dorm and apartment furniture, carpooling, and dating services. The ability to get a deal on books or furniture or catch a ride across the country for thanksgiving would likely cement the virtual space as an integral part of student life.

Many of the drawbacks of implementing a Craigslist model all come down to a lack of administrative control of the virtual space once it is created. There is going to be difficulty moderating the posts without backlash from students who feel stringently regulated. Not to mention that under this model it would be cost prohibitive to monitor the services students listed or requested. Aside from key word security features which blocked