Conversations with Tyler Craig Newmark on Institutional Maintenance, Giving Away Control, and the Internet We Were Promised (Live at 92NY)
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Apr 29, 2026 
Craig Newmark, Craigslist founder and philanthropist, talks about why the web got uglier, why he gave up control early, and how customer service made him more trusting. He gets into scams, authenticity online, and why ratings systems are easy to game. There is also philanthropy, journalism, pigeons, Leonard Cohen, sci-fi, and the charm of awkward honesty.
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Use The Nine Second Rule Against Scams
- Wait nine seconds before acting on urgent messages, then ask whether the request still smells wrong.
- If a message claims to be from Amazon or another company, type the site directly instead of trusting the link because fake domains can steal credentials.
Roommate Ads Revealed More Honesty Than Dating Apps
- Craig Newmark suspects dating apps feel terrible because people are less genuine there than in more practical contexts.
- Women once told him they used Craigslist roommate ads for dating because men were relatively honest in listings tied to real housing needs.
Why Craigslist Avoided Seller Ratings
- Craigslist never embraced seller ratings because Craig Newmark thought reputation systems would be easy to game long before that became obvious.
- He now prefers user authentication that proves identity without handing too much power to governments.
