Using a very unscientific method of stat gathering, while relying on a tried-and-true knowledge of colloquial sex terminology and search-fu skills that cut like a knife, I set about data mining Craigslist Casual Encounters over a seven-day period - and compiled an Excel spreadsheet that would make a Microsoft development team squirm, beg for mercy and then pass out. Even more interesting - for scientific purposes, of course - is looking at how people are using the ads for sex and what they're up to. In a February 2007 analysis, found that the advertisers making the most of the powerhouse's traffic are looking for shoppers in Erotic Services and Casual Encounters (respectively), and taking a beating (of the nonsexual kind) in business supplies for sale and Web design.Ĭrazy sex ads on Craigslist isn't news or a secret, and the Casual Encounters ads are commonly regarded as a reliable source of entertainment and titillation for parties and long days at the cube farm alike.
Recently, analysts have been using real-time tracking to observe the comings and goings of Craigslist's high-traffic success, and they are finding (to the surprise of few) that escorts are (ahem) whipping used cars sales by the numbers.
