Craig Newmark, founder of the San Francisco-based online community craigslist.org, says that back in high school he really did wear a plastic pocket protector and thick glasses that were taped together.
Today he still wears glasses, though they aren’t taped in the middle anymore. Newmark’s come a long way from those days, and he’s brought the success of craigslist with him. The online community that started out serving only the San Francisco Bay Area has expanded into more than 60 metropolitan areas, and receives about 1 billion page views per month.
On craigslist, visitors can look for a job, an apartment, a house, sofa, Saturday night date, art class, Portuguese lessons, a bass player for a garage band or reconnect with the person they flirted with on the subway a few nights ago. Newmark serves not as the company’s chief executive, but as its chief customer service representative.
Newmark will speak at Real Estate Connect in New York City, Jan. 9-11, 2005.
Panel or session at Connect: Another View of New York Real Estate: Craig Newmark, the Newest Manhattan Realty Icon, a California nerd
Which daily newspaper do you read and which section of the newspaper do you read first?
I read the San Francisco Chronicle, from the beginning.
What kind of music do you listen to?
Unusual selection of music by artist, including Leonard Cohen, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Warren Zevon, Sophie B Hawkins.
What style of home do you live in and when did you buy it?
Edwardian flat, 10 years ago.
Where did you spend your last vacation?
What’s a “vacation”?
What professional accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?
Craigslist ain’t a bad accomplishment, also efforts like Bank of America Homebanking, Internet evangelism at Charles Schwab.
What worries keep you awake at night?
The White House facilitating nuclear and biological terrorism.
What lesson did you learn in the last year?
My values are the ones I learned long ago from parents and Sunday school equivalent.
What is your favorite technology device or software application?
Pine for e-mail.
What is your opinion of Inman News?
Inman looks very effective to me.
What was your top New Year’s resolution and have you kept it so far?
To drink more–haven’t accomplished that one.
What is your worst vice or bad habit?
Trying too hard to be funny.
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