The Use of Craigslist

This story is much different than that of the documentary "Craigslist Joe," in which a man uses the website Craigslist to survive for a month across the country. Instead, this story is about those who took a life using Craigslist.

We are told all the time about dangers online because of people like this. These newlyweds killed a man who responded to their Craigslist ad because they wanted to kill someone together. I cannot possibly begin to fathom their thought process. However, understanding their thought process won't reverse any part of their crime.

If you read the full news story, you will notice the ad he responded to was calling for "lonely men" to engage in a "delightful conversation" for $850. So, some may say he had it coming. He was married and had a family, so it's his punishment from straying.

I send my deepest regards to his family, and I hope the killers are properly sentenced for their crime. They are precisely the reason why parents are so worried about kids spending so much time online.

So, what happens to websites running completely online, like Craigslist, when stories like this come out? How do they respond to the negative image?

Perhaps, one thing that helps is that they aren't responsible for those that post or respond to any listings through their website. The world is a confusing and sometimes dark place. It's up to others to look out for themselves and keep their own safety.

Another thing that helps their reputation are numerous satisfied users and a documentary like "Craigslist Joe." Honestly, if you haven't seen the documentary, it's worth a viewing. I laughed, I cried. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it's these kind of accounts that help the website stay running. Whenever your business is mentioned in a negative way, it's always important to check in with audiences such as these. Make sure they still know you in no way were involved in the unfortunate event. Maybe even go as far to reach out to the victim's family. Whatever the step, they need to respond in some way. The article was in no way placing blame on the site, but many audiences could be lost without any assurance from the company.