That was the thinking behind Alaskaslist.com, the brainchild of Mike Baker. Nearing its one-year anniversary, Baker reflected on how far the site has come and to what he attributes his success.
Last year, Baker was helping a group of Chugiak High School students build doghouses. The group then tried to sell the completed projects on Craigslist, an Internet marketplace where users offer everything from cars to employment opportunities to personal ads.
 ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman Mike Baker created Alaskaslist.com because he was fed up with the way Craigslist.com handled its online postings. |
The problems started when the doghouses were posted in the pet section, Baker said. The ads were repeatedly flagged for being in the wrong category because they were not offering actual pets. When Baker moved the ads to the section for items for sale, they were immediately buried by other ads selling a wide variety of unrelated things.
The more he used Craigslist, the more Baker noticed a trend of ads that get flagged for removal. The flaggers seem to have an agenda, especially in the pet section, Baker said, where ads for puppies and lost dogs were hard pressed to stay on the site for long.
“The (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) folks think owning pets is slavery,” Baker said.
Without any oversight from the website administrators, groups of users band together to push their views on the site, he said. What’s more, individuals can download software that allows them to register multiple flags.
“It was anarchy, the absence of any government at all,” Baker said. “Once you draw the ire of the Nazi Flagger Witches, you’re done.”
Baker used his background in information technology to set up traps for the most active flaggers. He then tracked the Internet protocol address to see where the flags were coming from.
“There was a large amount coming from Chevron, Providence Hospital and the (Department of Transportation),” Baker said. “These people were at work all day policing Craigslist.”
Baker sent his findings onto the supervisors of the employees and wrote a diatribe blasting the users and identifying them by their e-mail addresses.
“Anarchy is not freedom. If you can run outside naked, that’s not freedom. You are infringing on someone else’s rights,” Baker said. “Freedom is the rule of law ... enforced across the board.”
Baker launched Alaskaslist on Jan. 1 as a civilized alternative to “den of snakes,” he said referring to Craigslist. Instead of being a free-for-all, Baker said he runs his site like a traditional newspaper classified service.
Comparing himself to the sheriff, Baker personally reads each one of the 500-plus ads submitted to his site daily. He determines which to post and which to deny, about a 50/50 split, he said. Ads for pets and pet breading services, as well as firearms, are more than welcome on his site, he said.
“I’m not the judge. The only judgment I make is if you are from Chicago trying to sell a parrot in Alaska, you’re out,” Baker said.
Besides, Baker said, he does not buy the idea that selling dogs on the Internet promotes the increase of their population while many sit unwanted at the pound, a traditional criticism of animal activists.
“It’s not the responsibility of the seller. It’s the responsibility of the buyer,” Baker said.
Baker said he still gets complaints from the “bunny-huggers,” as he calls them. This has forced him to block the IP addresses of Chevron and the State of Alaska.
“Someone from the state asked me to allow them back on my site. I said I would only unblock them if they found the person I identified harassing me and make sure it never happens again,” Baker said. “They said OK, but it still makes me wonder. My tax dollars are going to these people while they use my site.”
The ability to block IP addresses has also allowed him to avoid the scammers so prevalent on Craigslist, he said.
In fact, he said, he has blocked the entire country of Nigeria, claiming that this is where many originate.
“I find it doubtful anyone from Nigeria is seriously considering buying something in Alaska,” Baker said.
With the power to edit, allow or deny ads and to block certain users comes responsibility.
The owner of Craigslist, Baker said, set the site up to attract a seedy liberal crowd and then washed his hands of the site and its postings.
“I think (that) flies in the face of personal responsibility. You are and should be responsible for what you publish,” Baker said.
Baker, who runs the site from four computers at his home in Chugiak, said he gives everyone the same opportunities and benefits. While users cannot flag or delete postings, they can send an e-mail to Baker with any concerns.
“They can always contact me,” Baker said. “The sheriff will investigate.”
Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.
Comments
22 comment(s)Nancy Macdonald wrote on Dec 20, 2009 10:58 AM:
Alaska Tractor wrote on Dec 18, 2009 11:49 AM:
Reatha S. wrote on Dec 15, 2009 4:51 PM:
anything like that. I tried to do something about it, but Craigslist will not answer my e-mails.
I switched to Alaskaslist. I really like that website. They answer my e-mails and the site is really busy all the time so a lot of people see my ad. I have already received many legitimate replies to my ad there. "
Chilkoot Bob wrote on Dec 10, 2009 9:10 AM:
Most people (except for gijeff, of course.) don't shop for dates. They shop for stuff. I've bought and sold on Alaskaslist successfully many times now, and I like the fact that the site is free of p.orn like you see on Craigslist, and the fact that Alaskaslist runs a tight ship.
gijeff might be a CraigZombie. "
Dorian Trylor wrote on Dec 10, 2009 8:13 AM:
They don't date the ads there because the run all ads 'till they sell. It makes perfect sense to me. Why should they make they force their advertisers to repost their ads every day (like CL does) because readers at CL have been conditioned to ignore anything that hasn't been posted in the past 24 hrs.
If you saw an ad at AL but it no longer appears at CL, GO FIGURE!!!! It's just another poster who got tired of Craigslist BS--like me!!!
Go Alaska's List!!! "
gijeff wrote on Dec 9, 2009 5:43 PM:
Tara wrote on Nov 22, 2009 7:50 PM:
Alaska Dog News wrote on Nov 21, 2009 2:52 PM:
Bill Olivier wrote on Nov 16, 2009 5:30 PM:
jamie wrote on Nov 16, 2009 4:30 PM:
Brian D wrote on Nov 16, 2009 9:14 AM:
in less than a week! And the few times I wrote Mike with questions I had, I got immediate response from all of my emails. Very impressive! Thankyou for ALASKAS LIST!!!!!!!!! "
LookB4Leap wrote on Nov 15, 2009 11:28 PM:
T.Bill Bob wrote on Nov 15, 2009 5:17 PM:
Dog breading is what they do in places like Vietnam not in Alaska (hopefully). "
CaptainElectron wrote on Nov 15, 2009 4:00 PM:
RIDICULOUS!
I live in Kansas but I used to live in Palmer. All I have to say is that I wish we had a website like Alaskaslist. The bleeding heart liberals that rule over everyone at Craigslist here would absolutely freak out. LoL!
ALASKA ROCKS! "
E. Sunborn wrote on Nov 15, 2009 3:38 PM:
Chuck Brooks wrote on Nov 15, 2009 3:01 PM:
In fact, I had to repost my ad at CL almost everyday, either because of the flaggers or because people there have been conditioned by their stupid BBS format to ignore anything that wasn't posted that day.
Way to go, Mike! I've found my new list! "
ABDUL HADJI ALI-WAD wrote on Nov 15, 2009 2:04 PM:
Tyrone Johnson wrote on Nov 15, 2009 1:49 PM:
Unless you are a brain dead troglodyte, you probably know that Craig Newmark is a quiet revolutionary who supports Obama. So go figure that Craigslist represents the same progressive values our President does. This Baker geek is obviously just another Alaska RepubliCANT who clings to his guns and his OH SO YESTERDAY values.
Listen-up, you inbred hillbillies. Nothing will ever stop The New World Order and NOTHING in will EVER stop Craigslist.
Tyrone Johnson
Denver, CO "
Sarah P. wrote on Nov 15, 2009 12:52 PM:
Wasilla Homesteader wrote on Nov 15, 2009 12:17 PM:
Thanks "
Bill wrote on Nov 15, 2009 7:58 AM:
The American Way wrote on Nov 15, 2009 6:26 AM: