why Craigslist flaggers ruin everything!

Have you posted on CL only to find your post FLAGGED like 3 seconds later? I've had it with the self righteous "Craigslist Gestapo" team flagging any post for no reason!

The following posts were flagged off today:

"Cocker spaniel pup for adoption (Merced Co)
check out this cutie. Merced Co shelter is a great place to get your new pet. This sweet pup would really like a loving home. There are other great dogs, too!
Merced Co euthanizes for space, so you are saving a life when you adopt!
contact the Merced Co shelter right away!"

What the hell is wrong about that post?!

"found! 2 young PITBULL pups! please adopt!
I found 2 young pitbulls. I can't keep them! please, if you can take 1 or both, let me know.
They are very sweet. I will have them fixed at a local humane society for $20 each, and vaccinated. Asking $20 each to cover fixing!
I don't want them to go to a shelter, but I live in an apartment and I can't keep dogs here!"

or this person trying to find homes for dogs they found? Unbelievable. Even when you follow the rules, you get flagged. I wrote the following post to help people write posts in accordance with the rules. 5 min later, it got flagged, too!

"Are you being FLAGGED seconds after posting? (Help)
Being flagged and don't know why/frustrated? Follow these guidelines and it will help you.

No selling: if you have purposely bred your dog and are selling the pups, please respect the rules and do not post your ad here. You will always get flagged.

No breeding: please do not offer your dogs for stud service. This is also against the rules here.

Re-home with small fee: if you are "rehoming" your pet, never say "adoption fee applied". Always state what the fee is upfront. Never say "to recoup our expenses". This will most often get you flagged. Never, never charge more than $200. $50 to $100 is perfect, any more, and it may be construed as selling.

Do not say the following things: perfect for christmas, ready for a new home, do not flag my post. These statements will almost always result in a flag.

Do not threaten to do "retaliatory flagging". The other posters have nothing to do with the flaggers. By flagging others, you are becoming that which you despise.

If you rescued a pregnant mom, state that in the post. It would be best if you could team up with a rescue organization to legitimize the pups as "rescues". This will benefit you, as most rescues will help with the monetary burden. They will also spay/neuter the pups and get them their shots, all without you spending a dime.

Never make angry posts. That only incites the flagging. Also, never claim that you will be sending the pups to shelters because of the flagging. That makes you look ignorant. Remember, there are other ways to find homes for puppies.

Finally, Craigslist is about people coming together in a free public forum to share ideas, stories, and find help. It is not about hate, lies, ect. Just like on a school playground, if we all follow the rules, then everyone wins."

It's like a free for all melee out there! So much hate for no good reason. Here is a post I found today (flagged moments after I copied it) which explains a lot:

"posts flagged? read this
There is a group on the the Internet who has nominated themselves as the Craigslist pet forum police. Make no mistake, they are judge and jury. If you don’t follow THEIR rules your post will be targeted. How do they do this? They have their own forum of about 15 people - give or take a few. These people police the Craigslist pet forums in every state. That is all they do all day long. Once they decide by THEIR own set of rules that your ad is not worthy they post a link to your ad in their forum. Why. Because it takes X number of flags to have your ad removed. Once your ad is listed in their forum, everyone goes to the ad and flags it for removal. This ensures a speedy removal of your listing. Try to complain. They target and flag your complaint.

Want to see for yourself? Follow this link but remember to copy this document first.

sfbay.craigslist.org/forums/?forumID=4915

I urge you to visit their forum and see for yourself. Most of the time you can see where your ad was targeted.

So, what can you do. Copy this message and post it in your area as much as possible. Let others know. It amazes me how many people don't know this is going on. Sign the petition that calls for better clarification of TOU so that this nonsense flagging is put to an end.

www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?petsoncl&1201

Go here to file a complaint:

sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/emailForm.cgi

Next. Watch how fast this message is gone. They don't want YOU to know.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD"

Very interesting, huh? Stay tuned for our next article:

"Critters Just Can't Get A Break!"

All hate mail, death threats, and kudos are welcomed!