It seems every day brings more stories that help paint the listings website as a cesspool of scams, killers and sexual exploitation. Here's just a random smattering of the coverage from the past week or so:

• Queens woman allegedly rents same apartment to seven people via Craigslist (NY Post)
• Woman reports buying fake tickets to Chesney (Fargo Inforum)
• Two busted in Craigslist hooker scam (NY Daily News)
  
• Nebraska Mom Attempts to Sell Her 18-Month-Old on Craigslist (AP)
  
• Hawaii Craigslist Sex Ring Busted; Woman Wanted (KGMB)

Earlier today, several attorney generals announced that Craigslist would be ending their "erotic services" category. But in the first statement on the change from the company, which was forwarded to us by Craigslist spokesperson Susan MacTavish Best, the new "adult services" forum Craigslist is planning to replace it with will be an entirely for-profit venture. In the old "erotic services" category, Craigslist had charged sex workers a fee for phone verification, but donated all of the proceeds, after costs, to charity.

Here's Craigslist's explanation of the move (emphasis added):

Note: Our announced intention to contribute 100% of net revenues for the "erotic services" category to charity has been fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled, notwithstanding criticism questioning our good faith in this regard. However, in light of today's changes, and to avoid any future misunderstanding, we are making no representation regarding how revenue from the "adult services" category will be used. Our commitment to philanthropy remains however, and craigslist will continue to develop its charitable initiatives.

So, our elected officials, in their effort to find a scapegoat for crimes against sex workers like the murder of Julissa Brisman, have taken a site that never made a dime from the hookups it helped set up, and turned it into a full-time, for-profit sex money machine. You know, like the alt-weekly newspapers littering town. Progress!

Here's the full statement from Craigslist:

STRIKING A NEW BALANCE

As of today for all US craigslist sites, postings to the "erotic services" category will no longer be accepted, and in 7 days the category will be removed.

Also effective today for all US sites, a new category entitled "adult services" will be opened for postings by legal adult service providers. Each posting to this new category will be manually reviewed before appearing on the site, to ensure compliance with craigslist posting guidelines and terms of use. New postings will cost $10, but once approved, will be eligible for reposting at $5.

Unsurprisingly, but completely contrary to some of the sensationalistic journalism we've seen these past few weeks, the record is clear that use of craigslist classifieds is associated with far lower rates of violent crime than print classifieds, let alone rates of violent crime pertaining to American society as a whole.

The relative safety of craigslist compared to print classifieds is likely due to some combination of:

* Measures such as blocking, screening, and telephone verification  
* Community moderation via flagging system  
* Electronic trail ensures violent criminals are quickly caught  
* Personal safety tips prominently posted  
* Unusually high level of cooperation with law enforcement

Community moderation as exemplified by our flagging system is arguably the most successful system ever conceived for eliminating inappropriate activity from a massive internet community. Working in tandem with various other protective technologies, it is an inescapable force to be reckoned with for anyone set on abusing free internet communications across a broad array of posting types.

However, with respect to this new paid category for advertising by legal businesses, we will experiment with some of the methods traditionally employed in paid print classifieds.

We'd like to thank everyone who has provided helpful input over the past few weeks, all of which we've closely considered:

* Our users, whose suggestions have shaped every aspect of craigslist  
* Attorneys General, who have provided valuable constructive criticism  
* Law Enforcement officers nationwide, who have been hugely supportive  
* Legal businesses concerned at their right to advertise being questioned  
* EFF and other legal experts defending free speech and Internet law

We are optimistic that the new balance struck today will be an acceptable compromise from the perspective of these constituencies, and for the diverse US communities that value and rely upon craigslist.

Note: Our announced intention to contribute 100% of net revenues for the "erotic services" category to charity has been fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled, notwithstanding criticism questioning our good faith in this regard. However, in light of today's changes, and to avoid any future misunderstanding, we are making no representation regarding how revenue from the "adult services" category will be used. Our commitment to philanthropy remains however, and craigslist will continue to develop its charitable initiatives.

Is Craigslist's new "adult" category just a name change? "We're very encouraged that Craigslist is doing the right thing in eliminating its online red light district with prostitution and pornography in plain sight," said Connecticut attorney general Dick Blumenthal. "We'll be watching and investigating critically to make sure this measure is more than just a name change." Craigslist will cancel all existing Erotic Services ads in seven days, and start up the new category. In other words, it's just a name change.

There is one critical difference: Craigslist employees will be reviewing ads for tell-tale prostitution-friendly phrases. (For example, if your escort asks for a "donation" of "roses," she's actually talking dollars, and it's not optional.) Of course, this just means that the sex workers will go to other, less-monitored areas. Craigslist Missed Connections will never be the same! Or they'll go to other websites altogether.

The only highlight in this silliness: The image of hypernerdy Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, who constantly reminds everyone that his only role at the site is as a customer-service rep, manually reviewing sex ads. We reached Newmark on the phone. As we started to ask him how his customer-service department would handle the new workload, he reminded us there were other Craigslist customer-service personnel, and then referred calls to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and PR rep Susan MacTavish Best. Come on, Craig: At the very least, this new assignment should give you something to talk about at parties besides how terrible newspapers are.

Pictured here is not Markoff, nor is it the pesky brother on Clarissa Explains It All. It's two "models" from the Ferguson's official website. It's weird these models don't get more work! They are really selling the look. "Show me 'I sure wish I could kill myself but this smock is impossible to rip into strangle-friendly strips'! Perfect." That's probably what noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker said on that shoot. (I am not 100% sure he took this photograph.)

Here's another photo from the Ferguson's website, which says that its products are "specifically designed to keep problem inmates from hurting themselves and creating more headaches for you and your colleagues." Hahaha when inmates kill themselves it's such a headache! Take two of these and call me in the morning if anybody for whose life you are responsible kills themselves.

Aw, he looks all tuckered out from creating headaches for you and your colleagues. Happy Sunday, guys! I am really starting things off on a positive note because it's so nice out and I'm indoors.

[The 'Craigslist Murder' of Julissa Brisman]
[Ferguson Safety Products]

Olson's family is holding a service for her on May 3 at which Newmark is due to speak. The plans for a memorial come after a jury found Michael Anderson guilty of premeditated murder in the October 2007 killing. (He's the first man to have gotten the label "Craigslist killer"; more recently, Boston medical student Philip Markoff has been accused of using a Craigslist ad to lure a masseuse to her death.)

Newmark told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the Olson case was "the worst that I can recall." The Olson family says Newmark has been supportive of them.

It all seems ridiculous. If Anderson had placed a classified ad in City Pages, would we be calling him the alt-weekly killer? Would its publisher be invited to speak at her funeral? Anderson's just a killer. And Newmark's just an amoral millionaire with an insanely lucrative website which he can't be bothered to police for psychopaths. Does tacking "Craigslist" on either man's label change anything?

Markoff was arrested tonight by Boston police in connection with the hotel murder of a 26-year-old masseuse (and reported possible escort) hired through Craigslist — a case linked to two other area prostitute robberies this month, both in hotels.

As is increasingly common, bloggers were able to quickly assemble a portrait of the alleged criminal online. The Boston University medical student has a Facebook page , online class schedule and a website for a wedding scheduled this August on the Jersey Shore, where Markoff was to marry his University of Albany college sweetheart.

Markoff comes across on his wedding site as a considerate if WASPy groom, pining for Tahiti but joking about the unglamorous honeymoons available to him in the meantime; choosing some pricey resort hotels for his wedding guests, but reserving a cheaper block for some at the Sheraton; and registering at Bloomingdale's before thinking better of it and switching to Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Macy's. (See images below. Predictably, the guest book has already been defaced.)

One reader told us the case reminded her of the Patrick Bateman character in American Psycho, but Markoff was purportedly out for money rather than blood; his ostensible motives appear much more conventional than those of Bret Easton Ellis' engaged investment banker. Which isn't to say his very public prosecution will be anything short of sensational.