Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Scott Lundgren" <s_l AT mindspring.com>]

>I emulated craigslist with the drop-down category selection for searching
>and I now realize that is bad design.  I will rework it to be a simple
search field searching across all categories.

CL probably went to such a design due to the volume of content they had to
deal with. You don't have that problem but being able to narrow one's search
is still a good idea for 'task-oriented' navigation. I bet some UI whiz
might have a better idea, but what about reorienting the current dropdown
topic search as checkboxes with one for 'All Topics'. A user could then
drill down on a topic or browse across topics with simple selections. 'All
Topics' would select all checkboxes via JavaScript.

Some of Amazon's techniques in terms of email are the refer-a-friend on
checkout. I leave it up your ideas about your users if you want people to
put a "send-this-listing-to-a-friend" vs. potential for abuse.

Raleighlist is all java right? So you have total control of the URL's, which
allows you to put in some SEO enhancements like /for_sale instead of
/forsale. The site seem to be well ranked for raleigh + a real estate
keyword (apartments, office space, etc) so which areas are weak and you'd
like to see be more useful?

>The goal is definitely the former.  I have no have aspirations to ever make
money from the site.  My goal is to attract
>enough user base to make it as usefull as craigslist SF is. Real estate is
definitely picking up.  Classifieds are quite
>active.  Jobs are dead on the site.

That's realistic. So you've got housing as well trafficed area which pretty
much means students & newcomers. You could try calling the local collegiate
housing offices, talk about the benefits of the site and find out what
resources (flyers, informaion, web-links) they make available to the
graduate & other students to find housing. As for newcomers, I don't know if
the cost of joining the Chamber of Commerce would justify it but see what it
takes to get a blurb listing in the relocation packet they send out. Ever
drive by and see a For Rent sign in a yard? It's sitting there waiting for
someone to come by. Jot the number down, call them and tell them about the
site. Who else is your user and what are they using instead that's not
working as well?

As for usefulness there's an aparent need for an index/directory/look up of
places that offer free or paid Wi-Fi. ;)

- SL