Backpage

About Backpage

Backpage is a classified advertisements search engine. It is owned and operated by the "Village Voice", a very famous New York publication. More information on the "Village Voice" can be found later in this article.

The advertisements are available to international users through the Internet, if "Village Voice" can be accessed. They are free to both users and advertisers.

The main categories are "Community", "Automotive", "Buy/Sell/Trade", "Musician", "Rentals", "Real Estate for Sale", "Jobs", "Personals", and "Adult", as well as "Forums", and "Services". The goods, services, and items offered through the various categories and subcategories range from "Plug the Band" in "Music", where a user can post comments on certain bands that will help promote the band and its genre, to a "Missed Connect" subcategory in the "Personals" category.

The "Adult" category offers information on where to obtain "body rubs" as well as other "services". "Forums" provides subcategories for different topics, including some that could be considered controversial or inappropriate by some.

Users should be reminded, however, that this website is maintained by "Village Voice" which is and has been known for causing a little controversy and being considered inappropriate itself. Because of this, it has an atmosphere and tone that could be described as pretty much "anything goes", which, of course, still somewhat describes the "Village Voice". However, if an advertisement is for something that might be considered a little "out there", then Backpage may just be the right outlet for it.

Backpage partners with other media outlets, including local newspapers, weekly publications that are considered in the "alternative" genre. The staff prides itself working to make sure the site remains user-friendly, with attention being paid to limiting spam, and continuing in the development of new features.

The "Village Voice" which provides the Backpage classified ads website was founded in October of 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, and Norman Mailer. Almost from its inception, the paper immediately gained national recognition because of its unique, often controversial way of reporting events.

For some time, its notoriety was especially tied to the fact that it made no bones about its anti-homosexuality slant, and in fact was one of the first publications to use certain derogatory words to refer to male and female homosexuals. Subsequent petitioning by the Gay Liberation Front eventually led the "Village Voice" to begin accepting advertisements for gay dances and other events intended for and sponsored by homosexual groups.

For all its controversy and "in your face" style of reporting, the "Village Voice" has won many publication honors, including the Pulitzer Prize, an Obie, and an "Experience in Online Journalism" award.

Norman Mailer, one of the original founders, died November 10, 2007.