Advice about Craig's List?

[[An...]]

Greetings!

 

I would like to put out some general queries on Craig's List for my area to see if anyone else is around who is going through benzo withdrawal. I am really really cautious about revealing any personal information & indeed, am sort of scared of computers. I am on the older side & really never took to them, or had the resources for them. Anyhoo I do sometimes wonder if there is any possibility of an in-person benzo withdrawal support group for my geographic area. I have read about the six or so, known ones that exist now in different parts of the country. I live in a big metropolitan area but there are none around where I live. I am also afraid of Craig's List as it has the most awful reputation. I do have a computer user name on a web-based email account which I can use for anonymity.

 

I know very little about computers. Here is my question. If I put out a query on my local Craig's List  using the email I mentioned, & I get a response...I would have to respond back if it seemed legitimate. Will my real name show up in the response, or any real identifying information? If stuff like that can show up by responding, then I know I can't use Craig's List for this. Sorry I am so behind the times but this is the level I am at     Yeah, it's pretty bad.    Many thanks for any help. 

[[pi...]]

I personally would be very leery about trying to find people to meet with as a benzo support group through Craig's List.  My husband has sold a few things through Craig's list and I make him meet at a 'safe' zone. Our police department has 'safe zones' just for this purpose. 

[[Fl...]]

I have sold stuff and met people from craigslist many times without any issues. Its a cross section of all kinds of people. The idea that meeting people online is any more dangerous that meeting them anywhere else is nothing but media hype. It's 2020, that's how people do things these days. Of course when you see a headline that reads "Man Stabbed in Parking Lot Over Craigslist Deal Gone Bad" the last half of the title is the only thing that sticks in your head, but I would like to see some solid stats that show that there is signifcantly greater risk meeting someone on the internet vs on the street. Criminals existed long before the internet and the same rules apply no matter how you approach making connections with strangers.

 

I posted a CL ad looking for psych drug survivors several years ago and got a fair number of responses and I even met up with a lady who had developed a seizure disorder coming off of clonazepam. If I had a solid "plan" to organize something I am certain that I could have gotten a group off the ground, but I just wasn't up to the task at the time and now I live in a smaller city so I haven't bothered to try again.

 

If you do set something up you can certainly put the feelers out there with a CL ad but if you want to get something going you will probably need to set up a meetup.com group or at least a facebook group, some kind of "hub" where you can plan and organize things. If you just have a few people chit chatting over email it probably wont go anywhere, you need to set a place and a time to meet up.

 

 

[[Fl...]]

And BTW....you can set up a CL ad to use an anonymous email relay and you don't have to use your real name, although unless you keep it 100% internet based you are going to lose some level of your anonymity at some point starting a group so if you aren't prepared for that I would just stick to BB and facebook groups.

[[An...]]

Thank-you pianogirl & FloridaGuy, for your responses! I know you are both responsible, concerned members of BB! I have read your posts before! I know what you mean FloridaGuy, about not being up to things. I have that feeling now   I have been on the computer trying to do something else simple for hours & that hasn't worked yet either. With the detox thing added in...I am literally fading out at this time. I really appreciate the advice from both of you! I may ask the Craig's List question again in the future. It's technical, but it does open up a Pandora's Box understandably. Meetups & Facebook are beyond me. I live in a very small world

 

Oh well. Many thanks!!