I read this great post on the simplicity and effectiveness of craigslist and they also talk about how this site like wikipedia yearn for fundamental function over any design quality or extra features. It got me thinking about what else could be simplified on the global platform of the web. At first it seems like a rejection of Web 2.0’s glossy design, but in fact I think the simplicity of it really embraces the Web 2.0 concept. Sure craigslist could be a bit prettier, but does anybody care? Would it really make it better? Perhaps a bit, but functionally it works and it is successful. And while they could pick better colors, round out some corners and add a gradient here or there, in the end it would basically be the same site.