There was a brief moment back in March of 2018 when society was collectively mourning the loss of a classic hook-up tool; Craigslist Missed Connections. How brief was that moment? It took the Washington Post about 58 minutes to update their coverage, after finding out that the missed connection page had simply been relocated.

Craigslist originally planned to do away with all personal ads including ‘missed connections’ and ‘looking for’ sections. Congress had just passed an anti-sex trafficking bill; Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA).

According to the Post, “Others say the law would actually make the Internet less safe by driving voluntary sex workers deep into the darker web.” On March 23, 2018, Administrators at Craigslist posted an update stating, “To the millions of spouses, partners, and couples who met through Craigslist, we wish you every happiness!”

Although the reasoning isn’t exactly clear, the decision was made to bring back missed connections (after a 3-hour hiatus), but to hide them under the ‘Community’ tab. However, the ‘looking for’ section was officially deleted. Five years later the missed connections section is seemingly alive and well, and users are once again trying to find love, lust, and loyalty online.

From the romantic…

To the horny…

And everything in between.

Obviously, they’re not all winners, but that’s the beauty of the internet. Thanks to apps such as Hinge, Tinder, Grindr, and Bumble, the art of meeting somebody naturally is pretty much non-existent anymore. We’re just glad that Missed Connections is bringing back some of the spontaneity that used to be a huge part of dating. Happy hunting, horn-balls!