Student uses CIS background to create classifieds Web site

A relatively new Web site, iuclass.com, is targeting IU students to help find things they need in the Bloomington area -- an alternative to the classifieds. The site is not affiliated with the University.\nJunior Jon Tavernier is responsible for the creation of the free site, which he started in February 1999. The site features classified advertisements from the area. \nTavernier said he is mainly the only person running the site, but anyone can place an ad on the site by filling out a membership form.\n"I noticed a lot of free sites that have a lot of classified items, so I decided to open a classified site for the Bloomington area," Tavernier said. "It\'s free and is built by IU students. It is a meeting place for students to find items without going cross country or to a bookstore."\nTavernier is a computer information system major and said this would help to make him more marketable when he looks for a job after graduation.\n"This will set myself apart from other students during interviews, and I wanted to do it for the experience," he said.\nTavernier said he is pleased with the success of the site because he has seen increases in the number of visitors to the site during the past two years. And he has added other attractions to interest students such as items to download, virtual cards, contests and news.\n"I wanted to establish something for the people besides just classifieds, so they will want to come back to the site," Tavernier said.\nMany students were unaware of this site, but said they are happy to know of its existence.\n"I didn\'t know about this site," sophomore Lauren Moore said. "I would definitely use the site for reference like with jobs or if I was looking for something in particular."\nSophomore Erica Warner said she is skeptical about the site because she is unsure of the quality of it, and said it would depend if students were Web shoppers as to whether they were to use the site.\n"It sounds like it would be convenient, but I won\'t use it because I won\'t have the need for it in the near future," Warner said. "I am not searching for anything." \nEditor's Note: This story originally appeared Sept. 22.