Internet plucks San Francisco man from obscurity

Dan Baca was labeled "The Gorgeous Guy" on an internet bulletin board

By James Hattori
CNN Correspondent

SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- Dan Baca, 29, couldn't understand why people were staring at him while he waited at his regular bus stop recently in downtown San Francisco, California.

Some of them even seemed to be talking about him behind his back, and knew some details about his appearance and daily comings and goings. Finally, he confronted a woman. "I said, look, how do you know my schedule, how do you know I have a gray bag, how do you know I typically wear dark clothing?" Baca said.

"And that's when she told me. She goes, 'Well, I actually saw it on Craigslist,'" he said.

Baca was shocked to find that -- not only was he the subject of a string of postings on an Internet community bulletin board called Craigslist.org -- but he had been labeled as "The Gorgeous Guy."

Baca was confused. After looking at the site, he became upset. Some of the postings were flattering, such as the original posting which bestowed his nickname.

Others verged on cruelty. "I've seen a couple posts where, 'No, he's not the gorgeous guy, he's average guy. He's the homely guy,'" Baca said.

What was most upsetting to him, Baca said, is that he had become the hot topic in the "Missed Connections" section of an Internet community bulletin board, without any prior knowledge. "Because I felt like I was being targeted. You know, as some kind of practical joke or prank," he added.

Welcome to social interaction in the connected world. Craigslist is a popular Internet community site in the San Francisco Bay area. People use it to find jobs, buy and sell things, find dates and more.

Founder Craig Newmark said the "Gorgeous Guy" postings began in May, and become something of a phenomenon in the "Missed Connections" listings. But he dismisses it all as good-natured fun. "Nothing to take seriously. It's pretty goofy. But sometimes we all need a shared experience that is nothing but goofy," Newmark said. Baca doesn't blame Craigslist. He doesn't blame the anonymous posters, either. He has communicated, mostly by e-mail, with some of the people who wrote about him and says most of them are very nice about it. Yes, some of them have tried to ask him out on a date, but he's demurred. "You know, it's not sincere," he said. He's also changed his bus route to avoid drawing public attention.

At the same time he agreed to appear in a USA Today story, and on "CNNdotCOM," a technology television program that airs weekends on CNN.

Baca has also fielded calls from dozens of radio and TV programs, including "Tonight with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with David Letterman."

So, why is Baca now seeking out the public attention that he shunned at his bus stop? He said the Internet postings were done without his knowledge or permission.

He said he's choosing to make the most of the publicity -- perhaps try his hand at acting, modeling or doing charity work. Baca said he can walk away from it anytime he wants. He didn't have that choice on Craigslist.