BERKELEY, Calif. --
By John Boitnott, Web Producer

Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.org, the highly popular classified advertising Web site, said Thursday he'll be winging his keynote speech to graduating seniors at the University of California, Berkeley's Commencement Convocation on Tuesday, May 13.

Newmark said he will urge students to change the world using the tools of the Internet, and to follow simple business dos and don'ts.

"Never read a prepared speech unless you're really good at it; for a genuine perspective on corporate life, read Dilbert; and brevity is the soul of wit," said Newmark.

In 1995, Craigslist.org started out as an e-mail list that Newmark sent to his friends from his San Francisco apartment.

It now ranks among the world's most popular online free advertising services.

Earlier this year, Newmark helped establish the first endowed faculty chair at UC Berkeley's Center for New Media with a $1.6 million donation.

Commencement Convocation, an annual event that honors all of UC Berkeley's graduating seniors, begins at 4 p.m. at the Greek Theatre.

The event will include a procession of students and faculty in colorful regalia.

Chancellor Robert Birgeneau will address the graduates and their families.

Convocation marks the start of UC Berkeley's graduation season, during which dozens of individual ceremonies are held by the campus's schools, colleges and departments.

At least 10,000 students are expected to receive diplomas at their respective commencement ceremonies.

Approximately 6,800 bachelor's degrees and more than 3,000 master's, doctoral and professional degrees will be handed out.

This year for the first time, undergraduates will have their diplomas mailed to them free of charge, along with a brief letter from the chancellor congratulating them on their accomplishments.

Previously, students could collect their diplomas for free from Sproul Hall or pay $12 to have them mailed to them.

Speakers at the campus's individual graduation ceremonies being held through May 25 will include Mary Schroeder, outgoing chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris; UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman and poet, essayist and novelist Ishmael Reed, a UC Berkeley English Department lecturer emeritus.