[meteorite-list] eBay no longer a community

[Sterling K. Webb]

Hi, Nick, List

> It is coming, and eBay won't be there...

    Well, they do have that 3+ billion dollar a year
head start...

Sterling K. Webb
-------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nicholas Gessler" <gessler at ucla.edu>
To: <Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 10:35 PM
Subject: [meteorite-list] eBay no longer a community


Hello All,

I was grossly disappointed at eBay's new policy of hiding the
identity of all bidders
in auctions over $200.  Knowing at least a few of the bidders made
one feel like he
was taking part in a community.  "Oh, Fred bought that," or "Sam
didn't bid high
enough," was part of the fun of knowing who was who - who was
building their collection
with similar items, who was buying and who was selling.  Knowing who
was present
at the auction made a person feel he was among friends.  Entire
networks of collectors,
list-serves, and even get-togethers evolved because of that comradery.

Now eBay has killed that!

Imagine going to a live auction where everyone who entered was hooded!
I'd like to see Sotheby's or Christie's try that.  What a damper that
would put on
the friendly competition.

If anyone has an "in" to the eBay policy makers, please let me know how to 
make
a very loud protest heard!

I just called eBay and talked to a junior customer "handler."  He was
really only
interested in giving me "the party line."  "Is eBay likely to go
back?" I asked.
"No, that won't happen," he said.

The "official" BS reason is to prevent us from getting fraudulent
counterfeit eBay
offers.  Yes, I get 20 of those a day.  Also adverts for Viagra,
notices that someone
wants to send me $20,000,00, mortgage and lottery offers, etc.  That
is the price
that one pays for a freely networked community.

Wait until one of the massive online communities starts putting up
auctions, where you
can walk into a bourse and see all the meteorites or cryptographic
equipment nicely
displayed.  It is coming, and eBay won't be there...

Cheers?
Nick
gessler at ucla.edu




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