Fwd: [gsc] eBay Sick of Whole "Internet" Thing

[R.A. Hettinga]

Begin forwarded message:
From: "fm1234" <gsc at fm1234.cotse.net>
Date: March 25, 2008 6:37:45 PM GMT-04:00
To: gold-silver-crypto at rayservers.com
Subject: [gsc] eBay Sick of Whole "Internet" Thing

More hilarity from the leaders in online commerce:  eBay has banned the
sale of digital goods in auction format.  This includes _anything_ that
can be digitally delivered, from ebooks to audio to websites and domains
to transcriptions etc.

"It's back to the post office for you, motherfuckers!  Welcome to Web  
3.0
-- It's like Web 2.0, with Stamps!"

Not entirely a ban:  you can list them in the classified section,  
which is
a fixed $10 for a fixed 30 days at a fixed price (ie. utterly without
value to anyone for any reason.)

Some points from John Thornhill, probably the highest volume seller of
digital books on eBay:

http://planetsmsblog.com/digital-items-banned-on-ebay/

Like other powersellers who were unfazed by the last round of eBay/PP
changes, John sees no point to worrying about the changes.  But that's
because every move eBay has made in the last few months have evidenced a
desire to circle the wagons around its shrinking auction revenue*, by
raising the barrier to entry for new and/or small participants.  Wonder
how long they can sustain such practices?

I also wonder if this is a precursor to PayPal banning payments for
digital goods and services.  PP has followed most of the major eBay
changes with some new policy related to the eB change.  It would be
interesting to see if PP has decided they just don't want to be involved
with this new fangled "digital commerce" nonsense all the young punks  
are
going on about.


Frank

/*shrinking as a % of profits, according to eBay's financials.  I think
the actual net number is still up and up and up, but that eBay obviously
is no longer working on pushing the auction thing as its business model.
They just can't cut it off any more than eg. Ford Motor Company could  
quit
making cars, no matter how much they lose on cars relative to their  
other
divisions.
-- 
"When ignorance reigns in society and disorder in the minds of men, laws
are multplied, legislation is expected to do everything, and each fresh
law being a fresh miscalculation, men are continually led to demand from
it what can proceed only from themselves, from their own education and
their own morality."

--Dalloy