posted on October 30, 2001 10:40:04 PM new
AW's "preferred provider" status with eBay has had a typically negative impact on its "community" relations. Here we are, a country under threat of (more) attacks at home and abroad, and what's AW's idea of "supporting" its (rightfully) anxious and concerned community during these dire times? "Pony up a credit card or get lost." The only other place I've ever encountered such cavalier treatment online is eBay. It, too, brays loudly about "community", while bulldozing portions of it for the "sake of better serving" the very people it can't wait to displace with stores and express lanes and payment-meddling.
I know the Moderators, at least, are aware that this place is a home full of family for many (and they're losing it, too) -- some of us live in the boondocks, some of us are housebound, some of us met our best friends here. In a cold-hearted world, AW's ludicrous insistence that a credit card is needed for user verification makes sense, because they will use that information (and all that goes with it) to enhance the information they already sell to third parties. But AW hasn't been a cold-hearted world for those who helped build it into the successful behemoth it became. (Although the success seems short-lived.) And right now, in these uncertain times, it strikes me as the epitome of corporate cynicism that this one area of AW that provides a much-needed outlet for so many has been targeted for neglect. (Firing the Moderators will lead to closing these boards.)
Sure, we can say it's a small thing, and there are other places to go, and "it's only a credit card" -- but a lot of us don't have credit cards. What bothers me most is the insulting way this has been done: like an eviction notice on Christmas Eve.
If AW is sinking -- and I think it is -- it'd've been to my liking if we'd all gone down together.
Anyway, I'll miss all of you, and the 'flavor' of this place, which won't be replicated no matter how well-intentioned other chat environments might be. Good bye.
posted on October 30, 2001 10:42:25 PM new
Bravo, plsmith! I was thinking and saying the same thing to RL friends when I told them AW did what it did. Especially this part:
Here we are, a country under threat of (more) attacks at home and abroad, and what's AW's idea of "supporting" its (rightfully) anxious and concerned community during these dire times? "Pony up a credit card or get lost."
posted on October 30, 2001 10:52:57 PM new
Plsmith, Thank you for saying what I and many have thought.
I really can't believe that in these times AW can't see what a lifeline this place has been and is for so many. A place to come when there is no one else to talk to.Any time of the day or night. It will be missed perhaps more than they care to know. We were a diverse community but a community none-the-less.
posted on October 31, 2001 05:38:53 AM new
Here's another suggestion as an addition to checking that place over hill ANDALE where a lot of soon-to-be-ex's are milling around.
Somebody could open a "public" Yahoo club. (The "SellerZone" is an example of one of these.)
There's no cost, you just have to have a Yahoo ID set up. Then anyone else registered with Yahoo can join to post and use the chatroom. Whoever founds one has moderating powers ... postings can be deleted, members pitched out if necessary. Obviously the founder, or founders (additional ones can be appointed by the first), have to be reasonable and benevolent dictators or such a club will wither away.
However, for those who would enjoy hanging out in a real-time chat function, the club setup there works pretty well, being a cross-platform JAVA type that doesn't require further downloadings.
THere're other subpage functions like an internal URL visible to members only where images can be archived, another for useful URLs to be listed, another as a "calendar" function for posting any key dates.
posted on October 31, 2001 06:50:56 AM new
I haven't posted for quite a while... looks like I won't be posting HERE after today.... sorry no credit card info divulged.
Just a thought..... maybe AW is practising Ebay's corporate style so they maybe be assimilated by the 800 pound gorilla.
8^) I'm not usually this cynical!
edited for redundancy
[ edited by dejavu on Oct 31, 2001 06:53 AM ]
posted on October 31, 2001 07:36:02 AM new
Somewhere else it was written (in so many words) that, "AW is fine, if you like acrimonious political discussion and thinly veiled invective."
It's unfortunate, IMO. that so many expert practitioners of the aforementioned arts will no longer have a place to gather and hone their skills.
I've visited (and even posted) to some of the other boards. I found they lacked a certain quality that served to make AW the forum of choice for true afficionados of high-caliber badinage and repartee.
Identifying the distinctive quality of AW is a matter of guesswork, at best. It's apparently an elusive formula that has yet to be duplicated elsewhere. Serendipity, no doubt, has played a role.
Regardless of our respective feelings regarding the moderators and the CG's, I believe the presence of both have combined to create the inimitable character of this place. Even the most recent heavy-handedness presented no insurmountable obstacle to most.
Restrictions and rules, paradoxically, can serve to inspire genius. Anarchy, on the other hand, often proves stifling.
While I don't presume to offer my own contributions to this forum as proof of my assertion, the archives of AW are a treasure trove of inspired creativity.
Without the presence of all necessary elements, the AW forums, as we know them, will no longer exist. No alternative board or chat site will fill the void.
posted on October 31, 2001 09:33:06 AM new
I must apologize for my earlier post. Maybe AW never intended for the messageboards to turn into a meeting place for users other than paying customers, which will undoubtedly drive many "valuable" contributors away. I think they never expected it to grow to such a size. Good luck to everyone who will be leaving.
[ edited by jgrant50 on Oct 31, 2001 03:51 PM ]
posted on October 31, 2001 09:40:16 AM new
You're New here ---aren't you??
As I said in another thread in reply to you that many of the people (with vast online auction and online selling experience) here who do not use AW paid services have put in many many volunteer hours helping other people with auction troubles, mailing troubles, bidder troubles, buying troubles. All of these services have been provided to AW--absolutely free of charge.
So calling these people Freeloaders is in total error.
posted on October 31, 2001 09:51:45 AM new
Great wisdom??? From someone who's made 4 posts on AW. True buyers and sellers don't have a problem with this new policy
Well, Eventer, Zazzie (and all long term ebay sellers & buyers and AW users) maybe we just never were TRUE buyers and sellers. It's all been a figment of our imaginations.
;-D ;-D ;-D ;-D
posted on October 31, 2001 09:52:48 AM new
In less than 40 minutes jGrant50 has gone from "what's going on here" to pointing fingers and calling names.
I have a problem with this new policy, but I fail to see how that makes me not a "True" buyer.
I suspect that this is a two-identity poster, and I find it ironic that jGrant implores posters to "grow-up".
Oh goodness... I'm starting to grow claws - it may be a good thing that this is my last posting day.
Rosie
[ edited by RoseBids25cents on Oct 31, 2001 10:24 AM ]
posted on October 31, 2001 10:25:39 AM newJesus, grow up people.
Perhaps, jgrant50, you can give me some help with that. I've been looking into Human Growth Hormones but the shots are just toooo expensive. Maybe you can help me find a good spray that will help me grow up to be a responsible poster just like you.
posted on October 31, 2001 11:07:10 AM new
Look, I didn't mean to offend anyone, and freeloaders is not a "justifiable" label for anyone. I just don't think this particular policy warrants all the negative posts from everyone. Like I said before, I think there are pros and cons to this implementation.
