I have woken up in the morning to find my entire business DESTROYED in the name of MBA cross-marketing.
I have listened to you.
I *do* know how you feel!
But guess whaT????
Just as it would be ABSOLUTELY preposterous were all the states comprising the original thirteen colonies to get all together and protest, "Hey, WE were here FIRST! WE protest alla the smog, pollution, factories, telephone lines, billboards, modern freeway systems -- WE PROTEST!"
WELL, good luck, lol!
The eBay that YOU helped create is NOT yours!
The eBay that Pierre founded is NOT his!
The eBay that Meg Whitman and her staff direct is NOT theirs!
The eBay that once consisted of the eBay Cafe and under 50,000 listings is NO MORE.
WHAT do *you* get outta ALLA your hard work???????
If you want, you can stay and figger out how you will be a successful ecommerce operation.
AND...
Many years from now, you will be able to tell your own great grandchildren, that "Yes," *****you***** were here in the beginning, on the eve of the upcoming 21st Century which begins at this year's end.
YOU were here when it all was born.
WHO owns eBay?
NOT the shareholders.
NOT Pierre Omidyar.
NOT Meg Whitman.
NOT Jeff Skoll.
NOT Benchmarck Capital.
AND not you, either.
eBay belongs to the World!
We ain't going to Disneyworld, we're going global!!!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
eBay is a TOOL.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
eBay is a tool which creates community.
eBay is a tool used by Humanity.
eBay is a tool creating History.
eBay is NOT yours or mine, nor any specialinterest group, eBay is an ****IDEA**** now*materialized*, It's here and it belongs to the World...and to all future time, or at leasta significant period, thereof.
posted on July 30, 2000 02:48:58 PM new
Radh: I have tried very hard to understand your posts, but find myself lost everytime. You do seem like a very, very nice lady though, are you on a personal crusade of some type? Heather
posted on July 30, 2000 03:56:18 PM new
Radh - I have read many many of your posts. I still can't tell if you are speaking tongue-in-cheek or really don't like the way eBay is going. On your different posts, I read different ways of thinking. You are a very intelligent and creative person.
But for my interpretation of your posts, all I can say is:
HUH???
catryan >"<
_
Potential just means you haven't done it yet!
posted on July 30, 2000 04:10:14 PM new
I too am pretty tired if Rad's endless negative tyrades! Pointless, uninformed and always with malace against eBay.
Take it elsewhere, it's gotten real old!
Tom in NJ "I won't rest until all the junk in America has been shipped to a good home"
posted on July 30, 2000 04:30:59 PM newRadh, I don't like every decision that the management of eBay makes. I have found over the years that I am not always supportive and attuned to every decision that the management of Sears makes either. And in either case, and in every instance, I am faced with a decision--am I so put off by the policy change and decision-process that I will no longer shop there? In both cases, my answer is....no.
I don't view eBay as a "community" anymore than I do Sears. It is, as they have always said, a venue--to buy, to sell. If it suits, I do business there. When it does not, I do business elsewhere. Clearly, yours is a more emotional connection...also your choice, and one to be respected.
But as to who "owns" eBay? That's an easy one...the shareholders of this public company "own" eBay. They don't effectively set policy or participate in the day-to-day management decisions of the company, but ultimately, they own it.
I often wonder if you regret not having accepted eBay's invitation to attend one of the "Voices" meetings? I am sorry that you did not, as I think you would have a more direct and potentially productive outlet today for your concerns.
No, I honestly do not regret declining invitations to the Voice of the Customer conferences, and when I finally came to appreciate the *gestalt*, so to speak of what has occured, that for all extents and purposes eBay has leapt through a metaphorical time barrier, so to speak, taken a quantum leap of great magnitude, so to speak, then from the point of view of that "gestalt", so to speak, then I realized that I agree with all the decisions that the large management staff has made, even when some of those decisions have been in error.
eBay will succeed. Or, as Whitman phrased it, eBay will not merely survive, but will thrive.
So, no, I do not think eBay should expend any time or energy on me, whatsoever.
Incidentally, no Beth, NO, I had no clear idea that I harbored any passion about alla this, until that moment that it looked like to me that eBay was GONE, over & gone. lol, lol, lol, lol.
posted on July 30, 2000 06:30:31 PM newRadh, I am the one who regrets your decision not to attend the Voices meeting to which you were invited, as I feel that it might have provided a more productive outlet (as it has for others) for your expression of the issues that you embrace.
And I apologize for characterizing yours as an "emotional" connection...it has always seemed to me from your posts that your connections are based in passion, but I obviously do not know you at all, and cannot reasonably determine where you are coming from. As some others have indicated, I find that many of your posts pass by me without my understanding, and for that I am sorry.
posted on July 30, 2000 07:18:35 PM new
I read most of radh's posts. They make perfect sense to me. However, they usually do not really leave me with a way to contribute to the topic, so I seldom post in rhad's threads.
As far as being negative, I get that way sometimes on AW. It is a pure mystery to me how any business can ignore the needs of their direct customers and still stay in business. Since eBay has had some slumps in revenue, it should be obvious to eBay investors that something is wrong. And any eBay investors that learns that eBay seemingly ignores the needs of its direct customers and also sees slumps in revenue ought to justify pulling out every dollar before its too late. This is a mystry to me as to why eBay still keeps to the wrong course and so I yell about it.
As far as eBay's conferences - I would never attend, even if invited. I prefer to stay here at the grass roots of things and stir up trouble.
I admit, though, that rhad's post here is a bit crypic and esoteric; yet, it may just be rhad blowing off more steam. I'll read rhad's posts anyway.
posted on July 30, 2000 07:23:10 PM new
sg52: lol, I enjoy your posts very much, but believe me I ain't got no time to learn how to write or communicate, and leadership skills are for other people.
Actually I am very busy, as I have mischieviously decided to act "as if" I have alla the time in the world and am in perfect health, and am busily preoccupied elsewhere. I actually (gulp!) acquired a massive library of older books today, and I do mean massive. I suspect that I shall be quite busy cataloguing for quite some time, and it is only one who has writing or leadership skills who can hone them, while I admittedly have neither.
Many of my friends live in rural hamlets. Other of my friends are city dwellers. The dissimilar environments both have their points, advantages & disadvantages.
I have decided henceforth to preoccupy myself with the cosmopolitan, and have much, therefore, to research.
posted on July 30, 2000 07:39:11 PM newBorillar, out of curiosity, WHY would you choose not to attend an eBay Voices meeting?
I was happily surprised to be invited to attend three of the Voices conferences, but unfortunately could not rearrange my work schedule to attend any of them. In every case, I was truly disappointed that I could not go. In one case, I recommended a 'replacement' attendee, who I know enjoyed the experience.
The various attendees have seemed to enjoy the experience itself, and it seems that they continue to be involved regularly in providing input to eBay on policy and site changes, so the experience is not an "instant" one, but rather, a continuing opportunity to connect on a meaningful level.
I'd sure like to have been able to take advantage of the invitation...but that's me.
posted on July 30, 2000 08:00:46 PM newradh, have you had the opportunity to read THE CLUETRAIN MANIFESTO yet? If not, I highly recommend the book since it's subject matter relates to "communication" between companies and their customers (markets) via the internet. I agree with those that believe one of eBay's problems is "communication related" and this book is an eye opener.
posted on July 30, 2000 08:03:12 PM newHellcat: here's why.
1) I prefer to remain annonymous. Even if my eBay name could be tracked down by some determined indivdual, they would not have the real user name. I prefer to not be so exposed. While eBay does not have an open policy of retaliation, I read too much on these AW posts that suggest that eBay can NARU for incosequential things not listed in their TOS directly or insirectly. To me, that means, that if I want to rant and rave AND keep my business on eBay, I'd better do so incognito.
2) While I realize that I do give straight advice, I never try to help someone directly. When you try to help someone directly - they end up not appreciating it. I always try to help obliquely, preferring to point them into the right direct, then let them make their own way. To help someone in need directly is to assume their responsibilities as well.
No, so long as my complaints are valid, my statements are correct, eBay does read these posts and can hear my voice that way - along with all of the rest of AW'ers, not behind closed doors.
posted on July 30, 2000 08:41:11 PM new
Hey eBay! Invite *me* to the next Voice of the Customer meeting in place of radh.
I have alot to say, and I promise it will make sense.
RADH, you asked "What do you get out of eBay for all of your hard work?"
I don't know about you, but I get money sent to me by people I've never met. And in return they get a nice little doo-dad, trinket, or whatchamacallit. Over 1000 transactions... Has worked out very well for all of us.
posted on July 30, 2000 08:59:11 PM new
waspstar: precisely, you get a chance to create a successful ecommerce operation, and make money and meet people from around the world.
eBay is a tool for use by people to buy and sell goods from oneanother.
posted on July 30, 2000 09:17:22 PM new
I really wasn't going to get involved here (even though i read all these radh threads- they usually generate all kinds of good reading.)
Maybe (No make that probably) I'm missing the point here, but Radh seems to have gone from Ebay prophet of doom to president of the Meg Whitman fan club.
All these decisions in recent days, that people saying will lead to Ebay's downfall (and the more they turn from the small seller that they built on, the more likely that result seems.)
Now Radh has been decrying all these decisions saying they will lead to Ebays downfall.
Now all of a sudden, despite all these wrong headed decisions made on her watch- Meg Whitman will save it??
Don't think so- she's not part of the solution- she's part of the problem.
BTW I've been skimming Eboys and I'm not nearly as taken with it as Radh. The thing I pulled out of it is that during the crash of 1999 there was lots of talk about the importance of the community. Lots of lip service is paid to "Community". Actions however have been another story.
posted on July 30, 2000 11:28:50 PM new
For all the folks who have responded to this latest in the Radh list of "Threads I don't unnerstan"...Thank you...I'm glad it's not just me!
To Radh... zzzzzzz.....zzzzzzzzz.zzzzzzzz
You have run out of buyers AGAIN...so sell something else or get off of eBay..I only sell part time, so I can't get TOO offended because my sales have not really been hurt lately ( I also sell in "collectible" categories, so SOMEBODY always wants the crap I have for sale...lol)
It seems that a LOT of folks are getting tired of the negativity in your posts!! If U ain't happy here MOVE ON!
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on July 30, 2000 11:51:16 PM new
I understand Rad completely. She is not being negative, quite the contrary. Do any of you really realize the power Pierre and Jeff's idea has? If they were political instead of just a pair of geeks, they could have taken over the World in 5 years instead of just ecommerce! It doesn't matter who runs eBay, eBay has taken on a life of it's own because it satisfies a need that knows no geographical boundry, knows no political affiliation, knows no religion, race or language. Nothing man or God has ever done before has been so Universally accepted without the shedding of one single drop of blood(except perhaps from a paper cut!).
Yes, I miss my community, I miss the old days but as Rad says, my grandchildren will remember that I had a part in changing the World. That is alot more than I ever managed in the 60s or 70s!!
posted on July 30, 2000 11:59:33 PM new
Any new seller reading this thread will probably put their tail between there legs and get out. eBay has been good to me for the little I sell. I do not make a living doing this I do it for pleasure first by meeting all my buyers which I haven't had any bad ones and selling products that people will like. I try not to stick to one thing and get in a rut. Variety is the spice of life and eBay needs variety. With all the new on line businesses eBay will suffer a bit but will continue. Take care.
posted on July 31, 2000 12:00:10 AM new
Epiphany! EBay has emerged as a living breathing thing. It sets its’ own course and makes its’ own decisions. No mere mortal is capable of full understanding! We surmise ruin from our lack of faith.
And yet…. Somehow someway, eBay is surviving and prospering far beyond all expectations. It is alive. It is wise.
