posted on February 22, 2005 02:14:22 PM new
This was posted on the FAS boards by the founder of WaggleFlop:
"Since this is where and how the whole idea started, I think it's only fitting that it end here as well.
Within hours, I will be closing Wagglepop for good, and forever.
The servers will be shut down, and all drives reformatted, destroying any and all personal data.
No one owes a single penny.
This whole idea started simply because of people, and my faith in them, and my desire to make a difference.
Now, it's people that have left me no other choice but to shut it down.
What started out as an interesting challenge has instead become the most painful, personal few months of my life, and my confidence in what I believed about faith and humanity are shaken and shattered..... perhaps forever.
To those who supported me, I cannot express enough how proud I am of the journey we took together, and how much your support and kind words have meant through the longest of days and nights.
I will be forever grateful, and carry it with me always.
To those who most assuredly have not supported me, or Wagglepop...... Who have day after day, minute by minute done everything possible to destroy the site...... I have but a few words:
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
If I live a hundred more years before I encounter such morally bankrupt miscreants again, it will be a day too soon.
Ultimately, the only eyes that need judge us that count are two: our own, and those of God.
In both regards I am clear as to what I have accomplished, and had worked so very hard for, and in that, I find my only necessary redemption.
I'm looking forward now to walking away from this interesting online experience, away from my computers, away from the judging eyes of anonymity.....and feeling the grass on my feet and the sun on my face again.
I'm going back to the 'real world', where people look you in the eye when they speak to you, where "please" and "thank you" are heard, and where simple decent behavior and effort are appreciated, and rewarded.
posted on February 22, 2005 02:17:12 PM new
Whatever happened there? I haven't seen anything in the news. Was he hacked?
___________________________________
There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire
to become a great writer. When asked to define "great" he said,
"I want to write stuff that the whole world will read,
stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level,
stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"
He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.
posted on February 22, 2005 02:20:32 PM new
Wagglepop was supposed to be a big challenge to eBay. It was founded by eBay seller romeo361 but he apparently could not take the heat and pressure of it all.
posted on February 22, 2005 03:28:51 PM new
Helen, there are too mnay "WP is closing" threads at that link to wade through. What exactly happened?
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posted on February 22, 2005 04:19:11 PM new
I was kind of following the development of Wagglepop at FAS - talk about it started on the ebay store boards I think. There was a sort of cult following at FAS that was kind of scary. I think there were several people who closed their ebay stores and spent a lot of time developing stores at WP. I think the founder was in over his head and pretty egotistical too... anyone who raised any questions or issues about the site got blasted on the FAS boards and their posts deleted. It's too bad that so many people got led down that path. Not sure why they thought this little ebay seller, without financial backing, could do what Overstock couldn't. Kind of reminds me of Jonestown!
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"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy sh@#...what a ride!"
posted on February 22, 2005 07:18:31 PM new
Neglus,
I was following this too (did not contribute at all to the conversation) and was thinking along the same lines. The owner decided to stop posting and become unregistered at one of the auction discussion sites because people were asking questions. This would indicate to me that you are probably dealing with an unstable or weak person. Then, there is the fact that this is just an ebay seller starting this up, who is not a programmer, and without major backing - Then they want your credit card before you do business with them? Unless I know the company, they aren't getting that info from me. There are other places that are established where you can set up a store for free, but if you want traffic, you are at ebay. I guess people are still looking to turn lead into gold.
posted on February 22, 2005 07:46:21 PM new
I didn't contribute either - I was turned off by Wagglepop way back when they kept smugly referring to it on the storeboard...all along I thought of the fairy tale of the Emperor and no clothers or the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Toto pull the curtain and reveals that the Wizard is just a man - I feel sorry for the sellers that bought into it though ...and hope they change their CC's ASAP!!
**********************************
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy sh@#...what a ride!"
posted on February 22, 2005 07:54:20 PM new
i actually heard about the Wagglepop opening on the news. It was gone almost as quickly as it started.
I am disappointed that the Big O has not done better. I have never listed with any auction service other than eBay. Simply do not have time to get into another arena.
posted on February 23, 2005 05:33:33 AM new
Thanks for the link. That was pretty scary.
His comments re competing with eBay, however, have given my new hope. Rather than focus on my shortcomings, I will now just position myself as "the smart alternative" to Tom Cruise.
posted on February 23, 2005 06:40:58 AM new
mamachia: I think google or MS would have a fighting chance...but it probably takes so much backing and time to ride out the endurance factor. Some people are pretty happy with OS. If they ever get the lions share like ebay...it's hard to predict. With all of the backlash about the fees, I wonder if they now picked up a greater market share?? But I think doing this, people fall back to ebay no matter what...its what they know has worked for them in the past.
edited to add: Wasnt there even some talk of AOL getting in the game at one time??
[ edited by dblfugger9 on Feb 23, 2005 06:44 AM ]
posted on February 23, 2005 01:42:49 PM newmamachia
I wish Google would try something. Do you think that they would have a chance?
Actually Google did a tiny first step with Froggle which accepts automated price feeds from websites including ebay. The next step is coming soon and will take on all the auction and retail websites. Can't say too much as it's under development.
posted on February 24, 2005 09:27:40 AM new
Here's your chance to own your OWN auction site - well the NAME anyway ( like anyone would want it after this debacle0...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5754542778
**********************************
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...holy sh@#...what a ride!"
posted on February 24, 2005 09:36:04 AM new
Correct me if I'm wrong, but because he soft launched Wagglepop, isn't it considered that the domain has been used?
posted on February 24, 2005 11:05:25 AM new
The auction site was on wagglepop.com, this is wagglepop.net. Either way I wouldn't buy anything wagglepop. lol
posted on February 24, 2005 05:07:20 PM new
I NEVER heard of Wagglepop! Obviously, with many not knowing about it, how possibly could such succeed?
ANYONE and/or entity wanting to compete with eBay, would have to have a massive customer base, plus tons of funds to stay afloat until the site developed.
Yahoo "could" have done it, I left eBay for a year, and used Yahoo, before they started charging posting fees, and sold more there than I ever did on eBay - but then Yahoo decided to commit suicide.
Obviously, Yahoo doesn't really care about their auction branch, and will never return to the glory they once had.
They are the ONLY site I have seen which "could" have been real competition for eBay - but for whatever reason, they jumped off the bridge and drowned themselves!
I have posted twice on Overstock, to no avail; their posting system was a pain as all of my auctions are formatted for eBay. If they ever get their posting system right, and their search engine straightened out, I would go back and post again, but I don't have time to reconstruct formatted auctions for some other site.
I do use a niche auction site, but my e-bay formats drop right in - at said site, I sell items which I couldn't sell on eBay - mainly certain types of knives, and I have been at this niche site for 3 years, and I love it and them -
~"It does not matter what I think, it does not matter what you think. The only thing which matters is: What is the TRUTH!"~
posted on February 24, 2005 05:20:43 PM new
Google seems to be contemplating a buyer-driven model for online sales. They have recently quietly soft-launched the Froogle Shopping List. It seems highly unlikely that they will attempt an auction system.
• Keep track of the products you want to buy
• Create and share your wish list
• Access your shopping list from any computer
• Annotate products with your own notes
• Sort your shopping list by price, item or date
