23 Feb
2011
23 Feb
'11
4:18 a.m.
On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 2:41 PM, John Foust <jfoust at threedee.com> wrote:
At 07:58 AM 2/21/2011, Liam Proven wrote:
I don't know who or what you're replying to, but it doesn't appear to
have anything to do with my points.
Sniping subverts how auctions work.
In the average real-world auction that I'm accustomed to, at best
as a bidder you might need to register in advance. ?Once you're there,
there is no requirement to notify all other bidders of your interest
in an item. ?In fact, bidders tend to be quite subversive about their
interest in an item, so as not to draw attention to themselves, the
potentially more-valuable item, or their interest in it. ?You're
free to bid "in the last second." ?Yes, the auction continues at
that point, and that's different than eBay. You're not just wishing for an auction format
where all bidders
must make their presence known, and then a moment where no additional
bidders can register before bidding begins.
Nothing I mentioned has anything to do with this.
?You can't seriously
be wishing for an auction format where all other previous bidders
and their max price be known before you bid. ?We can't just wave
our hands and think that it would solve the problem if eBay extended
the auction N minutes beyond every moment there was a bid. ?That would
greatly encourage the demand for and use of automated bidding tools.
No idea. Nothing to do with me.
Part of the appeal for buyers and sellers on eBay is
that you are
generally searching items you know will be for sale and that you
can bid on immediately. ?Would you be happier if multiple proxy
bidders all registered to bid and made some token bid just to
be part of the game?
Again, no comment; this is not a reply to my points.
I do like the auto-extend idea that others have suggested, though - a
great deal.
--
Liam Proven ? Info & profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/lproven
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