I have to agree (to a limited degree). The problem is that how do you decide on how long to extend it. If you are trying to help those people who might be asleep when their 'high bid' is topped, you have to remember that no matter when the auction ends, *someone* who might want it may be asleep. I'll admit to sniping and being sniped (sometimes I even send mail off to the winner saying something like 'Well sniped... :-)' ) The reason sniping is done is to get a bid in such that the others bidding don't have a chance to get in another bid. If the auction was extended by as litle as five minutes beyond the last top bid, you wouldn't stop sniping, but you would prevent people from playing the game just mentioned... there would always (so long as you were at a terminal) be time to bid again. But then you have the problem of being able to ensure, within some timeframe, the end of the auction. Also, it means they have to keep it on the books for longer... Megan Gentry Former RT-11 Developer +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+ | Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com | | Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com | | Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' | | 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ | | Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler | | (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg | +--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+