posted on July 14, 2001 02:32:13 PM new
Hot,thanks For the info,,,that was the answer i was hoping for!,,,Will give it a try,& have a few friends try it out too...it is really important to them also to be able to link..
A suggestion in the advertising they do,if they mention "yes!you may link to your website" could bring in a bunch more people.good luck,thanks
posted on July 15, 2001 04:58:39 PM new
Chuckling. Still didn't answer my question!
It's nice that you are using special features of IE, but isn't it iteresting that IE does have several security risks??
It is also interesting to note that Netscape doesn't have a number of security risks built in!
I'm not a programmer, but I can read the reports of problems with explorer and all the security risks.
Perhaps you can explain why I should chuck my browser and why it would be advantageous(sp) to me so that I can use your site.
I would appreciate a response from someone other than your obvious supporters.
posted on July 15, 2001 05:08:22 PM new
Nobody's trying to compel you to chuck your browser and become bedfellows with the Evil Empire. The concepts of free enterprise and supply and demand are built around mutual satisfaction of buyers and sellers, or in this case, of website providers and website "consumers."
It has been stated quite clearly that if enough users speak out with a desire for the site to be Netscape-compatible, then the programmers (who do not have infinite time and resources) would be directed to do so. It's just good business sense.
So continue to state your case for Netscape-compatibility, vote with your dollars and with your patronage (or lack of it) and stay true to what works best for you. Feeling threatened and manipulated helps nobody; making solid arguments and making your needs clearly known helps everybody. Especially you.
Keep it up, elecdata1. Your feedback is healthy. And hot2trot ... listen to the users.
posted on July 15, 2001 05:17:46 PM new
elecdata1,
Sorry didnt get back to you earlier, as far as security netscape has its fair share im not going to debate the better browser with you everyone has their favorite.
mine is actully ( opera )
Im not telling you to chuck your browser, and if netscape supported xml-dom then we wouldnt be having this conversation.
The main reason for internet explorer is pretty simple using xml we can refresh a page without loading the whole page over again. their are other reasons behind it but can't go into on auctionwatch but thats pretty much the main one.
Im sure we will recieve lots of mail over this issuse but we new that going in. I can't tell you we are going to change it and I can't tell you that we won't change it.
posted on July 25, 2001 05:44:20 AM new
I think that Itchybid is missing the point. Regardless of the reason, many people use Netscape as their web browser, and either don't have (or don't know how to use) Internet Explorer on their system. Therefore, these people can't use Itchybid, and will simply go elsewhere (and there are a gazillion other alternative auction sites). Period.
I'm astonished that a new/startup auction site would deliberately "turn away" a large portion of potential users. Best wishes to the success of Itchybid... but the chances are that they'll eventually wind up in the... ummmmmm.... "special category" at the bottom of this list:
posted on July 25, 2001 06:40:41 AM neweseller004:
I use AOL and my AOL uses IE. I had heard a another person saying that AOL uses netscape, so I called AOL. AOL tech support told me, that I am using IE with my AOL. I do not have netscape on my computer, nor has AOL updated my computer with netscape. I do not understand. Do some AOL users have netscape without knowing it?
I went to itchybid, no problem getting in because my AOL is using IE. Nice clean site, but I could not find a link to read about what the fees would be in the future. I am curious as to what they will be. Please post them here for me. Thanks.
posted on July 25, 2001 08:58:09 AM new
Kenzy,
First things first we did say that if enough people started asking for netscape we would build a version just for them. However the IE thing is really not that big of a issuse the last studies showed that 92% of the world is on IE, as far as many people dont have IE on their system, mac ships with IE and well we know windows has IE, as far as linux well most linux people know how to install a browser on their system.
deichen: AOL does not use netscape as their browser there has been alot of talks about them intergrating netscape into their system but as of yet they have not.
posted on July 25, 2001 09:34:55 AM new
<i>However the IE thing is really not that big of a issuse the last studies showed that 92% of the world is on IE, as far as many people dont have IE on their system, mac ships with IE and well we know windows has IE...</i>
Yes, only a mere 8-10% of the internet population uses Netscape. That wouldn't be real significant if there were only, say 100 or 1000 or even 10,000 users on the entire internet. However, there are absolutely millions who use the internet on a regular basis. Now, 10% of 1,000,000 alone is 1,000. That's 1,000 out of a small group of internet users who aren't going to be able to access and use Itchy Bid.
It was previously mandatory that computer manufacturers had to include Internet Explorer on Windows based computers. That is no longer mandatory. Now those manufacturers can include whichever browser they prefer. I wouldn't be surprised to see Netscape usership gain a small but significant increase in the future.
In addition to Netscape users there's a small community of WebTV users out there (and many of them use on-line auctions). I know a few of them and I know they're a tight group. When one of them finds a website they can use with WebTV they let everyone else know about it.
-----------------------------------
posted on July 25, 2001 12:15:30 PM new
I'd be surprised if your figures are correct related to IE usage vs Netscape usage. I suspect it is closer to 60/40.
Anywho, Netscape is OWNED by AOL; therefore, you know what that means. They will be marketing it VERY aggressively, get ready for Netscape to be in the AOL software.
Beyond all that, I simply cannot believe that a web site would be built without cross/platform compatibility! You are doomed even before you start with that kind of thinking. Nice to dream though...
UBB
[ edited by morgantown on Jul 25, 2001 12:16 PM ]
posted on July 25, 2001 12:24:35 PM new
Sorry, I do not like the name "ItchyBid." I would never tell somebody that I sold [or purchased] on ItchyBid.com. I'd be embarassed to death.
EGAD
Plus, is it $2.50 to list an item? That is way too much, even if there are no closing fees. All my opinion, but like I said "nice to dream..."
posted on July 25, 2001 03:58:17 PM new
The IE usage vs. Netscape usage was done by webtrends (that is where
we got our stats). And yes Netscape is owned by aol and im sure it wont
be long before aol version 7 has Netscape.
The name ItchyBid is a name that if anything you will not forget even
if you dont like the name you will probably not forget it. what does
Amazon have to do with books? when Yahoo first came out, i though it was a
chocolate flavored drink. what about the Bare Naked Ladies? (it doesn't
stop people from buying their records)
inlight of all the points wallypog has made which are pretty valid points we
are discussing the plan of attack for Netscape in the next board meeting.
we will probably replace the xml stuff with dhtml so Netscape users can
experience the site.
morgantown, we feel $2.50 is a fair price for listing items on our basic
auction venue. we are pretty upfront with our users compared to other
auction sites. Rather than set a lower listing price and/or free listings,
then raise the prices in a few months, we plan on holding prices steady for
at least one year. That allows you, the sellers, to plan accordingly. For
the features and services that you will receive on ItchyBid, you will find
that $2.50 is very reasonable. At our FleaMarket venue, a listing may cost
as little as 75 cents. There's a venue and a price to fit for every seller.
Im sure you and several other people would prefer that we were free like
some other sites, but please understand that free is not always better:
servers cost money, advertising cost money, programmers cost money,
continuous updates and improvements are mandatory expenses, etc., and
truthfully, we want to make money...a fair profit.
(keep in mind we donate up to 25% to charity on everything we make.)
posted on July 25, 2001 04:46:21 PM new
Well you are correct about one thing! Advertising costs MILLIONS to make a site successful. Hope you have deep coffers.
I don't agree about the name. itchybid is not pleasant or even memorable. Neither is auctionsnatch, see my point?
Good luck, but I won't be there waving pompoms in thin air. I just do not belive in the site or its direction. We'll see.
posted on July 25, 2001 09:57:24 PM new
I really want these new sites to succeed, and keep hoping to find one that has a clue.
I hate to be so critical, but this is the stuff itchybid needs to read.
It is interesting to read the tos and discover that itchybid is located in Reno, NV, one of the few places I believe prostitution is legal, yet they consider all pornography to be illegal, which it is not, and simply ban it.
Also, the tos require a bidder to pay within 3 days, which sellers will rejoice at, until they discover they have to ship within 3 days of payment, no allowance for checks to clear. Unrealistic.
As to the browser wars, the site looks a little crooked on webtv, and navigation was working for me, though a few too many clicks needed to get to the auction items themselves. By the way, there are about a million webtv units in use today, give or take 100,000 and about 7% of my business comes from them. Almost 50% of my business is from aol.
There are 13 items listed at this moment, wow! Obviously no outreach to recruit some sellers by offering free listings has happened yet.
I think the site might have been created by businessmen, but I doubt any of them actually did auctions for a living. They certainly know how to set an insertion fee, and how, and good luck trying to get it. 90% of the ebay sellers won't give them a second look with rates like that and an unproven track record.
posted on July 25, 2001 09:57:58 PM new
Hi:
Went over looked around,chatted with the owner,signed up,even listed an item. Seem's like a neat place to get in on the ground floor. Problem is in less than a month they will start charging. And there fee's seem a little high for a newbee site. Afraid sellers will shy away from high fee's on a new site. If they hope to go anywhere they will certainly need to advertise.
posted on July 26, 2001 12:14:15 AM new
Sticking with IE only will be your bane. Over 20 servers with most of the domains for hosting pictures for eBay and other auction sites, the stats show IE 65%, Netscape 30% with others making up the rest. Most of those IE users are AOL and their agreement with Microsoft just ran out. What do you think AOL is going to use instead? Ask anyone here if they would like to lockout AOL users. Not including the ones who change IDs with their clothes in order to mess with auctions.
Good luck with your enterprise. Try not to shoot yourself in the other foot.
posted on July 26, 2001 06:43:08 AM newREGARDING the use of Netscape vs. Internet Explorer - we have multiple web sites, and a system on each of them which not only counts hits, but what browser the visitor is using, what version of that browser, what day, what time, etc., endless specific information. ALL this is to say that of the thousands of hits we have gotten on our various web sites 99.9% of the visitors are using Internet Explorer.
We use I.E. exclusively because they are capable of a much greater color range than Netscape, and because the extremely high preponderance of on line users use I.E., and we want to provide the best possible experience for the high majority of our visitors.
We do from time to time check how our sites appear on Netscape, but seldom make adjustments for Netscape only, as it just to us isn’t a wise business practice.
posted on July 26, 2001 07:36:49 AM new
If I were you I'd get new reporting software. Not even Microsoft claims to have 99.9% of the market. And ours is with many thousands of hits a day. Some of the domains use their own software and none show anything even close to 99.9%. Even Netscape2 has over a 1% share on all of the reports. To claim a 99.9% share for IE makes all of the rest of the reports by that software suspect including the hits.
posted on July 26, 2001 12:16:55 PM new
Wow, did not expect to get this much controversy over using IE, i will say this the Netscape guys are devoted.
We had our board meeting today and have decided that we will begin writing a object that will allow Netscape to use the xml object in the background. this will solve the Netscape issue.
As far as for us launching and having very little items we are in a silent launch, we have not announced the site and don't plan on announcing to the media until mid aug. we are testing the system and working out the bugs.
litlux, i think being critical is great i can address some of your issues. first adult content we will be adding a adult section to the site we believe that you are right in that not all nudity is porn.
We are working on the bidding terms we realize that it could be difficult to meet the 3day deadline with mail and all.
I address the 13 item stuff up top, as far as recruiting power sellers we will be doing this as a matter of fact we will also be offering to store their product in one of our warehouses.
