posted on March 2, 2001 08:49:18 AM
AW says no fees now or in the future, but seriously, they already stated that they believe they are entitled to some of your profits since they help your sales increase. The message boards are full of info to help increase your sales, although the messages aren't AWs, they provide the venue. They could start charging fees to read the "news" pages too because that also has info on how to increase your sales.I guarantee the time will come when they charge for everything. The vacuum has been turned on.
posted on March 2, 2001 09:01:38 AM
The internet is the new business frontier and that's what business is all about, making a profit...
We can't control their actions but can only take actions of our own...
With the proliferation of high bandwidth, economical personal web access, the opportunities for establishing a communtiy of information beyond the reach or inspection of business are everywhere.
I contribute to a major forum elsewhere on the Net concerning a hobby of mine, restoring vintage Mustangs, and the webmaster is an individual who sustains the site, with no commercial help, from his own servers. The interface is no frills and hasn't changed much since the mid 90's but the wealth of information and community is breathtaking...
If we want to continue the free flow of ideas and information without the increasing intrusion of business, it's up to us....
As a footnote, many of the dotcom stocks I've purchased are now either delisted or in imminent danger.....profitability is now the driving force in this sector IMO....the time for giving away service to attract customers is over...
posted on March 2, 2001 09:16:12 AM
Ebay doesn't need to charge for its message boards because if the info you get on them increases your sales, they'll capture it on the FVF already in place.
Every free site is now already thinking of adding fees for its editorial content, why should AW be any different? If they don't directly charge for use of the message board and news pages, they'll add it to the Auction Manager, either way someone will pay.
posted on March 2, 2001 09:21:45 AMEbay doesn't need to charge for its message boards because if the info you get on them increases your sales, they'll capture it on the FVF already in place.
Using that logic, AW need not charge for its message boards either, as they are instituting their own FVF.
posted on March 2, 2001 09:25:01 AM
Actually, the chat boards here may already be a "profit center", in that they attract people who then may use the fee-based services. To the extent that is true (and I suspect it is, most of us came here for the chat first), and to the extent that fees to chat here would discourage a lot of people from ever showing up (which I also believe is true), then AW may NOT ever charge for these boards, as raising fees could actually result in lower, not higher, profits.
so, no, they may not even add "it" to the Auction Manager fees.
posted on March 2, 2001 09:55:29 AM
I agree with captainkirk. AW needs the message boards to draw new customers for it's paid services. The help and advice given by the users here is "priceless" and is one of the reasons I think their message boards are a MAJOR asset. I seriously doubt AW will ever charge a fee for posting because they'll loose too many of the helpful posters who they count on to DRAW in their potential paying customers.
Does anyone know of a message board that charges FEES to post?
posted on March 2, 2001 10:12:08 AM
I knew you were going to say that! Ebay is going to get my business no matter. I don't need AW's service. Therefore, I could profit off advice on AW's board and AW can't get a cut of it since I don't use their services.
posted on March 2, 2001 10:18:41 AM
I'm wondering, does ebay's chat boards drive people to sell on their site? I highly doubt it. How many of you ebay sellers started out chatting on ebay before ever listing your very first auction?
