posted on May 23, 2001 10:05:49 AM
Just a question for those legal minds out there. Blackballing (a form of regecting used years ago) is considered illegal in some states and I would like to know if a negative feedback would be considered a form of Blackballing.
For those of you not familiar with the practice it was a form of excepting or rejecting an individual using a voting box. Each voter would drop a white (eccept ball) or a black (reject ball) into a box. If at the end of the voting one black ball appears the person who was being voted on was rejected without recourse or fanfare. No one needed to reveal who or why that person was rejected.
It seems to me that the Feedback area is somewhat like the Blackball system. Although I understand why they started it, I reject the basic concept as a form of discrimination which is and can be used to harm people who may not deserve it.
Surely there is a better way to handle getting the bad sellers and buyers who are not acting in a business like fashion. Any ideas?
posted on May 23, 2001 10:11:16 AM
This analogy doesn't really hold up. "Blackballing" was usually a one-time proposition. Once you were blackballed, you were on the outside of whatever you were previously involved in for good.
Feedback is cumulative...one negative does not necessarily impact you forever.
posted on May 23, 2001 10:12:28 AM
Feedback isn't really the same as blackballing. Nobody (buyer or seller) is forced to take any particular action based on previous feedback comments- each is free to make his own determination as to how to interpret the comments, and act (or not act) on them.
