posted on September 9, 2001 07:57:43 PM
I haven't seen this yet about eBay's new sign-in REQUIREMENT! When it first rolled out it forced you to sign-in to be able to do anything. If you bid, you were automatically signed in. If you emailed a seller you were signed in.
I HATE this. If I wanted to sign-in I would. Why MUST I sign-in now?
This is especially irritating because now it seems to have disrupted use for eBayers all over. To be able to sign-in now you must accept cookies. Besides not wanting to accept cookies, even those who have cookies enabled are having problems. Lots of people who access eBay through a library, schools/university, mall, or work are encountering firewalls that won't let them accept cookies and sign-in or worse, sign-out. (New bidder excuse: My daughter bid on this while I was in the bathroom).
And, I wonder why you would fix something that wasn't broken. The eBay spin is 'you are going to love this, it will make your life easier and your hair grow back' but nothing is really stated about not being able to do anything before you sign-in.
If you look at eBay's announcement board
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml
you will find a number of things you must do to perform and work around the "Simpler Sign-In" that for all the world remind me of Monty Python and "The Meaning of Life"
~~~~
HUMPHREY: All right, settle down. Settle down. [clunk] Now, before I begin the lesson, will those of you who are playing in the match this afternoon move your clothes down onto the lower peg immediately after lunch, before you write your letter home, if you're not getting your hair cut, unless you've got a younger brother who is going out this weekend as the guest of another boy, in which case, collect his note before lunch, put it in your letter after you've had your hair cut, and make sure he moves your clothes down onto the lower peg for you. Now,--
WYMER: Sir?
HUMPHREY: Yes, Wymer?
WYMER: My younger brother's going out with Dibble this weekend, sir, but I'm not having my hair cut today, sir.
PUPILS: [chuckling]
WYMER: So, do I move my clothes down, or--
HUMPHREY: I do wish you'd listen, Wymer. It's perfectly simple. If you're not getting your hair cut, you don't have to move your brother's clothes down to the lower peg. You simply collect his note before lunch, after you've done your scripture prep, when you've written your letter home, before rest, move your own clothes onto the lower peg, greet the visitors, and report to Mr. Viney that you've had your chit signed. Now, sex. Sex, sex, sex. Where were we? [sniff] Well, had I got as far as ...
~~~~~
I won't admit whether I am a computer whiz myself or not but I can tell most people I know are not and to have to do the things we are being asked so we can play on eBay seems ridiculous. Besides feeling like I am being played so they can know more about me.
I also have noticed there isn't as many auctions being posted in my regular searches and I don't think there is as many bidders.
Would like to know what everyone else thinks.
~~~
Oops! Forgot a word so I fixed a typo too!
[ edited by another_smith on Sep 9, 2001 08:07 PM ]
posted on September 10, 2001 06:55:45 AM
I too do not like the forced sign in. I believe that ebay is able to mine the information to determine how we use the site….what we bid on….what we don’t bid on….etc. Pretty soon, those banner ads will be very directed at our interests. And since ebay wishes to eventually rule the world….they will be able to know our habits to send us directed emails about half.com or other ebay owned sites. Then, change the rules again….as they always do….to say they have the right to sell the mined information…..
posted on September 10, 2001 09:38:02 PM
eBay says (really this time)
"There are a few reasons why we made this sign in requirement. The main reason for this change is because the old sign in feature only lasted for about 40 minutes, and members complained about having to sign in multiple times throughout the day. With the new sign in feature members will only be required to sign in once to perform most activities on
eBay. This will allow members to move faster and easier around the site."
~~~~~
Well, isn't that just great?!
Because some bozos want to put eBay into their speed-dial EVERYONE else has to suffer?
Why can't eBay just add a "sign-in until I sign-out" feature for those who find it onerous to sign-in again after 40 minutes (of inactivity)? Why does everyone have to sign-in now?
I still hope eBay will drop this but until then I am doing much less there. When I do have to sign-in I do and then immediatly sign-out. Now I am doing more than I use to have to do before the "simpler sign-in."
That is one reason why I didn't like going to Amazon auctions. Amazon said, "Hi *George" when I would arrive and I would say, "Bye Amazon" and leave.
posted on September 10, 2001 10:04:35 PM
And now for something completely different.
"TheLarch."
I just got back from vacation; planned on doing some eBay shopping and maybe running a few auctions. Came here first and started reading, went to the DNF board over there and did some more reading. Read the Announcements. Did not log in, did not pass Go, no one collected my two hundred dollars. Nor does it seem likely they will at any time in the near future. Last Big Helpful Idea took eBay a month to fix.
The Monty Python analogy is apropos. Must be getting instructions from the Ministry of Funny Walks again. Perhaps getting caught in a sign-in loop due to a rotten cookie shouldn't scare me so much. This is only a simpler way to enter eBay, after all - not one of the many doors to hell.
It's only a fuzzy little bunny!
[ edited by yorequest on Sep 10, 2001 10:10 PM ]
