posted on September 8, 2000 10:47:31 PM new
Most of you have been in the online auction business for quite some time, but I want you to go back to the days when you were a newbie. Remember what it was like when you got your first bid? How about that first sale, or your first positive feedback? Put a smile on your face, didn't it?
I am the founder of the new site and I have been around the online auction industry for quite sometime. In fact, I played a role in the creation of some of the competing sites.
Something that I've noticed lately is that users are no longer having fun. It used to be all about making money while having fun. Now, many users are going for the big score with their $100,000 domain names and others are in it because they have found an easy way to fraud people.
I read a lot of chat boards on auction sites and it is very disappointing to see so many people come together just to #*!@ and complain. It's obvious that people are simply not happy with the state of online auctions! I know that some of you have created legitimate businesses for yourselves and I think that's great, but what about the hobbyist that used to come and sell a
baseball card or two just for the fun of it? Where did that person go?
There are over one million new people signing on to the Internet each week and I know that some of them have never even seen eBay or Yahoo auctions. I would hate for those new folks to join an auction site, check out the chat boards and see that everybody is miserable.
My question to this group is what would it take to make it fun again? As a founder of an auction site my goal is to make the site a fun (and profitable) place to buy and sell items of all kinds. You are the professionals and that is why I am turning to you. I do not want to decide how to run our auction by having the stuffy managers vote on content and user activities. I want the real auction users to tell me what they want in
an auction site. That is the site that I want to run - one that was built by users and is managed by users. In fact, I would eventually like to put together a group of users that make all of the content decisions. They discuss it. They vote on it and we implement it.
So I will ask you all once again... What would it take to make buying and
selling fun again?
posted on September 9, 2000 08:47:38 AM new
Before the thread is locked because it APPEARS (and I'm not sure, but from the previous post) that you are not supposed to post this here (?) ~ I can answer your question.
posted on September 9, 2000 09:42:47 AM new
Hello,
toollady, no, I assure you that I did not spam the "hallowed halls of AW". And I didn't thnk that I was "touting" anything, just asking for some opinions.
geraldene, you said that "You shouldn't bother with another site ~ THE FUN has moved to BidBay !!!". That's cool. I'm sure that it is a fun site, but there are over 200 million folks on the Internet. I think that if all of them used the same auction site then it would be a bit crowded. thanks for the advice, but we are also having fun building our new trading site. There is room for many more as well! I say good luck to us all - buyers, sellers, and sites as a whole.
posted on September 9, 2000 10:51:09 AM new
Oh, good, I'm glad you weren't here spamming before on behalf of another site because I wouldn't want you to get NARU'd for the following violations of the user agreement:
"In the case that a prior membership held by the registrant was revoked by AuctionWatch.com, and not by request of the account holder, a new membership will be available only with the express approval of AuctionWatch.com"
or
"Advertise products or services in the Message Center or to our members. This includes (but is not limited to) auction sites, software, and auction related discussion forums. Company agents may answer questions about services in a strictly factual and non-promotional manner if asked; however, AuctionWatch.com reserves the right to end a discussion if we believe that your Company or any of its agents initiated or are perpetuating the discussion, or are promoting your services. "
(bolding added for emphasis)
So, did you spam users of another auction site you were once associated with or not?
Also, you stated:
"I want the real auction users to tell me what they want in
an auction site. That is the site that I want to run - one that was built by users and is managed by users. In fact, I would eventually like to put together a group of users that make all of the content decisions. They discuss it. They vote on it and we implement it."
You may want to look around some of the newer sites. This is already happening!
What would make your site different to stand out above the rest?
posted on September 9, 2000 11:06:27 AM new
Hello toollady,
I see that you have been upset by someone or something. I have read a lot of the other posts in these threads and I don't feel that anything is accomplished by being confrontational to other posters.
You did ask what would set our site above the rest. I don't really think that this is the place to be giving selling points of my site or any other. We have a chat board at the site that I would gladly discuss this on.
I was simply asking for the opinions of auction users. What do they want to see in a site? What would make them happy? I see that you have a different mission, so maybe we should end this conversation with each other. You can always use the ignore feature if you do not want to read further posts by me.
posted on September 9, 2000 11:43:17 AM new
You're a tough cookie and just full of accusations. The folks that read these boards are lucky to have you as a protector and defender. Sorry, that I offended you by asking for their opinions!
posted on September 9, 2000 11:50:23 AM new
DutchBid ~~ Interesting, I wonder if the opinions of others would actually help a particular site, I know it does. Golds is a very good example. However I am with ToolLady on this one, I remember getting a spam for your site and trashed it.
I am curious based on ToolLadies post, what other sites were you involved with?
The way your question is worded up above is a promotion! "That is the site that I want to run - one that was built by users and is managed by users. In fact, I would eventually like to put together a group of users that make all of the content decisions. They discuss it. They vote on it and we implement it." That is advertisement, and asking for folks to join. If you have started other sites or been involved in the creation of other auction sites, you should already know what it is going to take.
Buying and selling is fun period, Most of the sites that I am associated with have their draw backs and pluses. The buying and selling is what you as the individual make of it. The opportunity to sell or buy as a hobbist is there on most of the sites, I've hung my hat on a particular site and plan on staying there, a site itself can't make it fun, the site can only make the environment easier to deal with, and provide the tools to work with the auctions. Only the users on that particular site can make it fun.
posted on September 9, 2000 11:55:08 AM new
elecdata1,
Very good point! It is what you make of it that makes it fun! I guess there are just a lot of folks who do not make the most of their situation and choose to complain rather than be productive. You make a good a point!
posted on September 10, 2000 06:21:35 PM new
Thanks SEABHS! There has been a lot of activity for a site that is just a week old. It's funny, but when we launched DutchBid we got a lot of flack in the chat room of another site - you know the one that doesn't welcome any competition whatsoever, well that flack worked great as far as promotion goes!
Seriously though... it is true that we do not have the money to pay three users a day a hundred bucks like some others, but I think by maintaing QUALITY auction items and eliminating the rif-raf and "for feedback only" auctions, DutchBid will be a worthwhile venture - both for our users and for us.
posted on September 10, 2000 06:46:45 PM new
Yeah you weren't very well received. I checked it out. Looks familiar!!! <grinning ear to ear>
what most of the people over at that one site do not realize is that some people just read the chat boards before they become a part of a community to get the feel of the site. Don't do like them....their chat rooms are gonna destroy 'em.....or get them on the Jerry Springer Show..
Good luck...will keep checkin in.
posted on September 10, 2000 09:31:47 PM new
Sorry, elecdata1. I didn't see the post the first time you asked. One of the sites that I was involved with is widely talked about in the "other auctions" threads (both good and bad), however I do not like to discuss my personal history in public chat rooms (and I recommend that none of you do it either). I would be happy discuss things with you if you want to contact me throught the site.
posted on September 10, 2000 09:51:28 PM new
DutchBid ~~ I don't believe that I was asking for your personal history, just what sites, I already knew about the one site, The one thing though, I don't like vieled (sp) threats. I'm sure that I was misreading your post.
posted on September 10, 2000 10:13:53 PM newelecdata1
I can't see anything that resembles "veiled threats" but instead general advice. If I've missed something, please let me know and I will review it again.
MichelleG
Moderator
*edited for spelling
[ edited by MichelleG on Sep 10, 2000 10:14 PM ]
posted on September 21, 2000 07:04:20 PM new
elecdata1 here and every where else, what's your problem? A chat room is about chatting, so if don't want to chat about a certain subject, then don't.
In regards to this DutchBid site, other than it reminds me of Kermit the Frog Auction house, it looks pretty cool.
posted on November 1, 2000 11:04:57 PM new
Funny thing... for the life of me I could not figure out how my post could have been taken the way that elecdata1 described them. Now, over a month later, I look back and see where he may have taken me wrong. When I re-read the thread I realized that he mistook me. Just to clearify, I was merely saying that I recommend that nobody discuss their own personal info on public forums - you can never be too safe!
posted on November 2, 2000 11:25:12 PM new
elecdata1,
DutchBid.com is doing well, thanks for asking! We have many dedicated members that are working closely with us to implement new features. Their feedback is worth its weight in gold! I hope that you will drop by the site and take a gander. Our members have many unique items up for auction and they are definitely worth taking a look at.
posted on November 3, 2000 08:40:32 AM new
DutchBid ~~ Thanks for your kind answer, however you didn't answer my question. What other sites were you involved with?
posted on November 13, 2000 09:39:22 AM new
I found a site that looks pretty fun. It's called Lowestbids.com. They allow buyers and sellers to be on-line at the same time. I think I'm going to spend a lot of time there.
posted on November 13, 2000 12:29:40 PM new
I think that Auction sites are like a shopping mall, and DB is right in the sense that there are so many places to go, and sooooo many people, if we all use the same store, what will the lines and the prices be like. SHOP SHOP SHOP around, there ARE plenty of sites. If you find one that is really cool, TELL EVERYONE, not SPAM, but I would like to be kept abreast of newer, cooler sites, the older sites can't have all the action, or else it become monopolized and we all suffer. Talk to ya'll later
