What has happened to Ebay?

[Arkan]

I remember when Ebay first came about you could search for nearly anything you wanted, and an individual somewhere usually had just what you were looking for. It was a good way to find hard to find things or something new for a relatively cheap price. Now all you find are these online stores that sell junk versions of what your looking for. Capitalism has killed ebay for me.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Didnt you know? Capitalism kills EVERYTHING in the long run.

 

 

( well, everything good atleast )

[213374U]

Didnt you know? Capitalism kills EVERYTHING in the long run.

 

 

( well, everything good atleast )

You do love those 500+ words per post battles about capitalism with taks, don't you?

 

[Darth_Schmarth]

Everything worth buying has been bought.

[Surreptishus]

Ebay used to be about the people man! It was a community! We governed ourselves unitl the "corporations" took over and the bastard bourgeosie have made it into a diluted common denominator version of its former self. Just to make profit for the greedy fat cats at the top.

 

I remember back in the day I could sell porn freely and it was in demand... now i get shut down by The Man.

[Judge Hades]

Ebay lost it when we could sell a grilled cheese sandwich on it.

[Child of Flame]

That wasn't just any grilled cheese sammich on it man, that was a grilled cheese sammich with the face of the Holy Mother on it.

[kumquatq3]

Didnt you know? Capitalism kills EVERYTHING in the long run.

 

 

( well, everything good atleast )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

::sings:: The circle, the circle of capitalism

[Gabrielle]

Capitalism sucks. It killed the funness of the internet.

[Kaftan Barlast]

Didnt you know? Capitalism kills EVERYTHING in the long run.

 

( well, everything good atleast )

You do love those 500+ words per post battles about capitalism with taks, don't you?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Well, I did read an interesting essay about the Bretton Woods system and how an unregulated, free flow of capital undermines democracy and the wellfare state by allowing the formation of an economical virtual senate that rules by the threat of capital flight.

Edited December 15, 2005 by Kaftan Barlast

[Cantousent]

Didnt you know? Capitalism kills EVERYTHING in the long run.

 

 

( well, everything good atleast )

You do love those 500+ words per post battles about capitalism with taks, don't you?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No, he just likes the rank stench of hypocrisy that permeates his position. Nothing like sitting at your university, using your computer to post messages on a message board, and enjoying the benefits of the system that has reared you to engender unhappiness in any individual. Of course, maybe he should come up with a better system.

 

Here's another question... wasn't ebay a capitalist enterprise in the first place? So, capitalism creates something you enjoy but that service falls prey to a more successful endeavor, and capitalism killed it? I guess capitalism giveth and capitalism taketh away.

 

In the meantime, Kaftan, continue to rail against the very system that affords you the opportunity to sit at a computer attacking it. Your position is not only grossly hypocritical, it is also most odiously stupid. Not you, though. Nothing personal. Just your ideas and positions.

[Dark Moth]

I'll take capitalism over communism any day.

[Kaftan Barlast]

No, he just likes the rank stench of hypocrisy that permeates his position.  Nothing like sitting at your university, using your computer to post messages on a message board, and enjoying the benefits of the system that has reared you to engender unhappiness in any individual.  Of course, maybe he should come up with a better system.

 

Here's another question...  wasn't ebay a capitalist enterprise in the first place?  So, capitalism creates something you enjoy but that service falls prey to a more successful endeavor, and capitalism killed it?  I guess capitalism giveth and capitalism taketh away.

 

In the meantime, Kaftan, continue to rail against the very system that affords you the opportunity to sit at a computer attacking it.  Your position is not only grossly hypocritical, it is also most odiously stupid.  Not you, though.  Nothing personal.  Just your ideas and positions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The system which allows me to attend university here without paying tuition fees and funded by quite reasonable student loans, is a socialist economic model. I would say that it reasonable, to have some sort of knowledge about what youre talking about, before you start talking.

 

 

 

Now what has happened with Ebay, as well as most similar sites like the Swedish Blocket, is that it has been transformed from an open peer-to-peer marketplace to a gigantic shopping mall. Instead of people selling things to other people, you have bussinesses using Ebay as a cheaper alternative to an online store. And being a gigantic mall, you cant have people selling whatever they want to.

[Cantousent]

I was waiting for the Socialist comment. I was waiting for it with relish. Yes, European Socialism. A capitalist system in socialists clothing if I've ever heard one. ...But where do you derive the capital for this endeavor? Did the government just create the capital? Even if it did, which it did not, then does any government stand alone? Where do the exports go when you manufacture items? Is it all domestic, because, if not, you get an awefully big boost from some capitalist neighbors. Nope, I didn't have the wrong idea, friend. You do.

[Child of Flame]

I'll take capitalism over communism any day. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

[Gfted1]

@CoF: Whats the first word say?

Edited December 15, 2005 by Gfted1

[Child of Flame]

'I'm'

[Gfted1]

"Im * communism"? I dont get it.

[Moose]

Ebay is crap/good as it's always been imho. The fact you can still log on, set up an auction for a piece of rope, and have someone seriously buy it pretty much confirms that for me.

 

As for politics, it's gay. End of really.

[Child of Flame]

"Im * communism"? I dont get it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

That's because just like Hitler, you don't READ.

[Gabrielle]

Why read when you can burn.

[Plano Skywalker]

Socialism (not the Leninist type, but the Scandanavin type) works relatively

well in relatively homogeneous societies.

 

It does not work as well in more diverse societies.

[Moose]

Er, I think you'll find the Swedish will argue with their.

[taks]

ebay's failure, er, downfall, has nothing to do with capitalism. they should have regulated it but didn't. it is private enterprise, so they are allowed to put restrictions on their own business model. now, capitalism affords someone else to come in with a model that restricts the online shopping aspect. perhaps i have an idea now...

 

taks

 

PS: too excited to argue the virtues of capitalism over socialism and call kaftan a freeloader... going skiing tomorrow!

 

PPS: i'd never call you a freeloader kaftan, but the joke was too easy to drop.

[taks]

Socialism (not the Leninist type, but the Scandanavin type) works relatively

well in relatively homogeneous societies.

 

It does not work as well in more diverse societies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i must make one more point... it also works in societies that are a) relatively small, at least much smaller (orders of magnitude) than countries like the US and b) societies that have high levels of resources and/or services that are in great demand in the rest of the world.

 

the former point is really aimed at small tribal groups where everyone has to pitch in because there are more jobs to do than people to do them. the latter point is simply because the positive trade balance affords the society money to blow, so to speak (scandinavian countries have such a benefit). such societies, btw, are actually living off of the fruits of the rest of the capitalist societies which are generating the wealth. so in the end, they still need us materialistic bastards to keep 'em humming.

 

also, well made point eldar. well made.

 

taks