Comments on: Planned eBay strike starts Monday; no one cares http://shoestringtheory.com/2008/02/16/planned-ebay-strike-starts-monday-no-one-cares/ Currently documenting the house that is eating our lives, we will return to regularly scheduled programming in a couple of more months Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:00:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: AtTheBat http://shoestringtheory.com/2008/02/16/planned-ebay-strike-starts-monday-no-one-cares/comment-page-1/#comment-24 AtTheBat Sun, 17 Feb 2008 07:33:28 +0000 http://shoestringtheory.com/2008/02/16/planned-ebay-strike-starts-monday-no-one-cares/#comment-24 It's definitely a boycott, not a strike, whatever takes place. While some sellers might consider eBay to be their workplace, this is no more true than saying that they work for UPS or Federal Express. The root of the problems with eBay is that many people buy into the idea that sellers are working for eBay, rather than sellers being customers of a valuable but not entirely unique service. A great number of people will accept far worse treatment from an employer than they ever would from any business they patronize. To consider oneself an employee of a company that hasn't hired you is akin to making a pledge of love to someone who is apathetic. It might provoke a response, but not necessarily the one that is desired. I love the passion that is alive within many of the businesspeople who use eBay. Some seem to have forgotten that they are just that, businesspeople. If they feel that boycotting eBay is the best long-term strategy for their business, then I wholeheartedly endorse their decision, while endorsing the rights of everyone else who does not make the same decision. Therein lies the greatest beauty of eBay and other auction sites; It is your business to run how you see fit. Just don't delude yourself into thinking that everyone shares your perspective, regardless of your perspective. If everyone had shared the same perspective, eBay wouldn't exist. It’s definitely a boycott, not a strike, whatever takes place. While some sellers might consider eBay to be their workplace, this is no more true than saying that they work for UPS or Federal Express. The root of the problems with eBay is that many people buy into the idea that sellers are working for eBay, rather than sellers being customers of a valuable but not entirely unique service. A great number of people will accept far worse treatment from an employer than they ever would from any business they patronize. To consider oneself an employee of a company that hasn’t hired you is akin to making a pledge of love to someone who is apathetic. It might provoke a response, but not necessarily the one that is desired.

I love the passion that is alive within many of the businesspeople who use eBay. Some seem to have forgotten that they are just that, businesspeople. If they feel that boycotting eBay is the best long-term strategy for their business, then I wholeheartedly endorse their decision, while endorsing the rights of everyone else who does not make the same decision. Therein lies the greatest beauty of eBay and other auction sites; It is your business to run how you see fit. Just don’t delude yourself into thinking that everyone shares your perspective, regardless of your perspective. If everyone had shared the same perspective, eBay wouldn’t exist.

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