Snipe S/W?

From: Mark Gregory <gregorym_at_cadvision.com>
Date: Tue Dec 19 16:23:56 2000

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sellam Ismail" <foo_at_siconic.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: Snipe S/W?


> > Is sniping morally wrong? I dunno, ask a priest. Is it rude?
> > Definitely. But there are SO many people who do it, screw it. If you
> > snipe someone and can't live with yourself afterwards, then don't
> > snipe anymore. But if you're sick of BEING sniped, or of simply not
> > winning the auctions that you want to win, then go for it. It's a
> > cold, cruel world out there.
>
> Unfortunately, eBay's retarded auction mechanism promotes the use of
> sniping. As I've argued before, it encourages over-bidding.
>

It's also very unlike a live auction. Most auctioneers hate people who
snipe, because a sniper doesn't take place in the bidding war that leads to
higher prices. At most auctions, you'll find that the auctioneer and
his/her staff will "fail to notice" bids from persistent snipers unless
they have participated in the earlier bidding. eBay could create an
analogue of this by limiting bidding in the last 30 minutes of an auction
to people who bid before the 30 minute mark. At least then the bidders
could "size up" their competition and bid accordingly, as you would at a
live auction.

Cheers,
Mark Gregory
Received on Tue Dec 19 2000 - 16:23:56 GMT