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Appropriate and Inappropriate Postings
There are actually very few chat board guidelines and rules imposed by
eBay, and they're stated at the top of the board:
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We provide this discussion board for collectors, experts and friends to
chat with each other.
This does not mean that all postings must be about comics -
far from it! We enjoy and encourage a wide range of topics! Think of
it as a party being held at a store or convention: we're all here because
we like comics, but there's a lot more to our lives than one subject.
- No business please!
This rule has been interpreted various ways by various people,
including eBay employees! Strictly interpreted, it means that you cannot
advertise any sales, whether they are on eBay or elsewhere, and
whether or not you're the seller. Few people take it that strictly, but
the general consensus is that if all you have to say is "Bid on my
auctions!" then you're not welcome on any of eBay's boards. Again,
think of the board as a social gathering: it's reasonable to say "Wow!
Look at the latest bid on my Spawn #1!" or "Would someone help
me with the wording (or images, or HTML) on my Detective #27?"
But nobody likes to go to a party, only to have someone thrust a sales
flyer in their face.
- "You are responsible for your own
words. Please consider your message carefully before submitting it."
A good question to ask yourself is, "If someone reads my message the
wrong way, how will they interpret it?" Will they think your kind words
are insulting? Will they think you're arguing, when you're actually just
joking? Remember: writing is not the same as speaking, and nobody can
see the expression on your face when you post your message!
Occasionally, people get confused by this notice from eBay when they post
an item for sale:
"To increase traffic to your listing,
you can post to appropriate newsgroups, listing the above URL."
eBay's chat boards are not newsgroups! This message is referring
to the Usenet; if you're selling comics, the newsgroup
rec.arts.comics.marketplace is the right place to post
messages about your auctions - not the chat board!
There are other guidelines we like to follow, most of which are considered
standard "netiquette":
- Stay and chat!
Don't post-and-run - see what others have to say! You might be surprised -
someone might respond to your posting with an interesting remark, or
agree with your comments, or say something amusing. Take a look!
- Read before posting.
Sometimes it's hard to "catch up" with all the messages, and to keep
track of all the people posting, but it's worth it. Take a minute, see
what people have said (especially in the last half-hour or so), then add
your comments.
- Chat with others.
When the board is active, you might try to introduce a new topic, without getting any response from the crowd. Before getting upset,
think for a minute - Is everyone too involved in the current topic to
start a new one? Or is your topic not of general interest? Are you
presenting your ideas in a way that will get others interested? As
eBay says, "please consider your message carefully before submitting it."
- Share the board.
Some times you may be the only one posting, especially in the middle
of the night. Don't take this as a signal for you to start babbling!
Eventually, a crowd will gather and see your words, and look upon them
with scorn - "So many postings, so little to say..." Also, it's worth
remembering that eBay's chat boards only hold 200 messages, so each time
you add a new one, the oldest one is lost. A good rule of thumb is to
limit yourself to no more than three postings in a row, then give someone
else a turn. If nobody responds, wait an hour or two - someone will
eventually show up! Win Bent (whbjr), Jan 2000 |
