How about a Forum for Members only?

[adruml]

Yep…sorry I just ‘’learn’’ from you, how you before put in particular thread other stuff too…but again sorry…my ‘’apologies’’…...

No problem.

[bykimbo]

Yes I do beleive he would have posted in the proper place. After all he was looking for member support and guests would not be able to give him a thumbs up or down anyway.

That would be "proper" as defined by you? You're very sure that a particular person would think exactly as you do in a situation, which I don't really understand as not even everybody in this thread (a tiny of minority of ebidders) agree it's the right way to go. And if there is a "members only" forum, I've yet to see a satisfactory explanation of what is allowed, or must compulsorily be posted there, and who's going to police that or how.

[adruml]

That would be "proper" as defined by you? You're very sure that a particular person would think exactly as you do in a situation, which I don't really understand as not even everybody in this thread (a tiny of minority of ebidders) agree it's the right way to go. And if there is a "members only" forum, I've yet to see a satisfactory explanation of what is allowed, or must compulsorily be posted there, and who's going to police that or how.

Your right there "by me" which is what brings us to the different opinions on the subject in the first place. None of us truly think alike and our interperations of each others comments/opinions are always different.
My intentions are and have always been in this thread to shelter (or hide) some of our negative posts.
If a member is looking for help on matters due to non paying buyers, strikethroughs for verification, lack of communication or someone wanting to voice displeasure with a particular portion of eBid then I am just assuming they would post more towards a "members only" forum category and not a public portion where guests can't help anyway.
I would not expect or even ask admin take anytime whatsoever policing that forum or any they have much better things to spend their time on but who polices the forums now? We do! All it takes is a report to have an entire thread removed, there is no other policing.
What stops posters from putting negative things in the forums now? Absolutely nothing. I do see where some may feel members may be hiding things from guests but yes that was the intention. I'm just looking for a way to keep negatives away from guests but not hide what the site is about. Do they need to know there is a verification process? They certainly do and I beleive they can find it in the Registration section.
Posts such as "I have a strike through my name/or sellers after listing/buying an item can someone tell me why" I beleive is fine for guests to see but posts such as "won an item now seller has been struck through". Although the same idea the perception of guests may be a bit different.
I went through (because I had free time on my hands) quite a few categories in the forums and just read titles. I was a bit shocked at some of the negative titles/statements out there. Quite a few.
This is not an idea I will strive for it was just something I wanted to get opinions on and the opinions are still rolling in. Again we can all, well at least I can learn a lot from everyone in the forums and as always there are certain points made I don't even think about until someone posts them. I am not saying my idea(s) are right or wrong they are just ideas I like to share. Everybodies opinions are more then welcome.

[MagnetsAndHangers]

who polices the forums now? We do! All it takes is a report to have an entire thread removed, there is no other policing.

You think?

[johnwash1]

If there are problems on the site (actually I should say 'when' there are problems, for no site is perfect, and neither are sellers or buyers) we should be trying to fix those problems, whether by offering advice, by debating and campaigning, or whatever.

I'm quite disturbed to think that someone would want to hide issues. So a naive visitor discovers that sometimes there are scammers on auction sites and gets scared... excellent, they've learned something. And they'll go on to learn the various precautions one can take, e.g. not being too hasty to send their money to a seller of 42" plasma TVs for a ridiculously modest price, via Western Union. This and many other things can be learned by browsing the forums and having well-informed buyers and sellers on the site is a Very Good Thing.

A far better thing, for example, than trying to guess on feeBay whether your buyer is a good guy or not. He could have scammed 5 other sellers before you, but his feedback is blemish-free, because feeBay castrates sellers by preventing them leaving even neutral feedback, let alone negs. And try raising that topic in the forums over there, and watch your post being quietly deleted. Pah, eBid has a far better policy. As others have said, openness and transparency is the right way.

[adruml]

If there are problems on the site (actually I should say 'when' there are problems, for no site is perfect, and neither are sellers or buyers) we should be trying to fix those problems, whether by offering advice, by debating and campaigning, or whatever.

I'm quite disturbed to think that someone would want to hide issues. So a naive visitor discovers that sometimes there are scammers on auction sites and gets scared... excellent, they've learned something. And they'll go on to learn the various precautions one can take, e.g. not being too hasty to send their money to a seller of 42" plasma TVs for a ridiculously modest price, via Western Union. This and many other things can be learned by browsing the forums and having well-informed buyers and sellers on the site is a Very Good Thing.

A far better thing, for example, than trying to guess on feeBay whether your buyer is a good guy or not. He could have scammed 5 other sellers before you, but his feedback is blemish-free, because feeBay castrates sellers by preventing them leaving even neutral feedback, let alone negs. And try raising that topic in the forums over there, and watch your post being quietly deleted. Pah, eBid has a far better policy. As others have said, openness and transparency is the right way.

Excellent thoughts in regards to scammers.

[JaBek1]

I'm afraid I seem to have lost track of actually what it is that we're discussing. I certainly don't advocate setting up a secret society to hide "top secret" activities or plan clandestine operations. I'm merely saying that a member's only area in the forums could be useful in discussing problematic issues that we might not necessarily want broadcast throughout cyberspace.

I don't quite understand the desire for total transparency among some members. I've always assumed that there are certain aspects of the sites operations that I'm not privy to, nor should I be. I also assume that there are things about other member's lives that I don't know about and really have no need or desire to learn. There is, after all, such a thing as "too much information."

While I'm perfectly willing to offer advice to people, I'm certainly not interested in sharing all the details of my business plans & operations with everyone. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why a non-member would be interested in some of the sections we have in the forums at present. Some of them I find downright boring myself. Of course, others might get some enjoyment from reading them. I suppose.

[adruml]

I'm afraid I seem to have lost track of actually what it is that we're discussing. I certainly don't advocate setting up a secret society to hide "top secret" activities or plan clandestine operations. I'm merely saying that a member's only area in the forums could be useful in discussing problematic issues that we might not necessarily want broadcast throughout cyberspace.

I don't quite understand the desire for total transparency among some members. I've always assumed that there are certain aspects of the sites operations that I'm not privy to, nor should I be. I also assume that there are things about other member's lives that I don't know about and really have no need or desire to learn. There is, after all, such a thing as "too much information."

While I'm perfectly willing to offer advice to people, I'm certainly not interested in sharing all the details of my business plans & operations with everyone. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why a non-member would be interested in some of the sections we have in the forums at present. Some of them I find downright boring myself. Of course, others might get some enjoyment from reading them. I suppose.

Indeed, what Jabek1 said.

[adruml]

You think?

I try not to it hurts the brain.

[bykimbo]

I'm afraid I seem to have lost track of actually what it is that we're discussing. I certainly don't advocate setting up a secret society to hide "top secret" activities or plan clandestine operations. I'm merely saying that a member's only area in the forums could be useful in discussing problematic issues that we might not necessarily want broadcast throughout cyberspace.

I don't quite understand the desire for total transparency among some members. I've always assumed that there are certain aspects of the sites operations that I'm not privy to, nor should I be. I also assume that there are things about other member's lives that I don't know about and really have no need or desire to learn. There is, after all, such a thing as "too much information."

While I'm perfectly willing to offer advice to people, I'm certainly not interested in sharing all the details of my business plans & operations with everyone. Frankly, I'm at a loss as to why a non-member would be interested in some of the sections we have in the forums at present. Some of them I find downright boring myself. Of course, others might get some enjoyment from reading them. I suppose.

I don't like the modern habit of over-sharing and keep my private business (personal, financial etc) off the forums, but that's not the point. What we're talking about here is having some information that you would be perfectly happy to share with "a complete stranger you've never met, who may be a business competitor, but who just happens to have bought membership of eBid", but you do NOT wish to share with "a complete stranger you've never met, who may be a business competitor, but who does not happen of have bought membership of eBid YET". Apparently there are things you're happy to tell the first lot, but not the second? I can't imagine there being any difference for me. You want levels of transparency. Some of us aren't keen on that idea. This entire idea was originally mooted as a way to somehow protect ebid from image damage. I think it would do more harm than good in that area. I don't feel massively strongly about, and I'm not prepared to die on the barricades, but I do feel that hiving off a "members only" area would be a mistake: unproductive, complicated and unnecessary. Even if I quite liked it, there are about a million things I'd rather they did first.