This is part three in a series comparing [tag]eBay[/tag] in its present form to the U.S. Government. Part two dealt with eBay fees and how they're administered. When people have lots of money at their disposal, there is a natural tendency to want to spend it on pet projects with benefits to a few, while the masses remain unsatisfied. Thus, the next installment...
#3 - [tag]Pork barrel[/tag] spending
eBay started off lean and scrappy. Now though it has also become bloated with features that are not needed or wanted. Many eBayers are not even aware of some programs such as [tag]My World[/tag], [tag]eBay Blogs[/tag], [tag]eBay Match-ups[/tag]. The programs generally don't add to the bottom line for sellers and they could even be considered a distraction from buying. These programs underscore the truth that their creators really don't understand what the community members want and need. People want an efficient, uncomplicated way to sell or buy stuff. But like the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., at eBay there is pressure to justify one's existence. So new "fun" ideas are dreamed up. Unfortunately these initiatives are costly, distracting, and dilute the site rather than strengthen it. People just want a safe place to easily buy and sell. But it's not always about the community, sometimes it's about egos and career advancement. Many of the employees don't even use the site, so how can they really know what it needs?
Education programs such as [tag]eBay University[/tag] have been discontinued, or at least marginalized. Live eBay [tag]education[/tag] is left to local Education Specialists to handle in their own communities. The Education Specialist program is a great program, and the instructors are wonderful people. They are one of the last groups on eBay discussion boards with a generally positive attitude. But eBay U was much more than just education. It was great [tag]public relations[/tag]. The same goes with eBay's presence at various trade shows. eBay has cut way back on trade shows, and by doing so they have lost one of the most powerful forms of direct marketing they had. Supposedly the return on investment was not there for eBay on the road. Maybe not in hard dollars, but certainly in word of mouth. I remember annual visitors to some shows that would look for us because it was the only time they felt their issue was heard. Some would tell success stories. Many would walk by and just yell out, "I love eBay!" within earshot of everyone.
Like it or not, there is a cultural difference between politicians in Washington, D.C. and the average Joes across the country. They see life through different lenses. The average Joe is viewed as needing the government's guiding hand in many areas, since they obviously could never make correct decisions on their own. There is also a cultural difference between eBay-the company, and eBay users. If [tag]Ivy League[/tag]rs run the company, and [tag]NASCAR[/tag] fans use the site, there is likely going to be a disconnect between what users want, and what they get. This situation will cause cracks to develop in the community - which leads into part four.
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