MARKETPLACE: Required Email Address Suggestion-Comment

[gary]

It's probably best for me to begin this post by setting some minds' at ease by saying that this is not a complaint and I am not challenging anyone's right to make such a rule.

I'm just curious, though, regarding the reminder and rules about posting private emails in the ads, and I was wondering if Harri and moderators had considered that PM-ing could satisfy the way people could be at least initially contacted. Then the emails addresses could be privately exchanged with those who are serious customers and avoid private emails being so publicly displayed.

[gary]

I can't edit the above so I just wanted to make another point. I momentarily stirred some things up a bit in the past when I posted a question that was interpreted (my bad-it could've been written better) as being a direct challenge to a decision and action that had been taken. I want to avoid that this time.

If anyone reading my above post takes it as a challenge of the rule I want to state unequivocally that it is not. If they want to make it such, I will not support them. It is a friendly suggestion, nothing more. :angel4:

[Chris S]

Duely noted, thanks gary.

Chris S
SOTW Moderator

[SAXISMYAXE]

Hi Gary,
No threat perceived by your inquiry, you know you're the man!:D . There are but four simple rules regarding the Minimum Marketplace Information required to post a listing in those sub-forums.
1. Description of the product.
2. Contact Email address.
3. Asking price.
4. Where the horn (or other sax product) would ship from (location)
This isn't exactly asking the world of would be posters (by anyone's standards), for a free and far reaching wanted/for-sale forum board. It certainly beats the heck out of paying for Ebay's crappy service and unpredictable and often unreliable bidders.
It is also the way Harri and Pete want it, and since I am the humble Yeoman of the Rules and Regulations, this is they way it will stand.
As I mentioned, it is nothing for someone to set up a dedicated, free Email address to use in their listings should they be concerned about posting their everyday address.
Cheers.

[saxmanjack]

Great suggestion, Gary.

"Please view my profile for contact info."

[SAXISMYAXE]

Don't go killing the messenger here people.
Anyone who feels that strongly about the topic can certainly provide a workable, alternate solution and run it by Harri, Pete, and Gandalfe. However, unless another viable option is implemented, these are the rules.

It's four simple rules, as much to help communicate and aide in the sale of your items from the poster's point of view, as it is to keep the Administrators happy. That is all.8-)

[Gandalfe]

We will evaluate Gary's recommendation and get back to y'all.

[Pete]

Moving someplace where it's not gonna get deleted.

[Pete]

OK. That's better.

First, you have to remember that the rule about e-mail was made on our eesites forum, where that information was not readily available. However it is still applicable to this incarnation of the SOTWF because you, as a member, can click the little button that says "don't display my e-mail address".

I'm gonna say something moderately contradictory: the main reason why we say to include your e-mail address instead of leaving PM's is because people can and do ignore PM's. With an e-mail address, if you've skipped town without sending a horn (or whatever), at least the buyer has a CHANCE of tracking you down.

And we, the SOTWF staff, although we're 1337, kewl 'n' stuf, aren't gonna track down problem sellers for you.

Also, of course, there are people who don't realize they have "display e-mail address" turned off in their profile.

Now, every now and then Harri does do a check to see if the e-mail address you registered with here is working. If it isn't, you're put in a "special" group until we hunt you down. If you don't contact us after a certain amount of time, we deactivate your account: you're banned.

Additonally, there's nothing that says that you can't put, as your location info in your profile as, "Utopia Shipyards. USS Excelsior," or some such. That's why we say that you've gotta include the location you're shipping from.

Personally, I would like to completely and totally close down the Marketplace because there are too many people that abuse it and/or complain about it (this is not a complaint about gary, this is a general complaint).

ALL of the SOTWF staff, except for Harri (he's not been around. May be a turkey coma, but I don't think they have Thanksgiving Day in Finland, so I dunno) have approved some very strong improvements to the Marketplace and even stronger penalties for abuse. Why? We were getting upwards of 16 complaints a day over the past couple weeks. Heck, I even designed a form in SQL that you HAD to fill out or no postee.

[gary]

Whatever you folks decide I will suport. I think those are sound reasons and I thank you for taking the time to think it over.

In my personal situation, I decided years ago to go for relative anonymity because 1: I wanted my posts judged on their own merit, not because of who I might, or might not, be, and 2. because of several nut cases who want to track you down. Aaannnd...my email address and my full name are one and the same.

These are my personal reason for not wanting to post, but if the decision is to continue posting email addresses, I'll just find a way around that. That shouldn't be too hard to do; just might take a little time.

Thanks again for taking the time. As usual, I'm amazed at the extra work you moderators have so selflessly taken on. Good on ye! Gary

[Pete]

I've always recommended registering a Hotmail e-mail account to use as your "public" account. I now extend that to Gmail, which is a much better service (no offense to Gandalfe -- and I've had Hotmail since before Microsft owned 'em).

If'n you want a Gmail account and their 2.5gb of storage, PM me (you have to be invited and have a current e-mail address). If you want to sign up for Hotmail, their registration page is at https://accountservices.passport.net/reg.srf?id=2&sl=1&lc=1033

[gary]

A PM's on it's way, Pete.

[bobsax]

OK. That's better.
Personally, I would like to completely and totally close down the Marketplace because there are too many people that abuse it and/or complain about it

I agree
Completely remove it from the Forum but have a link to a new SOTW selling site .
Harri could hire someone to start up an eSax site with profits going to SOTW.
The site should have eBay features like Pay-Pal , Feedback and search by region and make the fees a lot less then eBay. I would love to see eBay loose a little business;)