Let The eBay Rumor Games Begin! Is AuctionBytes Playing TMZ for eBay News?!?

Written by John Comments
Last Updated July 20, 2009

Hey there! Click to follow me! I send FREE content that includes the latest hints, tips, and "edutainment" research with videos, MP3's, and industry content You might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Well, the eBay world is all buzzing about the upcoming announcements promised by eBay for 2009. Ebay said they would be making 2 big changes this year and each would be preceded by announcements at least 90 days in advance of the changes.

Little did we know that at least 1 week in advance of those official eBay announcements 2x a year, Auctionbytes would make "TMZ-esq" stories around rumors of said announcements. Which I am wondering if that is a good thing or a bad thing?

TMZ.com is a celebrity gossip website which debuted in December 2005. While positioning itself as an independent celebrity news site, the site is more widely regarded as a tabloid journal.

Auctionbytes.com is known as a news and resource for online auction sellers.

Rumors and speculation always seem to permeate around big stories, and the race to be the FIRST can sometimes back fire, as we saw with the "so called Zappos-eBay Breaking News from Auctionbytes.

So here is my question … Does speculation and rumor make you more likely or less likely to trust the news source?

Let me here your comments guys?????

EventHorizon1984

tsk, tsk.

By adding TMZ this became a 'guilt by association' type ColderICE article. Very mid-20th Century old school McCarthyism-type newspaper writing.

NOTE I just did the same thing. And that stunk didn't it?

Removing the two inapt TMZ keyword generating paragraphs and photo would have produced a clean 'making a point' article. Instead your article is now on file with AuctionByte critics as a weapon.

You do much better work than this.

.

"as of June 15, will no longer be providing third party checkout service on eBay.", Dinesh Lathi Vice President Seller Experience, 13 April 2009
eBay Eliminates Third-Party Checkout, Impacts ProStores, Vendors, Ina Steiner, 15 April 2009
"No sooner do I give her props for solid sourcing that she publishes something wholly misinformed and just plain wrong", Usher Lieberman, 15 April 2009
"Some blogs have incorrectly reported that eBay is doing away with third party checkout.", Dinesh Lathi Vice President Seller Experience, 15 April 2009
"No one else here will work with you, Ina.", Usher Lieberman, 15-28 April 2009

Cliff Aliperti

By the way, I just want to tack on that I don't think AuctionBytes actually compares to TMZ. Main difference here being that actually I do read Ina and take her articles seriously. I'm just trying to say that I don't react on them anymore.

Thanks, Cliff

Cliff Aliperti

Yeah, but Walt, TMZ.com has a Google PR 7.

I don't think anyone is saying AB isn't relevant, more that the news has become less hard with more speculation.

A few years ago I took their reporting as gospel, today I'm waiting for confirmation from the actual news source before I even start planning any changes to my business.

Of course, the recent history of that news source has me prepared for potential flip-flopping down the road, but I'll definitely put more value on the actual announcement than any advance word.

auctionwally

http://auctionbytes.com has a Google page rank of 6

eBay's General announcement board has a page rank of ...6
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/marketing.shtml

Obviously somebody at Google thinks Ina's site is relevant.

If Auctionbytes.com had stock that was traded on the NYSE today, I'd buy it.

However, I wouldn't touch eBay's stock with YOUR money.

For what it's worth.

John

Hi Patrica, thank you very much for your comments. I would like to answer you on two points you raised:

#1 This is NOT personal (about Ina, cause I love and respect her)

#2 I am NOT trying to "down her"

I asked a simple question. Does SPECULATION add or subtract trust. It is a VERY timely question since speculation runs rapid in the markets and can negativity effect healthy stock. And I am reminded that speculators where the reason why we paid $4.50 for a gallon of gas less than two years ago.

So I position this as a question simply about speculation and its effects. TMZ? Well come on, they make good press ;-) cause you have to write in extremes to make good copy, LOL

john

Patricia013

I'm just not getting it...what does this TMZ have to do with Auctionbytes. Ina seems to be one of the few sources we can count on. Let's leave it at that! No need to down her for trying to get the news to us. Not that it does much good...Ebay is suicidal and sometimes you're powerless to intervene. This seems to be the case. Anyway - all this news has done one very important thing...it made us stop being dependent on Ebay and started most of us to move away from Ebay and out into the world.

John

Dammit Randy, that is why you are so necessary to us! Love it dude, you are very correct.

Dammit Cliff, that is why you are so necessary to us! Love it dude, you are very correct.

LOL, you guys ROCK! Seriously, thanks for being around and adding value.

John

Randy Smythe

Yep, the edges have been blurred these days. We need Walter Cronkite to set us straight -- "And that's the way it is."

Cliff Aliperti

Randy, TMZ also "broke" the story about the death of Natasha Richardson earlier this year ... unfortunately they killed her off a day or two early, but I guess they "broke" the story.

First I stopped commenting on AB b/c there was no conversation going on, just proclamations against the big bad monster.

Next I've veered away from taking the "news" as seriously as I once did because it feels more like rumor a lot of the time.

My news source for eBay news is now 100% the eBay Announcements board. It's not worth moving until it's there. The rest is speculation and entertainment.

Cliff

fitzcharming

Ebay brings the gossip and speculation on themselves. May sellers don't trust them anymore, or at the very least are suspicious. Ebay PR needs a class in.... well, PR.

Randy Smythe

I meant TMZ. :) It is interesting that the LA Times followed TMZ's lead on the MJ thing.

Also, one big distinction to note is that Ina's speculative posts are found on her blog and not in her newsletter or Auctionbytes proper.

Blogs have much more latitude than straight news sources do. She keeps those type of stories on the blog.

John

:-) LOL, Randy...ummm did that make you "trust" TMZ as a value-added source LOL

Randy Smythe

John,

TMX did break the Michael Jackson story and got that right. I'm just sayin'

Jeff Stannard

Since AB, and the comments people leave on the AB blog are probably some of the most anti-ebay chatter available, eBay probably feeds the site 'sort-of' correct information, in effort to make users like you and me doubt their validity once the real news is released.

GARY OVERTON

I like and respect Ina very much but I have to wonder what is going on. I have a feeling eBay is using her. I am certain they are going to do whatever they have already decided to do. I have to wonder if they are using Ina to slowly leak things out to soften the blow when the announcement is finally made.
As far as your question "Does speculation and rumor make you more likely or less likely to trust the news source?"
I take everything at face value. I don't fully trust any news source. Auctionbytes has been and will continue to be the 1st place I go to for my news about online selling because I have found it to be regular znd timely. I can pretty much depend on something new there every day.