Section A.4. The Unofficial Scoop

A.4. The Unofficial Scoop

Sometimes you want info that goes beyond spouting the party line. There are plenty of places across the Internet where you can find news and views related to eBay. Read on to learn about some of these.

A.4.1. Auction News

Stories about eBayespecially the wackier auctions (see the box on page xxi for some real howlers)appear in mainstream news outlets almost every week. But there's more going on in the auction world than the main news outlets report. If you want to stay up-to-the-minute on auction news, several Web sites can help you out. These sites watch the wires for auction news and post stories on their Web pages. Some also report their own stories and offer analysis of trends in online auctions.

Here are some of the best sources for auction news on the Web:

• AuctionBytes . AuctionBytes (www.auctionbytes.com), shown in Figure A-10, sends out a frequent email newsletter with news stories, tips, and original articles of interest to buyers and sellers. eBay is one focus, but you'll find news here about other online auction sites, as well. The newsletter lets you know when a new issue is up on the site and gives you a taste of what's in current articles.

  

  Figure A-10. AuctionBytes provides some of the best, most comprehensive auction news on the Internet. The top of the page shows recent headlines; look below these for the current newsletter. The left-hand menu lets you sign up to have the AuctionBytes newsletter delivered to your inbox. Check the newsletter you want, type in your email address, and then click "subscribe." Below that, you can search previous issues by clicking the Archives link or typing a search term into the Search box and clicking the Search! button.

  
  

• Auction Insights . To get to the news area, go to the Auction Insights home page (www.auctioninsights.com), look in the left-hand menu for Auction News, and click that link. Doing so takes you to the Online Auction News page, shown in Figure A-11. Auction Insights collects news stories from all over the Internet and links to them from this page.

• The Auction Board . This site (http://theauctionboard.tblog.com) posts eBay announcements as they come out, as well as news stories about online auctions. The top of the page has a link to the site's discussion board, where you can read comments and opinions about eBay and other auction sites.

• The Auction Software Review . This site reviews third-party software for online auction buyers (pages 107 and 117) and sellers (Section 9.2), but it also has a news page. Point your Web browser to www.auctionsoftwarereview.com/news-auctions.asp to read the latest headlines, with links to stories in the original publication.

Figure A-11. Auction Insights links you to in-the-news stories about online auctions. Just click the title of any article to open a new window at the site reporting the story.

ALTERNATE REALITY
eBay on TV

It had to happen sooner or later; eBay is coming to television.

Thanks to a partnership with Time Warner Cable, eBay is currently testing online auctions on the television screens of cable subscribers. If you've got a digital video recorder (DVR), you'll be able to view listings, bid, and check your account right on your TV. No need to get up from the couch and trudge over to the computer during commercials.

eBay began testing the idea in Austin, Texas, in May 2005. After the initial year-long test, look for eBay TV to come to your town. Keep an eye on eBay Announcements in the My Messages area of your My eBay page (Section 1.5.3) to learn about it.

A.4.2. Software Reviews

Whether you're a buyer or a seller, you want to keep up with the tools that help you do business faster, smarter , better. Buyers want the fastest and most flexible sniping tools (Section 3.3.2.2), for example, and sellers want the most powerful and efficient auction managers (Section 9.2). To learn about new software and find out whether a product lives up to its claims, visit these sites:

• The Auction Software Review . This site (www.auctionsoftwarereview.com) is available in full to subscribers only, but the price is cheap at $9.99 for a lifetime subscription. Find new products, read reviews by other subscribers, or write your own review. The site's organization makes it easy to find what you're looking for: categories include selling, buying, ads, and general; subcategories cover searching, monitoring, sniping, marketing, and so on. Each category lists products alphabetically ; reviewed products get one star (don't bother) to five stars (great product).

• Tucows . Tucows (www.tucows.com) reviews and lets you download free and low-cost software. To find auction-related software, go to the Tucows home page and use the upper-right search box. Type in auction or ebay , use the dropdown menu to select your platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, or PDA), and then click Go. Figure A-12 shows a typical results page.

Figure A-12. Tucows rates software according to four criteria: usability; help, documentation, and support; program enhancements; and overall evaluation. (The more cows, the higher the rating.) Products that don't make the grade don't make the site. Click the arrow next to Popularity to sort the software based on how many other folks are using it. To get more information or download a product, click either the product name or the "More info" link

Tip: Another good way to get opinions about software is to go on your favorite discussion board (Section 10.1.1), either on eBay or off, and ask what others use and why. Or, if you're considering a new product, ask what others' experience with it has been. These off-the-cuff software reviews are among the most valuable and candid you'll find.