the "auction site" ... why?

[AusDLK]

I don't get it...

I've followed RFF for years and I see "the auction site" or even "evil bay" (or variant) so often.

Why are members here so reluctant to type "eBay"?

 

[teddy]

I ask myself the same question. I have had good experiences from Auction sites and eBay.

 

[CliveC]

It's the 21st century version of saying "The Scottish Play" 🙂
Otherwise the next transaction would be an unpleasant one.

 

[Keith]

That's always mystified me too ... it's not hard to type!

Ebay, Ebay, Ebay .... no trouble at all. Or if you prefer eBay, eBay, eBay!

😀

 

[peterm1]

i dont really get it either but have mostly assumed its just been a habit picked up by people because its a little trendy to be a little cynical. (Otherwise people might assume you are a rube if you are too enthusiastic. ) So the habit spread. But I suspect too it had a grounding in people having bad experiences on the site so its not entirely without foundation. It certainly pays to be careful and not let expectations run too high when using the site. Never the less I have mostly found it to be ok.

 

[farlymac]

What we always liked to do at work was, while in conversation where we were going to bad-mouth someone (especially when they were within earshot), was to say "I'm not naming names here, but his initials are (and then say their name)". Always much fun.

I shop eBay. There are no camera stores within 35 miles of here.

PF

 

[Thardy]

Someone once said that they didn't want an easy google link back to RFF? Typing in eBay and rangefinderforum brings up 86,000 hits.

At one time moderators on PNET would delete posts that discussed things happening on eBay. Maybe that's how it got started.

 

[Scrambler]

I think it dates back to earlier times when forums had rules about commercial references and links. At times filters would remove "ebay" from posts.

Over time it's become the default, like "never-ready cases."

 

[AusDLK]

I've conducted 100s of buy and sell transactions on eBay with only one fraudulent transaction. I had the opportunity to try, and then resell, so much camera equipment that I'd never have access to otherwise.

 

[AusDLK]

By the way, in my original post, I had written "call a s-p-a-d-e a s-p-a-d-e" and s-p-a-d-e was posted as *****.

Is "s-p-a-d-e" a dirty word?

 

[Keith]

I've conducted 100s of buy and sell transactions on eBay with only one fraudulent transaction. I had the opportunity to try, and then resell, so much camera equipment that I'd never have access to otherwise.

I don't have a huge transaction history on eBay but I've never had a problem aside from a few things that weren't quite as described .. and this has happened to me here in the classifieds on several occasions.

As for being totally ripped off ... never on eBay but once from the classifieds at p.net I got scammed for a Hasselblad lens.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

By the way, in my original post, I had written "call a s-p-a-d-e a s-p-a-d-e" and s-p-a-d-e was posted as *****.

Is "s-p-a-d-e" a dirty word?

Yes. Perjorative slang for African-American.

 

[AusDLK]

Is in only pejorative in that expression then?

I mean, it's also one of the four playing card types and a type of shovel...

 

[swoop]

By the way, in my original post, I had written "call a s-p-a-d-e a s-p-a-d-e" and s-p-a-d-e was posted as *****.

Is "s-p-a-d-e" a dirty word?

You bet it is.

 

[Scrambler]

Goes to show that context is everything. I'd never heard that use. There are a collection of inappropriate words for people of colour in Australian english that won't get caught, I'm sure.

Yep - tested with the preview and none got blocked out.

I can see that "shovel" is near enough, what do you use for the card suit?

 

[froyd]

I think it dates back to earlier times when forums had rules about commercial references and links. At times filters would remove "ebay" from posts.

Over time it's become the default, like "never-ready cases."

yep; at least that's how I picked up the habit...

 

[David Hughes]

Yes, there are still forums about that delete the word as soon as you type it and I guess we soon got into the habit of avoiding it.

Regards, David

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Goes to show that context is everything. I'd never heard that use. There are a collection of inappropriate words for people of colour in Australian english that won't get caught, I'm sure.

Yep - tested with the preview and none got blocked out.

I can see that "shovel" is near enough, what do you use for the card suit?

S-p-a-d-e as a racial slur for African-Americans is not very commonly used anymore, at least not in the midwest. There is an enormous number of racial slurs for Black people in the USA; some are no longer heard much anymore, and many others are regional. The N-word is the only one I can think of that is used everywhere and has persisted throughout American history.

 

[Chris101]

S-p-a-d-e as a racial slur for African-Americans is not very commonly used anymore, at least not in the midwest. There is an enormous number of racial slurs for Black people in the USA; some are no longer heard much anymore, and many others are regional. The N-word is the only one I can think of that is used everywhere and has persisted throughout American history.

Right. No bigots that I know use spadε. Yet that is the origin of the 'call a spadε a spadε' phrase. I had a friend who could rattle off hundreds of slurs. Her father taught them to her, and used them all in his lounge acts.

 

[Addy101]

Isn't the S-word used as an ethnic slur US specific? I never heard it before.

As mentioned by others, there are many other uses and even some names (link doesn't work 😡) . Call me PC, but by avoiding other uses also, you keep the slur powerful and it is rude to people who's surname is S-p-a-d-e. and the people in the township of that name in Nebraska.

I think it is stupid that I can't even link to the appropriate wikipedia page :bang:

Anyway, back on topic. I guess some people do it because they hate ebay and others do it because they think it is funny. As already mentioned, some forums don't or didn't allow commercial listings, prohibiting the name ebay was the easiest (but lazy) way to counter commercial listings. It meant there were synonyms developed that live on up to this day. That is all, I think.