eBay declassifies classifieds-happy Craiglist suit

You could say that eBay has declassified its Craigslist lawsuit. But that might cause some confusion. Yesterday, the world's largest online auction house removed the seal from its legal complaint against Craigslist, revealing that the two companies are squabbling over their competition in the online classifieds market. This …

[Eduard Coli]

Not surprising

eBay is trying a M$ here.

The two step M$ process was partner then compete with a free act alike that came with the nest version of Windows or Office.

Thought it has been said that M$ was not above outright theft of IP or piracy.

[RW]

If Ebay grabs CL, that's the end of CL

Just like if MS grabs Yahoo, they'll fubar it. Big corporations just don't get the point about some things. (Well, yeah, I know, Yahoo is a big corporation itself, but it's such a ramshackle agglomeration of bits and pieces that I wonder why anybody wants it; Yahoo doesn't even get the point of Yahoo anymore.)

First there'll be "targeted ads." Then they'll impose small fees across the board instead of keeping it free except for a handful of big-dollar categories. Then they'll start censoring it lest the fundies on the Ebay board object to the more salacious ads, to say nothing of the word "fuck", perhaps outsourcing this detail to Walmart, which is already expert in imposing Arkansan morality on recorded music lyrics.

And before you know it, CL will be a dismal failure instead of the shining success it is today.

Maybe they need to set up a CL foundation and transfer all rights to software and the CL name to it, with leaseback provisions. A foundation with VERY strict objectives that can't be subverted by the greedy...

Where's my coat before it begins to rain?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: RW

Well spoken. If you were here I'd buy you a beer.

[Gareth]

Re: RW

I don't know what all the fuss is about. Craigslist looks like it was made in 1995 and is way behind the times - no AJAX, no Flash and worst of all no Paypal.

eBay have done nothing but give their customers what they want and have spent years developing great features like one-way feedback, intelligent automated customer service and fraud detection systems to keep everyone honest - not to mention the convenience of the Paypal online bank.

Come on eBay, bring Craigslist up to your standard!

[Dean H.]

What should happen:

If eBay pushes, Craig should push back.

By removing the restrictions on the Craigslist search function so that it could work across city, state, or national boundaries in a single search, he could directly impact eBays remaining market.

[Dick]

Re: RW

You forgot the part where they ban cash and force PayPal on everyone.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Gareth

But CL works with my lynx web browser

[Eugene Goodrich]

How would CL _ever_ be replaced?

If'n eBay hugs CL so close and tight it destroys it, how will anyone _ever_ create another almost-entirely-free online classifieds website with a basic interface? It would take _days_ of coding to reach that point again.

Paris, because it seems at least she's not too worried this is what's going to happen.

[Farfel MacNoogen]

@Gareth

So you somehow appreciate the banner adverts that use every effect and filter that flash 9 has to offer on 400 different objects at once, slowing even the beefiest quad core machine into lag city? Or maybe you're more of a fan of those ones that make noise while you're "innocently" surfing the web. I don't know about you, but when *I'm* observing images of the less-than-tasteful variety, "OH MY GOD, NO WAI" screaming from my speakers at full crank whilst unzipping myself isn't exactly welcome.

Toxicity sign, because I'm sure everyone should be more worried about the seizure-causing effects of those bloody animated banners then the EM emissions of WIFI stations (or even the EM emissions of the power grid, for that matter).

[Spleen]

@23:47 and Farfel

Congratulations, you win today's Duh prize for failing to recognise irony even when it's accompanied by a big red bloody triangle with 'Joke Alert' written inside it.