It's a poll, baby!!!!!!!!

I'm with Steve but I'm going to put a spin on it.

If the person plugged an "ad" in the Flea Market first and didn't get a bite on the deal and went to eBay or audiogon or what have you then yes, it would be cool with me if they posted the auction for more exposure.

If the person didn't offer first dibs at the Flea Market then it ain't cool to go shilling your stuff on eBay and expect members to bid on your auction when they would have been prepared to buy it outright for a reasonable price at the start.

I will say one thing. "This is not your forum, it is our forum." (this comment is not aimed at any one person or persons, it is just a general statement)

Some things that go on in this forum may be objectionable to you. Some things may not be objectionable to you, but may be to someone else. (hmmm, just like everyday life)

If someone breaks a forum rule, then action is always taken. Breaking unwritten forum rules is not breaking any real forum rule.

This th'd with the poll is a GREAT idea. If the results of the poll show a majority of members are for or against posting Ebay links, then perhaps the mod could add or revise the Flea Market rules. This poll could serve as a vote.

To me, this forum is very democratic. Although, some feel their opinions carry more weight, or their opinions are the majority. But, the WRITTEN rules of the forum are the only true guidelines we have to go by.

My suggestion is this. Sticky this th'd. Leave it at the top for 1 week, or perhaps 2 weeks. This should give all the members a chance to "vote".

After the "voting" period has ended, adjust the rules concerning Ebay posting in the Flea Market accordingly.

I'm just as tired as the next guy with all the bickering & fighting over OPINIONS that goes on in here. If we start "voting" on issue just like this, there is no more debate. The forum has spoken.

Can't we all just get along? This is an internet forum for Pete's sake.

Originally posted by Polkmaniac
I like the poll idea, my only fear is that the results may be watered down with votes:

We all know that there is a core group of about 30 or so people that keep this place going. In a perfect democracy their vote holds no more weight than a newbie's...but we know that in reality that doesn't work. THis core group is basically the 'constant' within the forum, 90% of the people who register comes and go as they need advice or want to sell something.

Without a group of members who stick around to keep this place alive, Club Polk would likely cease to exist.

Bottom line: the votes of the guys who have been around here forever and understand how the place works SHOULD count more than a newbie who doesn't get it yet.

Ok, fine by me. I understand 100% what you are saying.

My solution is as drastic as the issue you raise. Someone will need to organize, and send PM's or emails to the "core" group. Take a vote from the "core". Same ending scenario, adjust the rules according to the vote.

This is 100% UN-democratic. Ruling class society. Who will be the almighty King? This just doesn't work.

An open voting pole is the only truely fair way to do this. I understand why you say members who have been around forever should be more important than a newbie, in a voting sense. But how do you regulate that? You can't.

I think a voting scenario would do this forum a world of good. Ironing out the details will take some compromise.

Here is an idea. Set up a vote with points. The longer you've been a member, the more points your vote counts for. Sort of like the electoral college, except each member votes only his vote, but it may have more points due to membership length.

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
Right ... I think that should be the case in state and federal elections too ...

New Rule for state & federal elections: Anyone who is not supporting themselves can't vote regardless of how old they are and then maybe on top of that we weight peoples votes based on how many tax dollars they actually pay.

It's the same principle, isn't it ?

Ok, fine by me. I understand what you are saying 100%. I only offered that as a suggestion.

This leads me back to the open voting pole, 1 man, 1 vote. DONE. It is the only truely fair way to do it.

If you've been a member for 5 years, or 5 days, doesn't matter. 1 man, 1 vote.

Can anyone else offer a suggestion? I'm just trying to do my part to help this forum be the great forum we all know it is.:)

Originally posted by PolkWannabie
Suggestion ? no, except to say that it doesn't matter ... the democracy here works like the democracy I used to run at home when my kids were younger ... everyone gets one vote and mine counts seven ... same principle here except I get replaced by Justin or whoever ... or in other words it's not OUR forum ... it's POLK's

All right, that's cool too. I get it.

So, using that logic, there is currently no rule, to my knowledge, that states a member can not post a link to Ebay, or any other link for that matter. (except of course if it is a link on "How to do something illegal")

So, end of debate. If you don't like someone posting a link to Ebay, piss off. Forum rules don't state otherwise, so that is the rule. You are free to post Ebay links.

Originally posted by Jstas
If the person plugged an "ad" in the Flea Market first and didn't get a bite on the deal and went to eBay or audiogon or what have you then yes, it would be cool with me if they posted the auction for more exposure.

If the person didn't offer first dibs at the Flea Market then it ain't cool to go shilling your stuff on eBay and expect members to bid on your auction when they would have been prepared to buy it outright for a reasonable price at the start.

Absolutely! I have no problem with that. It's the folk's who use the Flea market as an "advertising tool" to sell their stuff elsewhere, without ever offering it here first. That is BAD form in my book.

Should there be a formal "Rule?" I don't know, it doesn't matter as I pass by Ebay threads anyway--If I wanted to buy stuff on ebay, I wouldn't be looking here...

Originally posted by gmorris
If you don't like someone posting a link to Ebay, piss off. Forum rules don't state otherwise, so that is the rule. You are free to post Ebay links.

Ahh, but there's no rule stating that I can't give my opinion on someone posting their Ebay sale here...

So I have just as much right to say "don't post your Ebay links here" as they do to post them...

Well put Sean.

I think you should post your stuff here first, exclusively. Then if no one bites, state that you are moving to Ebay. Otherwise we could be bidding against each other on Ebay.

I have sold a couple center channels and computer parts on this forum which resulted in no profit for myself. Why would I do that? Because, I hope that one day the favor will indirectly be returned.

Regards,
PolkThug

And once again, gentlemen, we are back to whose opinion is right. Those who feel it is common curtesy to post here first, or those who don't care. In the end, it is just a matter of opinion.

Which is why I suggested a vote. Just my simple minded idea. Don't need to get into details again, see above for those.

Originally posted by PolkThug
I have sold a couple center channels and computer parts on this forum which resulted in no profit for myself. Why would I do that? Because, I hope that one day the favor will indirectly be returned.

Regards,
PolkThug

Whoa! You mean the BARTER system? Whoda thunk!?

OK, sarcasm off!

Seriously dude, I agree with you 100%. No one is obligated to help out in any way or return a favor. If you feel that way, worry about having to feel that way or just flat out don't return a kind act towards you then that just shows the quality of character you have.

This is CLUB Polk people. Not the Polk Audio Forums. It's the CLUB Polk Forums. It's put here by Polk Audio for thier customers because Polk Audio values thier customers and they take care of us as best as a company looking to make a buck can. We all have a common interest here and that is Polk Audio products. It is a bonding interest in the sense that we are all audio geeks to one degree and most of us are here because the people we interact with in life can't talk shop on our level. So we retreat to this group of forums to talk shop with people who can talk it back.

Since this is a Club and no one twisted anyone's arm to join, it can be assumed that we all have the common intention of wanting to be here and join something that has a purpose. Motorcycle riders have motorcycle gangs, car drivers have car clubs, book readers have book clubs, gardeners have garden clubs audio geeks have 1 club. Club Polk. You have something special here and I used to think there was a clique here too. Well, there is and there isn't. There is a clique, it's called Club Polk. Any internal clique isn't there. There are a group of people who have been here longer than others and they tend to interact more with each other than others because they have history. For the most part though, there isn't a clique.

gmorris and a few others are missing the under-lying point here. This isn't about eBay. This is about respect. The reason people are annoyed with this is because of basically what has been said. By listing an eBay auction and telling people to bid you are telling those who have given freely to help others out with nothing more in payment beyond the "You owe me a favor" that you have no problem taking money from them and profiting off of thier generosity. No one here has to buy anyone else's junk but I have seen a few people purchase something they don't need at all, just to help a guy out. Nothing but good intentions all the way around. Listing an eBay auction without first offering it up to the other Club members at a fair price is flying in the face of all of those good intentions.

We all have disagreements, we all have fights. In the end though, everything is cool unless you are a hugh male genitalia member. In today's world of self-centered, ignorantly blissful populations, Club Polk is one of the last bastions where friends look out for friends and people actually HELP each other out. Very few people get that anymore. Thankfully, not all of those people that don't get it are jerks about it. Those who are jerks are dealt with accordingly. No one is mad about the eBay post. No one is mad at the poster. Everyone understands he is new. All anyone was saying was that, out of common courtesy, the majority of people ask that that not be done. Respect the rest of us by giving us the respect of coming to us face to face like a man, not coming up from behind and asking if we want a reach around.

If you can't get that then I feel for you. I live by the barter system and I am firmly entrenched in the Good 'Ole Boy network. Anyone can be a member of that shopping club in that network. You just gotta respect those around you and realize that no one is trying to control you by saying "You just owe me a favor". One day, someone you owe a favor to may come and ask for repayment. If it is out of line (like you give him a set of Radio Shack speakers for his kid and then he asks you for a kidney) the guy asking for repayment will be dealt with. You explain your side to an outside party and someone will stick up for you. Truthfully though, I have yet to be asked to repay a favor. I have been asked to help move someone from one house to another or fix some audio gear or do a brake job on a car or help with some heavy yard work or even pick up a friend/family member from the airport or something. All that kind of stuff counts as repayment. I owe so many and am owed so many favors that I lost count and track.

What the barter system/Good 'Ole Boy network REALLY does is build friendships that will last a lifetime. At that point, the concept of a favor goes out the window and you start to realize that your FRIEND needs help. What do you do? You aid a friend in need 'cause that is what friends do. I have helped friends, fought for friends and even scolded friends for putting me in a position when I have to stick up for them and support them in something they did that was wrong. A friend stands by a friend no matter what. If you can't get that then I don't want you as my friend.

If you haven't burned your bridges here yet, you can consider everyone here a friend by default. Some frends are closer than others but no one harbors ill will towards any one who hasn't done them wrong.

Bottom line? Don't dick over your friends. You need help, you ask for it, you'll get it. Trust me. Don't put gear on a pedestle like eBay and tell everyone to have at it. No one likes to pitted against thier friend in any battle and if you ask me to fight my friend I'd rather kick you in the crotch than harm my friend in any way. It's insulting to think that any of my friends would do anything less. It is further insulting that anyone would think so little of me and my friends to even propose such a thing.




So all of you who don't get it, get your collective heads out of your asses, wake up and smell the coffee burning. The whole idea of the Flea Market here is to offer members a place to trade with people who they can expect not to screw them over on either the buying or selling side of the transaction. All anyone is doing is trying to keep it that way.

RANT OVER!

Originally posted by dragon1952
Not trying to cause trouble , but


AND


seem a little contradictory to me.

The post in question is NOT contradictory, you just didn't read it.

The first quote said that everyone knows where eBay is and if the wanted to shop eBay, they wouldn't be in the Flea Market.

The second quote said that a post to an auction on eBay for an item that someone is having trouble finding is acceptable.

I will now break it down for you. If you have gear and you are trying to sell it and you post it on eBay and then post the link to your auction, that's bad form.

If joe blow comes in here and says "I need a left-handed knibblin' pin, anybody got one?" and gets no responses. Someone says "Hey dude, I just found one on eBay here:..." and posts a link to an auction they have no affiliation with then that is helping a guy out who may not have seen something on eBay. That is entirely acceptable.

However, if you see the request for teh item, have teh item, list it on eBay and then post a link to your auction in the same thread where the guy asked for help or even your own, new thread well, that is just sneaky, coniving, under-handed BS and is totally abhorrent and deplorable behavior. If you lived near me, I'd have to pay you a visit just to punch you in the mouth for being such a jerk!

Got it now?


Posting a link to your own auction is...
...OK if you have already offered it to Club Members at a fair price.
...NOT OK if you haven't offered it to Club Members at a fair price.

Posting a link to another auction is...
...OK if the auction is listing gear that someone here might be interested in and you have no affiliation with the auction.
...OK if you have an affiliation (i.e.: a friend or co-worker listed the auction) and you make that fact known so we know you aren't trying to screw us all over.
...OK if the auction is for a non-audio related item that someone requested.
...NOT OK if the auction is a joke, that goes in Off-Topic
...NOT OK if the auction is for something non-audio related that no one asked for or was looking for.

It's common sense people, I mean really, c'mon now, howboutit?

u guys do realize that just because u dont want ppl to post ebay auctions in the forums doesnt mean its gonna happen right?

i promote other peoples auctions.. but not my own.

i do this on things I think other forum members might be interested in. or if the item is really freaky.