Fun community chit chat posts

[sheila@ebay]

Hello everyone!

Our holiday Community chit chat post was so fun and generated a lot of great ideas, especially delicious holiday recipes. We wanted to continue the conversation but with new topics. 

Here’s how it’ll work, twice a month, we’ll post a new chit chat topic and will keep the post open for a couple of weeks. Our moderators will make sure the post stays on topic and that the content is appropriate. Once two weeks have passed, we’ll close the post, and we’ll post a new topic.

The idea for the holiday chit chat came from a Community member so we wanted to ask you, the Community, what fun topics would you like to talk about this year? Keep in mind that the content doesn’t have to be strictly related to eBay. 

Here are some ideas that come to mind:

1. Let’s talk about our pets

2. What’s your perfect weekend?

3. What’s the most useful thing you own?

So what would you like to chit chat about this year?

[caldreamer]

I am not a big Elvis fan but a friend of mine is married to a man who truly believes he is Elvis.   He always dresses in Elvis costumes and  has a full size Elvis motorcycle inside his living room.  His favorite thing is to do is watch Elvis movies and entertain everyone singing Elvis songs (he is a terrible singer but he enjoys it).   Of course, he belongs to a group of Elvis impersonators.

[vintage-car-magazines]

What are you hobbies

Adult beverage of choice

Favorite type/flavor birthday cake

Oddest gift you've received (keep it clean)

Most interesting place you've visited

The place you visited that's furthest from home

Something unique that you've done (keep it clean)

Biggest fear or phobia

The best, biggest, coolest thing where I live is...

The first thing I sold/bought on eBay was...

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@inhawaii. No James it shows you have good taste in music..loved Supertramp!

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@inhawaii wrote:

Steely Dan

Supertramp

Santana

I guess that kind of gives away my age.   😉

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BTW I'm a Freddy Mercury fan big time!

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@caldreamer. That's cute. When we did our genealogy 3 yrs ago on my fathers side, we found out we are actually related to Elvis on his dad's side. I kinda figured as my grandfather (paternal) grew up within 100 mile radius from the Presleys and everybody married cousins and sisters and brothers. And of course I share the exact same name as his daughter so of course I adore Elvis!

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@jack_bucks_ghost 

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@jack_bucks_ghost wrote:

if you were an Elvis impersonator, what song would you sing? and why?

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Probably...Viva Las Vegas...why? Cuz I live in the same county, Clark.

[yongscholar]

Community Manager sheila@ebay
Re: Fun community chit chat posts

Maybe, therapeutic for some members. Others, have bigger challenges on their hands to address. I don’t think people want to make eBay become their armchair psychiatrist.

[tapi-szem]

It comes in dozens of lovely colors - most of them out of stock everywhere.

I got a lovely matte dark green one for Christmas and it is heaven to use!

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@yongscholar 

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@yongscholar wrote:

Community Manager sheila@ebay
Re: Fun community chit chat posts

Maybe, therapeutic for some members. Others, have bigger challenges on their hands to address. I don’t think people want to make eBay become their armchair psychiatrist.

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While of course your entitled to this opinion, your missing the whole point of a " chit chat" column. Most of the posters here respond day after day to buyers and sellers who are having serious issues with their businesses. The posters offer their knowledge and their free time all without compensation to assist others.

     This chit chat is just a way to connect with interesting ebayers that you may not know personally but know " of them".

     This world has so much hatred unlike most of us have never seen before, it's divided, it's isolated, violence and entitlement are everywhere. We look like a third world country wearing these masks and there is very little interactions with others.

    A few exchanges of ideas, recipes, info, or interesting things is good for the soul and laughter is the best medicine, 2 old quotes!

[ronsam-197]

It would be a pleasant change though if ebay didn't feel the need to "control" even a chitchat thread by selecting "topics".

[laura-finds]

Right on. I love these kinds of threads. It brings back that community feel we used to have. 

 If you don't like it you don't have to read. There's enough doom and gloom around these days.

Please keep up the chit chat. 

[maxine*j]

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@ronsam-197 wrote:

It would be a pleasant change though if ebay didn't feel the need to "control" even a chitchat thread by selecting "topics".

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I understand the feeling but I remember very well the "old days" on these boards, where there could so many off-topic threads that legitimate questions from posters seeking help got quickly buried by the off-topic threads. 

There was also a tendency for off-topic threads to involve partisan politics and controversial issues, and we know where such "discussions" can lead.

So this seems like a compromise between disallowing off-topic threads and allowing a free-for-all.  

There are still general interest discussion boards, such as the eBay Soapbox.

[yongscholar]

Re: Fun community chit chat posts

In reply to:

It is classic for any company whenever they sense a lack of enthusiasm for their product or the producer is seeking autonomy the company figures out a way to apply interdiction. To take a pulse so as to evaluate how well the producer is able to function under stress.

Although, I am no Sigmund Freud the concerns you have outlined in you post. Seeking remedy in talking about puppies and cookies is not going to suffice as a counterbalance.

Unfortunately, you cannot create a sanctuary you desire to take shelter from the ills of the world once you inhabit it.

Peace be with you!

mm+B

[pburn]

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@maxine*j wrote:

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There are still general interest discussion boards, such as the eBay Soapbox.

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I agree with 95% of your post; however, I think these kinds of threads would be more appropriate on another "general interest discussion board" like eBay Chat or eBay Cafe or, as you mentioned, The Soapbox--not on the more "technical" boards where buyers and sellers are coming to get help for their problem transactions or advice on shipping, returns, Managed Payments or whatnot.

There's been some concern expressed by long-time members about too many threads being pinned to the top of the Selling board (specifically), along with the fact that a duplicate entry shows up as a "floater" based on the date/time the thread was posted.

I know the OP has tasked herself with "putting some new energy back into the Community and do some heavy lifting to make Community a better experience for you." Maybe the kinds of threads being suggested are one way to do that. I just don't think they should be on the Selling (or any of the other "technical") boards.

Maybe a separate board similar to the Weekly Chat with eBay Staff would be a good compromise? Then members who are actually doing the heavy lifting on the "technical" boards could get on with it unimpeded but still hop over to a "chat-style" board for a little break. Either that or utilize the existing eBay Chat/ebay Cafe boards.

[nobody*s_perfect]

"A few exchanges of ideas, recipes, info, or interesting things is good for the soul and laughter is the best medicine, 2 old quotes!"

There are literally thousands of other sites for that. When I come to the Selling board, I am here to discuss selling.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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sheila@ebay wrote:

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@silverstatetreasureboxes wrote:

sheila@ebay. I think this is a wonderful idea! I enjoyed the Christmas post so much and tried several recipes.

      Well starting out the most useful thing I own would have to be my stand up Kitchenaid mixer in pink of course. If I ever had a house fire it would go with me 1st! LOL! (after hubs and fur baby).

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I didn't even know that Kitchenaid had a pink mixer. 😮 It sounds like your pink Kitchenaid mixer is a special edition and can't be replaced. 😉🤣

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Good grief, there are currently 6 eBay listings for pink Kitchenaid mixers.