Heads Up ---Soap Box is going Private

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

As many here know, the Mods occasionally move what they consider non-ebay related threads to the Soap Box Board, where people are free to continue the discussion. Just a heads up: The Soap Box board will cease to exist as of Nov 16th...it will become an Invitation Only Private Group. I do not really spend time on the Soap Box Board, so this doesn't really effect me, but I'm not sure how that will impact the removal from this Board of "non-ebay" threads---where will they go? devon@ebay , can you get us an answer?

Here's the Announcement: 

We’re moving the Soapbox board on November 16, 2022. The content of the board is more appropriate in a private group because it isn’t eBay related. Therefore, we’re giving you the option to join an invite only group that one or more of you can manage. If you’d like to host this private group, you can reach out to us via email: askcommunity@ebay.com and we can provide you with the new Soapbox link.

Please take the time to wrap up your conversations in this forum before November 16th. Older content in the current Soapbox will not be moved to the new private group, but we will move the most recent 2 months of conversations over.

-Community team

[chapeau-noir]

Agree.

I think it was a desire to build community and keep users on platform - I sold on other platforms in the late 90s/early 2000 and all but one had a community board with a chat section so it didn't surprise me that eBay did, as well.  I also think it's past its time, though - etailing, even P2P, has long since lost any unique qualities and is just another way to buy.  I know that newer platforms I use don't have any forums at all.

Amazon dumped its commenting section on reviews and many news outlets have gotten rid of the comment sections on their articles.  Between tr0lling and bad actors, moderation becomes a drain of resources for no gain whatsoever.

[tdrake]

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@maxine*j wrote:

I'm not sure when the discussion forums were added to eBay, but I know it was before MySpace (2003), then Facebook, Twitter, et al, came into being so I suppose it stems from a time when eBay was unusual in having what we now call "social media" as a feature and that doubtless drove some traffic to the site.

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 There's been forums on eBay at least as early as '97/'98 when I first stumbled upon them, probably much earlier.  Back then they found it hard to police them., they didn't seem to realize that given the space most people wanted to "discuss" most anything not having to do with the topic. One of the boards at that time was "Discuss New Features" (DNF). Those of us on it kinda turned it into a free-for-all and a new board was created called "The New Board" where all the neer-do-wells (such as myself) were banished. The "forums" (fancier name) have changed much since those rough and ready days.  By '99 or so most of the miscreants found or built new homes elsewhere on the internet, eBay related boards were a cottage industry for a while. The good ol' days. 

[chapeau-noir]

I'm waiting for the Soapbox thread to get banished to the Soapbox. 

 

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I would like to see it removed completely. 

stop the social / political rants and false information being spread that have nothing to do with eBay selling / buying. 

[Anonymous]

Attempting to remove "eBay selling /buying" from the obvious outside economic forces is impossible.  Pretending that it can be seems to be the basis of most disagreements.

[coolections]

It could be a good thing for those who hate Ebay. Join clubs of sort and bash away without having posts removed.

[chapeau-noir]

I don't hate eBay but I'm critical enough that if that was the criteria I'd probably be shuffled off upstate with the torch and pitchfork crowd (I used to get sent to the old "Pink Island" often enough).  Of course, I don't use caps nor a lifetime supply of exclamation points!!!!!! so that probably helps.

eBay, where are our 24 photos and why is there such a lag when the new listing tool loads?

[katzrul15]

I am kinda glad there was a separate place for the bashers to post.  Enough of it bleeds into the regular boards as it is - many of them do not sell anymore.  How could they?  They post 24/7, 365 and bash each other to bits hour after hour.    lol

Never go there so makes me no difference what they actually do.  

Unfortunately, probably need a place for everyone - even if not "your/my" cup of tea!

[devon@ebay]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:

As many here know, the Mods occasionally move what they consider non-ebay related threads to the Soap Box Board, where people are free to continue the discussion. Just a heads up: The Soap Box board will cease to exist as of Nov 16th...it will become an Invitation Only Private Group. I do not really spend time on the Soap Box Board, so this doesn't really effect me, but I'm not sure how that will impact the removal from this Board of "non-ebay" threads---where will they go? devon@ebay , can you get us an answer?

Here's the Announcement: 

We’re moving the Soapbox board on November 16, 2022. The content of the board is more appropriate in a private group because it isn’t eBay related. Therefore, we’re giving you the option to join an invite only group that one or more of you can manage. If you’d like to host this private group, you can reach out to us via email: askcommunity@ebay.com and we can provide you with the new Soapbox link.

Please take the time to wrap up your conversations in this forum before November 16th. Older content in the current Soapbox will not be moved to the new private group, but we will move the most recent 2 months of conversations over.

-Community team

---

Hey @my-cottage-books-and-antiques! As we transition over the Soap Box to a private board that will be invite only we are also in the process of moving over content that was on the Soap Box Board to the new invite only board. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

devon@ebay  Thanks, but I guess I wasn't clear. I understand that existing content from the Soap Box Board will be moved over to the new Soap Box Group.

My question has to do with going forward on THIS board:

At present, when some threads are deemed to be "non-ebay related", they are often moved to the Soap Box Board (which has always been publicly accessible).

My question is, after the Soap Box becomes basically a private Group, where will the mods HERE go with Selling Board threads that are deemed non-ebay related? If they move them to the Soap Box, people will not be able to access the thread without an invitation to the Soap Box Group....so it does not seem the new Soap Box Group would be a good place to go with such threads. So....what publicly accessible Board will they be transferred to (if any?)

I hope my question is a bit clearer.

And, while I have your attention, we're still waiting to see if you have heard back from the Marketing Team about plans for the Holiday Season.....any word from them? Even if only to tell us they have NO plans for the Holiday Season? It would be good to know either way. Thanks.