I'm really confused...does ebay have a beta site...or do they just wing it?

[nawlinsron2]

Casual observation on these boards points to a preponderence of tech glitches.

I would assume that a "tech company" would employ a beta site to avoid such glitches.

Yet...they appear on a regular basis.

So...being of a rational mind, I ask: 

Does ebay have a beta site?...and...

Does it work?

If it doesn't work, why not?

If they don't have a beta site, why are they qualified for the tech sector?

[kathieskorner]

Ebay has never been known to have a quality IT department, and I imagine a lot gets lost between the policy setters and the tech staff.  The fact that they are in a constant state of flux because of all the changes - many of which aren't needed - just makes it worse. 

My husband spent many years as a procedural analyst which meant he communicated to the IT guys what the operating departments needed and then oversaw the testing by the users of what the IT department came up with and ironed out the problems.   The IT staff and users didn't seem to speak the same language.   I expect that is the problem with ebay - they don't have anyone that can get the users and IT on the same page. 

[lacemaker3]

Yes, they do have a beta site.

Even the community here, where these boards are, has a beta site.

However, beta sites never accurately represent the main site, so they are of limited use. Differences always happen. Something that works fine on a beta site, with limited users and testers, may work differently when it is rolled out onto the main site.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@kathieskorner wrote:

Ebay has never been known to have a quality IT department, and I imagine a lot gets lost between the policy setters and the tech staff.....   I expect that is the problem with ebay - they don't have anyone that can get the users and IT on the same page. 

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I think the problem goes deeper than that, since the IT staff don't seem to be able to even implement what they're clearly trying to do. They also don't seem to be aware that there are simple tools for checking how your page looks with different browsers.

Some posters have speculated that the programming is handled by the computer class at San Jose Middle School. (Earlier somebody had mentioned the  High School, but it was pointed out that high-school kids would do a better job than what we see here.)

[castlemagicmemories]

There was a well known poster who, I believe, who posted that IT people love new projects, but aren't really into fixing things.  

[gracieallen01]

It seems that most forget, upon occasion, that ebay does things the way ebay wants to do them, tests things the way ebay wants to test them and runs the site the way ebay wants to run the site.  Not the way sellers want the site to run or the way buyers want the site to run - but the way ebay wants to do it.  Ebay will get around to fixing or changing or doing things when ebay wants to, if they want to and if it isn't the way they already want it, maybe.

[d-k_treasures]

You're on the beta site.

[penguins_dont_fly]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

It seems that most forget, upon occasion, that ebay does things the way ebay wants to do them, tests things the way ebay wants to test them and runs the site the way ebay wants to run the site.  Not the way sellers want the site to run or the way buyers want the site to run - but the way ebay wants to do it.  Ebay will get around to fixing or changing or doing things when ebay wants to, if they want to and if it isn't the way they already want it, maybe.

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Gracie ... you forgot the part where eBay makes changes that weren't meant to be made at the time and calls it "intentional".

Or as one famous reported CS response put it "It may say that, but it does not mean that"

[nawlinsron2]

"You're on the beta site."

BOO-YAH!!!

[gracieallen01]

No, no, no, those are merely cosmetic enhancements issues.  Aren't they?  But they didn't really mean them, right?  Or is this Vuja de - something that hasn't happened before, per Geo. Carlin.

[castlemagicmemories]

I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

This was attributed to various famous people.

[ted_200]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

This was attributed to various famous people.

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The one upthread was attributed to infamous people.  It actually came from eBay CS.

[mommadukestreasurehunt]

They have a tech blog you can find online. It's way over my head, but I like to read it every now and then.

[timemachine777]

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@nawlinsron2 wrote:

Casual observation on these boards points to a preponderence of tech glitches.

I would assume that a "tech company" would employ a beta site to avoid such glitches.

Yet...they appear on a regular basis.

So...being of a rational mind, I ask: 

Does ebay have a beta site?...and...

Does it work?

If it doesn't work, why not?

If they don't have a beta site, why are they qualified for the tech sector?

---

This is the Beta site. All our accounts are randomly selected Guinea pigs, without our consent. What happens, happens. You lose revenue...so what, that's the eBay attitude. eBay also will at times hide the fact that they are using random accounts to test ideas, etc. 

[southern*sweet*tea]

My vote goes for wing it