Totalitarian Approach Towards Internet Dominance

"A totalitarian regime crushes all autonomous institutions in its drive to seize the human soul" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.)

For small and medium size Internet retailers, the Internet has changed significantly over the last 10 years; we are no longer free. External links to our own websites or other sites of interests including hobbies and entertainment are not permitted. Freedom of speech is a thing of the past. Legitimate copyrighted materials are removed without a second's notice. Databases of information including days or even weeks of data entry are wiped out in a heart beat without a moment's warning. Merchant service providers are severely restricted to a small selection of undesirable choices. Customer loyalty and trust destroyed with appended email messages indicating that we are not be trusted. Software glitches and search engine manipulations lower our visibility while increasing our competitors' sales.

You may ask, "What can be worse?" We pay for it.

eBay's a one way street, all links in and no links out. Prior to the eBay era, SEO search engine optimization was and still is today the major factor in promoting and advertising a website's products and services where freedom of speech and freedom of choice have never been questioned. By understanding the workings of search engines such as Google, we can buy a domain name, publish our contents and continuously try and improve our search engine rankings through link exchanges and regular site updates. The key to search engine success is popularity, and we all have a chance at being at the top with enough hard work. Unfortunately, however, this appears to be a limitation for most retailers. Many Internet retailers lack the technical skills or budget necessary to develop a profitable website or perhaps have little SEO experience, and in turn, go to an easier and faster solution such as eBay even though freedom of speech and freedom of choice are severely restricted. Feeding on the opportunity, eBay and many other affiliate sites provide an easy and fast way to setup a free website with one's own domain name. Typically these "stores" consist of products and services exclusively offered on eBay by a retailer. Unlike link exchanges, however, eBay only permits links-in, and restricts links back to one's website. Consequently, knowing that SEO depends on links-in, eBay is significantly bumped up the search engine rankings while other sites acquire little to no search engine popularity and consequently, little to no sales and remain dependant on eBay.

Is the word "Google" a bad word? On eBay, one would tend to believe so. Try listing an advertisement by placing something similar to "I like Google searches" or "Sorry but we cannot accept Google Checkout"; eBay's system will block the submission until the content is rewritten and the word “Google” is removed. It is unknown how many words are currently restricted, but as long as one publishes copyrighted content by adhering to eBay's strict unpublished and published editorial guidelines an advertisement or auction can be submitted. In this totalitarian environment, one must write the eBay way or it's the highway.

Spend hundreds of hours designing advertisements, performing data entry, data submission and watch all the hard work and money disappear instantaneously. Out of two sellers interviewed selling legitimate PC software, over 3,000 auction advertisements were removed in just one year. Legitimately sold and advertised merchandise was removed supposedly under the DMCA Digital Millennium Copyright Act by the request of the copyright holder or authority during 2005 and 2006. The removal of content was then followed by reputation damaging emails automatically sent by eBay to all bidders and buyers indicating that the seller may be selling illegal merchandise. From the buyer's perspective, "may be selling illegal merchandise" most often reads, "is selling illegal merchandise". Although content removal under the DMCA can be argued by submitting a DMCA Counter Notice, most sellers are unaware of the details, and simply give up. Furthermore, even when counter notices are filed, the seller's reputation has already been permanently damaged and shipped merchandise is often provided to the customer for free when buyers submit chargebacks indicating, "eBay told me that the seller's selling illegal merchandise, so I want my money back". In retrospect, what if an ISP hosting your website contacted your buyers and potential buyers indicating that you may be selling illegal merchandise upon receiving a request from a supposed copyright holder indicating a violation of copyright? Would you file a lawsuit? So, what is the difference between eBay and an ISP hosting your website? Buyers on eBay belong to eBay - they're not yours.

Free for all – buy a product, file a chargeback and receive purchased merchandise along with a full refund. Termed "Friendly Fraud" buyers are taking advantage of Paypal's 100% buyer protection. No longer are buyers the victims of fraud; it's now the legitimate sellers who suffer. Most credit card companies and online merchant services offer 100% protection against non-receipt and significantly not as described products. Unfortunately, however, it would appear that previous fraudulent sellers had no where else to turn and are now taking advantage of Paypal's product free for all. A buyer will purchase a product on eBay, pay using Paypal and on occasion wait less than 24 hours then file a chargeback indicating non-receipt. Unfortunately, as a seller on eBay, there's little to no way around the dispute even with proof of shipping, postal registration and tracking. Other merchant providers who provide protection and security for both the buyer and seller such as Google Checkout are not permitted on eBay. If Paypal, an eBay company, determines that a buyer should receive your merchandise for free. It's there's for the taking and not much can be done about it.

Sellers are not to be trusted outside of eBay. "complete your transactions on eBay - it's the safer way to trade.", outside of eBay transactions may be unsafe" are appended to every message sent to a buyer or potential buyer. Winning bid notifications never include a business's legal DBA under header "Seller Information", but rather, the first name and last name of the registrant which is often an employee or even a past employee who setup an account by the request of superiors. The point that comes across is clear, "Sellers should not be trusted outside of eBay". Buyers tend to trust an established business far more than that of the first name and last name of an employee. Consequently, eBay maintains buyer trust and loyalty while other businesses appear to be small time individuals that can only be trusted while doing business on eBay and under eBay's protection.

Despite totalitarian control over all aspects of doing business on eBay, what can we count on when listing an auction? Out of millions of products advertised, we know that our products will be placed at the very top of each search within a particular category according to an auction's end time.

Or, are they really?

Some have called it search engine manipulation and others consider it software glitches. In either case, not all auctions are visible at all times, by all viewers within all eBay's international website locations. In addition, auctions with only minutes to spare are displayed as having hours before closing while placing auction advertisements down search result under one's competitors. Recalling the two International sellers interviewed, their sales declined significantly as of April 2006 with some months ending with actual losses. Is it just a coincidence that auctions were no longer removed under the DMCA while sales declined drastically? Or has eBay found an effective way to limit sales in order to please large corporate partners and affiliates? Assuming that search engine manipulation is taking place, what is the point behind maintaining a positive eBay feedback profile and providing good customer service when competitor's advertisements are visible all the time and others may be limited by means of search engine manipulation algorithm(s)?

A totalitarian approach towards Internet dominance limits our rights, our freedom of speech and our freedom of choice as retailers. It can be corrected, however. As a whole, sellers can unite by developing their own websites and by working together through link exchanges. We can offer one another free advice and assistance with eCommerce systems such as Oscommerce http://www.oscommerce.com. We can choose our own merchant service providers while strengthening natural competition and eliminating totalitarian rule. We can link to friends and family, business partners, affiliates and other websites of interest without being penalized. We can write whatever we want whenever we want. We have an opportunity to be listed at the very top of each search engine despite our limited capital and power. As a whole, we can be profitable as autonomous individuals and businesses without restrictions on our hearts and souls.