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[OM] Naming Names

Subject: [OM] Naming Names
From: Kelton Rhoads <krho@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2000 10:27:20 -0800
>><< It was advertised as LN but it is more like EX cosmetically with a
>>bad meter . . . I also bought the f280 flash from same seller that was
>>advertised as LN but is more like Bargain >>
>
>Sorry to hear about your grade inflation problems. You ought to post the
>name of that seller here.

I agree, but Frank should be prepared for mail from a handful of list 
members urging him not to reveal the name. Several weeks back I aired the 
name of a seller giving me problems and got some negative off-list 
feedback from a few list members for it. I felt I was taking on personal 
risk for the benefit of the list (giving advance warning to other 
potential purchasers), but that got spun by a few people as my jumping to 
conclusions and damaging an innocent seller's record. Posting the names 
of deadbeat sellers is the right thing to do, but be prepared for a 
reaction from a small minority of list members if it isn't done right. 
And that was where I think I went wrong weeks ago, because, given the 
nature of e-communications, I've learned you can't summarize and condense 
as you might if you were talking to your neighbor. If you simply say, 
"Beware of so-and-so," your communication may be interpreted as unjust, a 
"judgment without a trial." I had summarized, because I didn't feel like 
airing all the dirty laundry. That was a mistake. (In fact, eBay also 
discourages summaries, and encourages negative feedback to be based 
strictly on the facts). In the future, when I issue a seller warning, 
I'll provide detail so people can make up their own minds. And, I'll skip 
the judgment calls altogether. I've come to believe that, although shared 
summary judgments are efficient and useful in many instances, they are 
not well-suited to virtual communities. In any case, the rules of 
politics still apply: "You can't throw mud without getting hit by mud 
yourself." (Which is why I think the feedback on eBay is such a 
crock--why give negative feedback when it will only damage your own 
record in a tit-for-tat retaliation? What's to stop a person with a lot 
of negative feedback from re-emerging under a different name? If you are 
honest with your side of the story, what constrains your antagonist to be 
honest as well? Do we really believe that everybody is equally honest?) 
OK, I'm starting to go seriously OT here, but let me take a moment and 
issue a GOOD seller notice. There's a guy on eBay named James Timmons 
(jktphd) who is an outstanding, honest seller of OM equipment. I 
purchased several items from him, most recently a 28/2 for $230 and it 
arrived in better-than-described, near-mint condition (REALLY near-mint, 
not pseudo near-mint, with apologies to those of you who don't think 
"mint" should be used as a descriptor). He also threw in free shipping 
and a free micro-fiber cloth. I say "What a guy," but draw your *own* 
conclusion from these facts. (And what a lens! Now I can see what y'all 
have been raving about.) 

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