Forum topic just for developers

[bykimbo]

It would be handy if such a forum or group could be set up, and excuse me for sounding elitist or discriminatory here, such that non-developers could not add comments, otherwise it would be no different to the situation you describe in your initial post. Can groups be formed where new members can be vetted on here? Perhaps new users would need to give links to websites or programs they've developed before being allowed to join. After all, I know the problem of non-technical people chirping in, I've seen it myself on here and it gets very annoying!

When we talk about web development, I assume we mean coding and not some website builder junk (including Dreamweaver, a chimpanzee could make a website using that).

Sounds unnecessarily restrictive to me. If a forum is clearly labelled as being highly technical, I don't think people who aren't interested will be tempted in, it's only because subjects have been discussed in "public" general space that the public have, not unreasonably, joined in.

As a matter of interest, with the rules you describe, I think I'd be excluded. I spent getting on for 25 years working in IT, my last salaried job was as Corporate Web Master for global oil and gas services company, my responsibilities including development of all world-wide Internet and Intranet services...

... but these days I don't think I could point you towards a single line of code that would qualify under your proposed exclusion rule.

But then, you probably wouldn't want some bookselling know nothing IT numpty joining in.

[Fossy]

I used to work with developers and progammers for a large local authority as a go between for the users who didnt have much of a clue of how their systems worked, but knew what they wanted. Ultimately it was myself and a few others that tested the software/updates etc before they were put into production

Most of the users did not know how to talk to the developers to explain their needs as many developer/programmers live on a different planet when it comes to talking to users.

I agree an API is needed and it takes people with the right skills to do that. I am not a programmer, purely a chimpanzee who uses Dreamweaver these days to create simple web sites. Any development needs a proper strategy and planning with an ultimate target in mind. To let a crowd of probably over qualified, and sometimes egotistical developers go off without consulting users etc. and do their own thing, could cause more problems than its worth and we will end up with something that only the very technically minded can use.

Perhaps this is what M&G are afraid of and see it as some form of potential take over and that is why they havent responded?

By all means lets have a developers thread and perhaps some good will come of it.

[heatemyfather]

To let a crowd of probably over qualified, and sometimes egotistical developers go off without consulting users etc. and do their own thing, could cause more problems than its worth and we will end up with something that only the very technically minded can use.

A good developer knows what their users need, and in this case the developers are most likely also going to be the users, as the discussion so far has been for creating their own software customised to their own business needs (not a general uploader for Joe Bloggs, that's how I have read it anyway). Just a few simple API functions that the serious listers know how to use and know that they would need; discussion would probably focus on how to achieve this, how to best use them in a piece of software, sharing tips and tricks. A lot of this stuff would just be gobbledegook to non-developers or people without any kind of programming background.

[heatemyfather]

I spent getting on for 25 years working in IT, my last salaried job was as Corporate Web Master for global oil and gas services company, my responsibilities including development of all world-wide Internet and Intranet services...

When you say 'development' is that in the business or programming sense of the word? Sounds like management speak to me.

[SalusLibrorum]

To let a crowd of probably over qualified, and sometimes egotistical developers go off without consulting users etc. and do their own thing, could cause more problems than its worth and we will end up with something that only the very technically minded can use.

Perhaps this is what M&G are afraid of and see it as some form of potential take over and that is why they havent responded?

If they provide the api, they can restrict it to any functions they want. Right now I'd love to be able to make myself something to automatically upload, purge / replace, manage my stock (which is getting increasingly difficult as I'm listing in more than one place), write invoices automatically, automatically send out dispatch emails, and log all the things on the AAL that I hate trying to write into that tiny little box.

It doesn't have to affect anyone else.

On the other hand, the eBid OpenSource project ( ) could also provide this so far mythical eBid version of TurboLister, probably quite quickly, given the numbers of programmers who seem to be here, and make it work (I'm not including myself in this, almost everything I write seems to end up more buggy than an ant hill and takes me an age to get working, the joys of inexperience).

How is providing a tool to make sellers life easier a take-over bid? It's a good job Amazon and evilBay don't think like that, where would Monsoon, Auctiva or Aman etc. (and their thousands of users) be then? The whole idea is to provide a choice which suits the users, there isn't much point in producing something that people can't use, because, not surprisingly, they won't use it.

[Fossy]

Perhaps my wording "take over bid" was not quite the right choice of words. I think ultimately what many users want is a simple uploader like Turbo Lister, although I dont have many listings I would prefer to use something like that rather that the existing interface.

As for AAL well surely anything would be an improvement over that and I wholeheartedly agree about the "tiny box".

I can understand the frustrations of the OP and wish him well in his attempts to overcome his problems, which if happen, hopefully, will also serve to improve the lot of the majority of users.

[SalusLibrorum]

It's also a retrograde step in the popularity stakes not having one. Didn't we have a software engineer in here a few weeks ago who is in the process of developing some software to co-ordinate and manage stock and listings on multiple sites? As I recall he was ignored, and then left in disgust stating that eBid won't, in that case, be one of the sites that his particular software will manage.

If eBid isn't on the list of these sales management tools, then sellers using it aren't going to list here.

I suppose it depends on where G&M see the site going, is it just a site they're running as a hobby, with a bit of coding thrown in for interest, for basically hobby sellers, or do they want to seize the opportunities that the leviathan keeps throwing them, but which to date they haven't bothered to catch? I'm getting the idea that it's the former rather than the latter, unfortunately.

[Fossy]

Wish I could afford something like this as a hobby. LOL

[kengillam]

On a business development front, there are rumours that Greedbay may be going towards zero listing fees. If that materializes what future for the alternatives like eBid? will it result in their demise as sellers flock back to the evil empire. It may be that there is now a very narrow window of opportunity to grab a slice of the online auction market before it dissapears forever. Now whether that is acheived by advertising and attracting users into the current system with it's quirks and glitches, or fixing and making it bulletproof pretty darn smartish, or releasing the API. Whatever the future is, it isn't standing still and it may soon be crunch time for a lot of things.

[heatemyfather]

I agree with you Ken, the next 12 months may see many things change... or not change depending on your point of view.