CNN.com...is that all you got muthafuckas?

Dear Diary,
I am sincerely embarrassed for my silly naive little drones. I've caused them so much grief, I've built up their world and allowed their tantrums to continue, but soon they will be devestated as I pull the rug from beneath their feet. The big bad scary seller "strike" or "boycott" draws ever nearer. My drones think they've got eBay in a corner, but once again I have the upper hand. They've played themselves into my corner and I'm about to strike at them with the ferocioty of a coked up werewolf in the rut!

Those sorry eBay sellers, those pathetic fucks, they don't know what is about to hit them.

Diary, I know I've made some - let's call them - miscalculations over the past few years, but eBay Inc.'s latest changes will cement my legacy for eternity as the greatest female CEO in the universe of all time.

This past week, conversion rates on eBay.com fell to around 20%, a 50% decrease over the average. Mainstream news outlets have picked up on the plight of my drones in articles on their websites (like CNN.com). Listing volume has decreased a bit m/m and w/w, and is way down y/y. Blogs are calling for cyber-terrorism against eBay Inc. during the week of the 18th. eBay related online forums are abuzz with rantings and ravings of unhappy sellers. YouTube has dozens of boycott videos, and many others with various rants about eBay and the evils of Paypal. Financial analysts have lowered their targets and many have issued "sell" ratings on eBay Inc. stock.

Diary, I am here to say that I am in control and in command, and that eBay will dessimate our enemies and render the naysayers mute.

On February 18th a boycott will commence. Those sellers participating in the boycott will be those sellers who do not rely on eBay 100% for their income, or rely on eBay to maintain their comfort level in life. They are the disposable sellers. Those dumbasses at PESA, who we have in our back pocket, have not endorsed the strike, and nearly all of the PESA members will continue with business as usual. As will the housewives who need extra money for diapers and baby formula, and the single mothers selling already-second-hand-items to pay for heat. The current recession will assure that even fewer sellers participate in the boycott. And we expect those sellers who are not participating in the boycott to more than fill the void left by the absent listings of those who chose to leave.

It's all an exercise in social engineering.

When the dust settles, we will have a loyal customer base of sellers and a new system in place to assure that new sellers will be in line with the eBay principles, or they will quickly find themselves NARU'd. The new feedback policy will give the appearance that eBay is a friendly place to trade. The 21 day holds on some Paypal payments will result in tens of millions of dollars of interest for Paypal.com that will not have to be passed on to the sellers, since Paypal is not subject to normal accounting and banking laws in the US. Our research tells us that the loyal sellers that remain during the strike will actually increase eBay revenue by increasing their listing volume - given the lowered insertion fees, free gallery photos and initial decreased competition. (Our research also shows that those idiots don't seem to realize that eBay sell-through rates are only 20-40%).

And then there's the carrot. Sellers will have to maintain a 4.6 rating or above in all DSR categories to receive Powerseller status and the accompanying 15% FVF discount. For most of my drones, this will prove impossible. Tilting at windmills comes to mind.....more like tilting at skyscrapers! In order to obtain those DSR numbers and for their items to appear at the top of our new Best Match search, sellers will have to invest so much time and energy into customer service that a heavy burden will be lifted off of eBay's shoulders, and the customer service they provide will have to be at a level so high that buying on eBay will become a more favorable option for shoppers.

Basically the chaff is sorted out, and what remains will be a legion of high quality sellers that will in effect do the jobs that eBay Inc. should be doing (in addition to listing, selling and shipping products). A perfect, perfect plan.