Hope eBay's Lawyers Have Read Up On Network Neutrality

from the skype-blocking?--sure,-we-can-do-that dept

Wed, Sep 14th 2005 1:48pm — Mike Masnick

Someone at eBay might not be happy about this bit of news today. Just days after spending billions of dollars to buy Skype, a company that makes traffic management technology for broadband providers is offering up a Skype filter that will let broadband providers block out Skype traffic. They're not the first, obviously, as some operators and even countries have looked at or implemented various Skype-banning systems. However, it is interesting to see the Skype blocking feature being so prominently mentioned. This probably means that eBay is going to have to become a bit more proactive in the whole network neutrality discussion -- otherwise they may just discover that operators (especially outside the US, which was one of the main reasons cited by eBay for buying Skype) are making their latest purchase worthless.

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13 Comments

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Kevin Trumbull, 14 Sep 2005 @ 3:44pm

Ebay response
An interesting way that ebay could respond is to selectively block, or throttle connections to various ISPs.

I know that if for some reason I couldn't hit Ebay from my ISP, I'd want to know why. And fairly quickly for that matter.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Sep 2005 @ 4:13pm

Another solution for eBay
Find who is holding the patent for this kind of filtering, and buy THEM. Then enforce the patent brutally.
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jdw242, 14 Sep 2005 @ 6:04pm

once again
sounds like it's time to start making a ton of freeware and GPL products so the stupid fuckwads that need money to live their 'wealthy' lives can sit back and watch their lives get spent for them.

Maybe, not sure, but I think you'll find a monetary reason why the blocks are happening; and behind that reason will be several disconnected greedy phuks that have nothing to do but gather some kind of weatlth; not sharing.

Could be me though...
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Ricky, 15 Sep 2005 @ 2:23am

selective ISP cutting off
Remember what has been said before in this website:

... At the same time, as service providers deny network neutrality and block off certain useful applications, they're damaging their own prospects by cutting off the applications that make their services attractive.

(Contributed by Mike on Wednesday, April 27th, 2005 @ 05:04AM
from the things-can-be-done dept.)
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Johnny Law, 26 Aug 2006 @ 12:46am

ebay is blocking me from their site
Hello I have a problem with ebay
, it seems every time i exspress myself on how i feel i was treated on ebay in a auction listing , i am blocked from using the site,fine , but i have 40 ITEMS LISTED I NEED ACCESS TO AND AM BEING CHARGED FOR AND 210 in positive feedback i BUILT A REPUTATION on.

THIS IS my second ebay account , as the first 1 was distinguished by means of ebay kept ending my listing i had made up and someone else had copied and was constantly reporting me to ebay and it was my idea and auction and i had 160 positive feedback at the time(yet i was banned and a 10 feedback seller was taken under the wing OF EBAY,
i have also over paid ebay through paying with paypal when i was setup to pay via my bank and instant transfer$157.18 I never received credit for(yes I have proof ebay doesnt care and good luck getitng ahold of them OR A LAWYER WILLING TO TAKE THEM ON, paypal doesent want to hear it (they say straiten it out with ebay) WHO CAN BE THE NEXT AUCTION GIANT WITHOUT BEING SUCH P.O.S. THAT I PAY THEM $300.00 A MONTH AND CANNOT EVEN STRAITEN OUT A BILLING PROBLEM WITH A LIVE PERSON),, WHAT ABOUT ALL YOU THAT GET YOUR TIME AND MONEY WASTED BY EBAY CANCELING YOUR AUCTIONS EBAY BASICLY IS TELLING US TO LIKE IT OR LUMP IT (iD LIKE TO LUMP SOMEONE IN THE EBAY COOPERATE OFFICE FOR THE MONEY THEY UNDESERVINGLY TAKE EVERY MONTH ,AS MY CHILDREN GO WITHOUT SOMETIMES DUE TO POOR SALES EBAY BLOCKING ME FROM THE SITE OR NON PAYING BIDDERS TELLING EBAY THEY HAVE PAID FOR THAT $5000.00 CAR THEY NEVER PURCHASED AND I WAS STUCK WITH THE LISTING FEES AND FINAL VALUE FEES, ,,
AT THIS POINT I AM STILL SELLING ON EBAY BUT HAVENT A CLUE ON HOW I AM DOING CAUSE I CANNOT GET ON THE SITE AFTER TELLING PEOPL HOW MUCH A LISTING COST ME( AND VERY NICLY SO SORRY EBAY SO SORRY SO SORRY CAN I KISS YOUR A$$ ANY MORE F.U. EBAY i HOPE THE COMPANY FALLS TO THEIR ANKELS AS I AM QUITE ADDICTED TO THE EXCITEMENT OF SELLING ,BUT LATLY ITS LIKE GOING TO THE CASINO 500 MILES AWAY AFTER SPENDING THE MONEY TO GET THERE AND YOUR NOT ALLOWED INSIDE, FINE ANYONE THAT HAS A LAWSUITE OR PLANNING A LAWSUITE OR WHO HAS WON A LAWSUITE AGAINST THE ALMIGHTY EBAY PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU , ALSO WOULD EBAY BE CONSIDERED BY LAW OF COMMITING WIRE FRAUD DUE TO THEY STILL HAVENT GIVIN ME CREDIT FOR MY 157.18 WELL EVEN IF I DONT GET 1 RESPONSE IT FEELS GOOD TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST BUT I STILL WANT JUSTICE AND FOR EBAY TO REALIZE THEY ARE NOTHING WITHOUT PEOPL LIKE ME AND YOU
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CustomVW@gmail.com, 12 Sep 2006 @ 7:46pm

I am having beef wiith eBay too!
Hey Johnny Law, you are not alone! Contact me and lets see if we can figure this out...
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TARA M, 5 Dec 2006 @ 11:01am

Re: ebay is blocking me from their site
REGARDING YOUR BLOCKED SITUATION - WHAT BROWSER ARE YOU USING? DID YOU ALSO INSTALL AND UPDATE YOUR JAVA. GO TO JAVA.COM OR ELSE UPDATE THE LATEST INTERNET EXPLORER. IF YOU ARE NOT USING XP THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS 6 BUT TRY AND USE INTERNET EXPLORER WHEN GOING TO EBAY'S WEBSITE.

AS FAR AS THE OTHER PROBLEM IS CONCERNED I HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED YET AGAIN FOR ILLEGITAMATE REASONS AND I AM SUPPOSED TO BE REINSTATED TOMORROW BUT I AM SURE THEY WILL TRY SOME MORE BS AFTER THAT. THEY DO FLAG PROBLEM ACCOUNTS AND BUST SHOES EVERY CHANCE THEY GET. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY TOO MANY CHIEFS AND NOT ENOUGH INDIANS. TODAY I CONTACTED LIVE SUPPORT BECAUSE ORIGINALLY I EMAILED THEM TO GET THE NAME OF THEIR LAWYERS, THEY FAILED TO GIVE ME THAT INFORMATION SO I EMAILED LIVE SUPPORT, WHO CLAIMED THEY DONT HAVE THAT INFO EITHER. I AM AN ACTUAL STORE FRONT WITH EMPLOYEES CLIENTS AND RENT TO PAY BUT A LOUSY .99 TRANSACTION SHUT ME DOWN THEY ARE THE BIGGEST LOW LIVES GOING. IF I HAD INFO TO CONTACT THE BIG GUY WOULD HE GIVE A SHIT - PROBABLY NOT BUT I GUESS IT IS UP TO US TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE AMAZON AUCTIONS AND I OFFER TO STEP UP IN THE FOOD CHAIN SO THEY CAN START BECOMING WELL KNOWN TOO. BAND TOGETHER AND DONT TAKE ANY MORE CRAP FROM THE EBAY GODS START SELLING ON OTHER AUCTION SITES SO THEY CAN START ADVERTISING TOO.
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françois, 23 Dec 2006 @ 12:41pm

skype blocking solution
I would like to point that currently, the policy of most wanna-be skype blocker is to filter only skypeout calls, not filter skype to skype, nor skype chat.
By blocking skype out, regulators make companies pay for a service that they use to cut their cost. But who pays at the end for infrastructures?
National Telcos have spent on these costly infrastructures, because they thought they were going to get a return on their investment.
These regulations are not targetting the "poor" user. You can see this as a try to implement a tax on calls made mostly by corporations.

Furthermore, if look at skype as disruptive technology which radically changed the telecommunication landscape, you can also think as skype and P2P filtering technologies as disruptive as well. To actually filter and block such stealthy protocol, people had to be very imaginative. Skype and P2P filtering solutions today involve machine learning, neural network, artificial intelligence, asynchronous filtering.

These monitoring and controling technologies are definitely here to stay, and will become even more prevalent, as everyone will use IP-based services.
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david, 30 Dec 2006 @ 1:22am

very true
This is very true.
In the UAE, currently the Telco is blocking SkypeOut calls but Skype2Skype is allowed. This is aimed at implementing a tax on companies.
The tool that they presumably use is the opensource filter from Lynanda. It uses bayesian networks (similar to what is used for spam filtering or in stock markets trading)
you can check this software there http://www.lynanda.com/products/software-for-corporations/traffic-filtering/lynanda-skype-filter
Wh at is funny is that it seems like you only have to install this software on a box somewhere near your router and all skype calls will be filtered.
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Erin Coley, 23 Feb 2008 @ 12:06pm

Hacked
I was one of the fortunate victims of the 26 year old that stole 200,000 dollars from the site by posing as a toolbar...I lost 10-15 thousand dollars. As I was writing them to defend myself as to why I wasnsnt and couldn't ( advice from different attorney's) pay for my last service....I had only 1 negative feedback and 47 pts....They shot me off like a hot cake. Once I mentioned fox news and pay[pal the fat lady had sung for me. I have yet to see any of that money returned to me. They/he hit 6 of mt credit cards, made checks in my name, these are proffesional theives! I don't know if I'll ever be the same. Love to speak w/ anyone with same situation. Thanks, Erin
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Erin Coley, 23 Feb 2008 @ 12:15pm

Re: ebay is blocking me from their site
read mine feel your pain.....
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2013 @ 8:21pm

uncooperative staff from ebay dis-heart ebay loving customers,get new staff ebay ,maybe they are taking successful ebay for granted,maybe ebay needs new blood or new people with
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Mar 2013 @ 8:36pm

I have been trying to register myself in eBay but nothing works,every move I do gets blocked, I want to buy but I.D or Password is wrong,try to fixed but they YO-YO me,they appear got a lot of time to Yo-Yo people, this is incredible like they do not have Supervisors to stop then having a laugh but when pay day comes they want every cent for their time even the laughing Yo-Yo time they play with customers. Hope eBay pull their socks and return eBay to what it used to be :a real people hope and a Business every one want and be glad to deal with. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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