WHAT are YOUR credientials to be a GURU?

Did you ever wonder who credentials the so-called "teachers"? These internet personalities who set themselves up as experts? I vote "NO ONE"!

People run off at the mouth all the time (I'm doing it here for heaven's sake!) about things that annoy them, fascinate them or confound them. In today's internet world, with blogs, and video sites like YouTube and Flickr, it's real easy (come on! I figured it out, can't be too hard, right?)

Then someone decides that "that person" has good info, good ideas or good points. And follows them. Someone else piles on and so on ...next thing you know, you have a "guru".

PULEASSSSSSSSSSSSE~! Stop! Hit the brakes!

Go to the User's Manual and engage "CRITICAL THINKING" mode. (look for it in the area of THE BRAIN!)

Ok, now, consider this...

WHO IS THAT PERSON? WHAT ARE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS?? WHY are you even listening to them?

Think on that..............

Most of the people we follow (we, the ROYAL we meaning you, me and everybody else) get their "critical mass" from friends following them and recommending them and then other friends of the friends recommending them..... see? NO QUALIFICATIONS.

I'm going to give you an example:

I'm an eBay seller (or was) since it's inception.
So I could call myself "Powerselling Suburban Diva" and write a blog telling you how to do it and charge you for those lessons. Does that mean I know what I'm talking about? I could tell you that you don't need a website or you don't need a Facebook Fanpage or you do need a white pickup truck. WHAT are my credentials?

There are numerous "personalities" on the web and I'm just one of them. WHAT are my credenitals?

Am I interesting? (sure, I'm fascinating, take my word for it.) Am I qualified? I think so. I'm sure at least one of my friends would "fan" me. But am I? IT DEPENDS.

Try to be choosier in who we follow and fan and friend.

I got on this rant because I listened to a webinar yesterday, was deeply interested in the subject but frankly, went to sleep during it because the people running it were BORING. I never bothered to research their credentials because I don't want to find out that I'm really wanting to follow their advice or listen to more of it. SO?? Who told them they could "teach"? I suspect they are life-long teachers because I have a bunch of those in my immediate family and I recgonise the speech patterns, the cadences of the sentences and the MONOTONe and the dumbing down of material for the least experienced portion of the group.

So the moral of the blog today is that just like you'd "qualify" a client for a mortgage or a franchise or to take care of your most precious child, "qualify" the people you follow. JUST because corporate management somewhere gave them a job as a marketer, does not make them a GOOD marketer. Just because they got a degree in "Education" does not make them a good educator/teacher/trainer. Don't even get me started on that one, I don't need to alienate all the family teachers yet again.

If they are teaching "eBay", do they sell on eBay? NO? WHY NOT? Cavemen do it.... so?

If they are teaching marketing, WHO do they market?? How's that working out for the clients? Who's fired them lately? Why do you want marketing info from someone who obviously doesn't do it well enough to keep a job?

If they are teaching blogging? Read their blog? All of them. (no not the archives to perpetuity - all their various blogs. Blogs are like good potato chips, you can't have just one), WHAT? You say they have only one blog? and they don't post regularly?? Don't FOLLOW them to learn how to blog.

Are they teaching sewing, or woodworking? WHAT have they made lately? would you give it to your mom for Mother's Day or could you sell it in an art gallery? If not, don't follow them.

And don't follow anyone who only wants you to send them money. If they don't want to engage in conversation with you either via their blog or via Facebook/Twitter/Myspace or email, then they are using you. Leave. Simple really. It involves valuing ourselves and what we know and involves respecting yourself enough to "hire' the best teachers, the best employees, the best professional services.

Oh and if you decide to ignore my advice, follow these people and waste time, ?? don't whine about the time suck

If you are one of those people trying to be a "techer" or a "guru" and wanting to build your following? For Heaven's use some inflection in your voice, that or wake me up when you're done.

My 1st Quibble with eBay's June 2010 Changes

Ok, the eBay changes are announced and just for the record, I called this post "MY FIRST Quibble" because I am sure it won't be the last thing in them I don't care fore. So?? my opnion ?? Well so far most are not so horrible we can't live with them BUT I was hoping the one about the "REQUIRED ITEM CONDITIONS" might finally be the solution to having the Google Merchant Feed actually produce some real customers. SIGH... BIGGER SIGH...NO

The primary category I list in is Pottery and Glass but item condition (as per below) is NOT required, or probably even offered in that category. BAD EBAY - VERY BAD!

"Pottery & Glass
Main Pottery & Glass category

Available Item Conditions

Item condition will NOT be mandatory in Main Pottery & Glass category (any subcategory exceptions will be listed below)
Not Applicable"

So! *a favorite eBay word,  I guess I'm must gonna move all those to MY website and not pay ebay fees for listing them. Because I can list them on http://www.antiquedaze.com for free (ok, it costs me $5.00 a month TOTAL for the site/hosting etc) and if they sell NO FVF either!  So "free".

"What's the point, Beth? " I hear you asking.. (I can hear you!  I can hear the grass growing in the back yard, regardless of what my husband says, so I know you're thinking that even if you never said it outloud). Well I can generate a GOOGLE-Compliant feed manually if I have to ... (but I do know the real way - the technologically savvy way too).  Now if I can do it, and I ain't all THAT smart, WHY in heaven's name does ebay have a problem puting NEW, USED or REFURBISHED in the condition field and letting us choose one??   EITHER/OR:

• Maybe they ain't as tech savy as they think they are?
• Maybe they don't give a sh** (aka poop).
•  Maybe (#1 most likely explanation !) they really do want to see us keep warting our money on fees for non-selling listings and we'll go belly up while they continue to deny the conspiracy-theory of the conspiracy-theorists. 

Ok, that's it...my "rant" of the moment.  I'll be back when I finish reading the announcement.   

I always wonder:

1) Who are YOU calling a small business?
2) Why do we have EARTH day if we live here? don't you pickup and take care of the "home" in which youlive? then why does the "earth" need a day?? Why is it not getting your undivided attention for a whole year?
3) Why do they think being green is good?? I refer you to moldy bread.... ??? just saying..........
4) Why do some people NEVER find and follow a mentor - do they think "they" don't need one?? ? have they looked in a mirror?
5) some where in the bible it refers to the fact that Jesus, was ignored - "a prophet in his own land" meaning HE got no respect at home and had to venture out to other towns/districts to gain followers. Why is that?? Wouldn't you think that your own family and friends would respect what you say enough to do what you suggest?

So if I say List More, Sell more, some folks listen? But not my family or friends. WHY?



I'm sure I'll think of more...

Are you a TRS or an A.S.S?

You know, someone pointed out on eBay radio the other day that if you're not a TRS (top rated seller) ebay calls you an A S S Above Standard Seller.

ASS??? are you blinkin' kidding me??

So Griff, swore it was an oversight. A thoughtless stupid oversight. But me?? just cause I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after me... I think it was just what it looks like, some snarky "clerk" programmer's slap to the people who were complaining that the new standards are too difficult to understand/meet/care about. And this was that person's small-minded revenge. So I'll Wear that Badge, cause I'm still there on ebay...although not for long the way they keep reducing my visibility

Why I Will Actually End Up Leaving eBay

Besides the stupid management decisions, I am really fed up with the blatant rudeness of both buyers and sellers. And the lying.

WHY do people think they can lie their asses off and I am so stupid I don't know they are lying?? and it's not just buyers scamming sellers. SHEESH People. Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's a sin to lie? Ok, maybe you didn't have 12 years of Catholic School but she surely told you it's WRONG to lie?

2 examples:

A) sold a building toy - AFTER it's mailed the guy says "did you count the peices?" Now I said in the listing that I did? so I said Yes.  Today I got one of the nastiest emails ever saying I'm a lying scammer and I owe him. ??? So I've told him to send it back and I'll refund. AFter all I never put a gun to his head to make him buy the damn thing so... send it back for a full refund (and return shipping).  Wanna bet he asks for a partial refund??

B) DH bought an article on eBay and it's more than 10 days since he paid for it. Now I fight him all the time to get him to ask politely "when did it ship and may I please have the tracking number?".  So finally he did. And this seller has a tragic story of why they forgot to send the item. Their car was totalled by a train and their wife left with Tiger Woods or some such crap.  Just apologize and say "OH S***! I missed your payment and didn't mail it but I'm sending it now and upgrading it to priority mail."   Never mind the 2 chapters of your soon-to-be-published novel of GREAT AMERICAN FICTION.

I should probably change the name to this blog to GREAT STORIES I HEAR ON EBAY.  Why does this never happen on any other venue?? go back to paragraph one about stupid management decisions.

ColderIce Rant

I think John's comments are pertinent to the social situation in this country - So give it a listen!

I do not own stock in either Amazon or eBay - so my interest in these two entities is as a seller -

So ebay blamed it's poor performance onthe degraded state of the dollar - the recession ?? the milkman (oh wait, he got laid off long ago). Their sales increased only 4% YOY (year over year meaning 2009 vs 2008 PS, the reason accountants talk like that?? YOY is so neither WE nor the investors (aka US) will understand them.)
http://www.thestreet.com/quote/EBAY.html.

Amazon- the model eBay "wants" to be...and isn't??

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10615730/1/amazon-wins-big-with-kindle.html

And http://www.thestreet.com/quote/AMZN.html

Ok, I rest my case - eBay had a USP (thanks OSIROCKSTARS for the terminology) also known as a Unique Selling Position. But they drove off,pissed off or kicked off many many sellers- maybe half. (OH WHAT THAT is another story HALF.COM...they killed that off pretty much. I haven't had a sale on there in 6 mos)....

So like I said, I rest my case. Where o Where is the eBay Board of Directors and why do they not care that these people running ebay don't know their A**from a hole in the ground??