The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Cody K wrote:I'm with Fran in that if I really want to snipe something, I'll bid in real time no matter what time it is. I'll set an alarm if I have to. It's ridiculous, I know, but I like the sweaty palms as the last three seconds approach. I'm imagining it, but I like to think it keeps a little humanity in the process of online bidding; but then, I'm the kind of retrograde goofball who thinks that high-speed transactions in the stock market are bad for ordinary investors, and for the economy overall. But it doesn't matter what I think if I'm the only one awake at 3am, while everyone I'm competing with is fast asleep and software's literally doing their bidding. I'm the fool then.

But I sometimes wonder what we're losing by depending on technology for every move we make -- old phonographs are my way of stepping back, way back, from technology saturation. It doesn't matter -- because here I am, grousing about online auctions on an internet forum. Whatever ship I was hoping to catch sailed long ago. I'll still set the alarm, though, if I'm serious about something on eBay.

It stings a little to miss out by a short amount, but whether the bidding's by software or, ahem, "artisanal", them's the breaks.

That's my opinion, and if you disagree, send a text to my refrigerator. It'll reply with instructions as to what to do next.

fran604g wrote:

Cody K wrote:I'm with Fran in that if I really want to snipe something, I'll bid in real time no matter what time it is. I'll set an alarm if I have to. It's ridiculous, I know, but I like the sweaty palms as the last three seconds approach. I'm imagining it, but I like to think it keeps a little humanity in the process of online bidding; but then, I'm the kind of retrograde goofball who thinks that high-speed transactions in the stock market are bad for ordinary investors, and for the economy overall. But it doesn't matter what I think if I'm the only one awake at 3am, while everyone I'm competing with is fast asleep and software's literally doing their bidding. I'm the fool then.

But I sometimes wonder what we're losing by depending on technology for every move we make -- old phonographs are my way of stepping back, way back, from technology saturation. It doesn't matter -- because here I am, grousing about online auctions on an internet forum. Whatever ship I was hoping to catch sailed long ago. I'll still set the alarm, though, if I'm serious about something on eBay.

It stings a little to miss out by a short amount, but whether the bidding's by software or, ahem, "artisanal", them's the breaks.

That's my opinion, and if you disagree, send a text to my refrigerator. It'll reply with instructions as to what to do next.

and finally: YES!!

Fran