Idea Is Queen!

Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay claimed that they (eBay) were the original social network site during Q1 2007 earnings conference call. No matter it’s true or not, eBay has been one of the most creative web applications since last decade. eBay is creating an effective economy on cyberspace. Every items we own can be resold on the platform thus fully utilizing the value of them. However sometimes this model is not effective enough because of the “price” on each item. If you don’t satisfy with the price, you won’t pay/bid for it. So, I believe there are lots of items on eBay being “useless” to the current owner (value towards zero), but since the price is higher than every potential buyers’ expectation, those items continue to stay at current owners’ hands. It’s a waste of resources.

Are there any effective method to circulate possessions while maximizing the value of them? Is it possible to just give them away (for free) to those who really need? Would you mind spending some time to describe/upload photos of something you are planning to throw away such as your old fashioned cell phone, obsolete computers, unfit clothes, furniture, read books, toys, collectibles you are getting bored with, etc. Of course on this platform you are not only giving but also “buying” others’ items for free.

It’s a platform where everyone can list their “useless items” and seekers can just press a button “I want/need this”. If more than one want the same item at the same time, the first one sending out the request gets it. I’m also considering another way to prevent from users being unwilling to make any offer. Maybe online auction is always the solution. Users have to bid for things they want by casting virtual credits which can be earned through listing items. Therefore this incentive encourages users to contribute more. In addition, to push users offering attractive items, pageviews of items can transform into final credits. And if your listing is successfully given away to others, you gain virtual credits in return. Though it’s free, shipment charge should be paid by the beneficiary. It’s also viable to adopt reputation ranking mechanism from eBay; Positive comments earn you credit points.

All right, let’s face the truth, the feasibility of this idea depends on whether human are self-interested or inherently beneficent…

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