[Boatanchors] auction time linked to what timing source?

[Robert Nickels]

On 2/11/2010 8:34 AM, Dave Merrill wrote:
> Some on-line auctions (like Government Liquidation) extend the ending time
> as long as there is still bidding.  Kinda like live auctions.  Very hard to
> snipe.
>
>    
I'll chime in with Dave before we get hollered at for continuing this 
thread.  eBay kinda perverted the concept of an "auction" by imposing an 
arbitrary (and publicly known) closing time, which enabled the tactic of 
sniping to develop.  Real auctions continue until there are no more 
bids.  It's technically feasible to emulate a real auction online by 
either extending the closing time like Dave's example, or by making the 
closing time somewhat fuzzy, so that the precise ending time was 
unknown.   Kinda fun to think about what this would be like, and since 
it would tend to increase bid prices and thus auction fees, speculate on 
why eBay hasn't tried to implement it  yet.

73, Bob W9RAN