Guy's it's clear you don't like the change, most people don't like change, heck, I don't like that we had to do it to protect your customers from their own naivety and greed.

Now I don't know if you've really considered what was happening. Whether you know it or not, even though a seller was in no way involved in the scam, he gets a black-eye from his customers/potential customers simply because his name was associated with the auction. Same is true of AuctionArms reputation. Simply because these scams were being perpetrated on AuctionArms customers these scammers dastardly efforts sullied our reputation. Word gets out, people decide not to come to the site because "George had some problem, don't recall just what, with AuctionArms".

So to protect our customers, both buyers and sellers, and our reputation as a market place, we had to do this and it was the right thing to do.

So, given the benefits this change created for all concerned, What's the real downside? Other than "I don't like it" what detriment are you really seeing?

How has this necessary change, the fact that you can't see a full bidder nickname on an auction you are not involved actually caused harm or is hurting you?

1) Having the ability to view a member’s feedback record is a tool that many have come to rely on in order to check out the feedback record of members when the person doing the checking is not involved in the auction. There are multiple reasons for wanting to do this ranging from blocking possible problem bidders, thus reducing the time and hassle that AA will spend in correcting problems created by them. Also, using this tool can give a buyer/seller a good idea of who to not do business with based on their non-positive feedback, which may well have established or indicated an unethical way of doing business used by this person. This list could go on for a bit more, but I'm sure that you get the reasoning of the nay sayers to the new system. Thus AA has removed one useful tool from the tool box.

2) Many here feel that a system REQUIREMENT to NOT have the same user name as part of a members' e-mail address would be an easy and workable fix to the problem. A simple change in a users name would work just fine. Myself, I have yet to receive my first scam attempt by using this method. Having said this, IF I were to request a user name change I would also have the expectation of having it done quickly based on the time that I made my request. If someone wishes to play in AA's sand box, then they MUST obey the T&C's. One of which is that your user name can not be part of you e-mail address. THIS WOULD NOT REQUIRE OR ASK ANYONE TO CHANGE THEIR E-MAIL ADDRESS !

3) Primarily, I feel that one of the largest gripes, which has caused many hard feelings is that AA management did not bring this to the membership for any type of consensus and/or feedback. In your honest efforts to protect AA and its members, you have actually hurt some of you very supportive and core membership in the process. Many will suffer the ill effects of this change as the result of the transgressions of a few, possibly causing the grass to appear much greener on the other side of the fence.

4) My personal feelings/opinions are that this new hidden buyer name system has encourages some to leave this site as they possibly feel that they were either not asked for their opinion(s); that AA is becoming to high handed as e-Bay ; or that AA is more concerned about their bottom line profit than the feelings/opinions of their user base.

5) Also, this new hidden name system severly, if not completly, prevents communication between buyer & prospective bidder when questions concerning the item or sellers requirements, etc. need to be clarified. It is sort of like trying to drive an automobile from Point A to Point B down a very crooked road while wearing a blindfold. The above statements, opinions, etc, are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect the feelings, opinions of anyone else but myself.

I for one have had enough of this mentality that we have to pass laws (or change rules) because of the victims that have opened the door themselves to be preyed upon. As far as AA is concerned, when they tell us they HAD to make the change to PROTECT US!!.....Yeah Right!

And Rattler if you really mean that you wish the forums were more like they used to be....how about taking a step to revive them by gittin ur butt back to the story! Ur right.....things here have changed, and ur one of the reasons it has. I used to come here on days that I didn't have to, just to catch up on the Brown Story, but since you stopped,,,,why bother!! And that is becoming the train of thought of many here lately. I remember thinking that you were one of the biggest assets that AA had in their membership, and I still respect ur input, but I now see this change as a lack of loyality on ur part to the ones that followed you around for years. True things move on, and we have to learn to adapt, but it sure yanks me the wrong way when it is for OUR protection because of the minority.

And Bob.....have you noticed any of the SEVERAL times that trapper has been trying to contact you to get his nickname changed SO HE CAN BE PROTECTED!

If this is such a BIG important issue....it seems to me that we would have the ability to change that without having congressional approval.