Why I Love eBay Tuesday, April 12, 2005

By now, I should have convinced you that there is a lot of crap online that tries to pass itself off as content. Then again, since you're reading this blog, itself a poor substitute for content, then maybe you can't tell the difference. So I will try again.

One of my personal favorite sites in the world is eBay, not only because it's just a wasteland of stuff that you think you might want because it's only a buck (plus $50 shipping), but also because they are exploiting a business model that could not have existed before the advent of the World Wide Web. It's like a worldwide swap meet, open to everyone, and like any open community, there are a bunch of nuts thrown into the mix.

People will try to sell anything on eBay, including:

• Their virginity (since the original "item" is no longer available online, you'll have to content yourself with buying a commemorative decal)
• A grilled cheese sandwich bearing an image of the Virgin Mary
• "Miracle Snow"
• Their own DNA
• A "Mother Theresa" Fortune Cookie

God bless the Internet! I say that if some guy can make money by having his wife shout your name during sex, then he deserves every penny he gets.