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And because there is only a small minority of people who have trouble with Ebay, alternative services are in a very difficult position - we have all seen auctions popping up during the 98-00 period, who remembers them now?
The auction part of ebay isn't the important part, though. The reputation aspect is the key part, and doing an "open source" version of that which actually works world-wide will require using the kind of money that works everywhere. The thing is, nobody goes to an agency like this (or anywhere else) just for a reputation, so something else -- could be an auction or it might even be a massive game -- has to draw customers in first. When ebay started nobody was directly or deliberately purchasing reputation, they were buying and selling stuff. Trying to put a price-tag on reputation is like trying to put a coin-slot on a water fountain -- it doesn't work.
I don't think ebay is a natural monopoly (I don't think those exist, actually). Failed auctions (and future failing agencies that will try to focus solely on reputations) don't and won't understand the complex mix of "sizzle & steak" involved in marketing something that will "accidentally" become the open source reputation-agency James and others have long foreseen, IMO. A simple game, or something like "Friendster" or even a dating service might someday eclipse ebay as a reputation-rating agency as the 'net becomes less US-centric. JMR
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