Will Truman

Will Truman is the Editor-in-Chief of Ordinary Times. He is also on Twitter.

Related Post Roulette

8 Responses

  1. Mike Dwyer says:

    I was just having a similar rant the other night about FB marketplace. They have an option where you can message a seller with a pre-written message that says, “Is this item still available?” It seems to be the way 90% of users begin conversations about an item. My response is always , “Yes, it’s still available. When can you meet to purchase?” About half never reply back.

    These apps need to make it harder to initiate the conversation. Creating some kind of barrier would filter out the looky-loos from the serious buyers.Report

    • Aaron David in reply to Mike Dwyer says:

      The few times I have bought anything off of Craigs (I work tangentially to the antique world), I have always sent a message with my first name, my phone number and a specific reference to the object. I would simply ask for such as that in whatever manor FB has the listing.Report

      • Mike Dwyer in reply to Aaron David says:

        I usually progress to texting once a couple of messages have passed back and forth. It’s just those random first messages that can make you crazy.Report

        • Aaron David in reply to Mike Dwyer says:

          It is not so much that I want a callback or a text, it is so the seller knows I am real and serious.Report

          • Mike Dwyer in reply to Aaron David says:

            Oh – I misread your comment, You’re talking about what you do as the BUYER. Yeah, I like that approach. I haven’t been on the buying end very much. We’ve been selling stuff like crazy in an effort to downsize.Report

  2. Damon says:

    The only thing worse, texting wise, than someone writing a novel of words when texting you is lack of clarity when texting.

    WTF does a seesaw even mean?!

    I’d not sell/give the cake to “ginger” on the annoyance level alone.Report

  3. pillsy says:

    Well, yeah, after seeing that refrigerator full of cheesecakes I definitely want a cheesecake.Report

  4. Jaybird says:

    Remember that craigslist ad about cinderblocks?

    Anyway, I think that this has to do with modern alienation on one level. You used to know the person that you bartered with. You would give them what you had that they needed and they would give you what you asked of them and you’d have a conversation and strengthen your bonds with each other.

    Now there’s an impersonal exchange of cash for goods and the expectation on the part of the seller is that you show up, you give the money, you take the goods, and you leave. They can make their next sale. You can make your next purchase.

    No connections. No conversations.
    No see-saws.Report