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ebaY Keeps Building Walls

ebaY Continues to Build Walls
How ebaY is going to shut down all third party services that don't buy into ebaY's API
Editorial - 15 October 2002

In the last few weeks TAG has observed an increasing number of reports of users who try to log in and are given a message that they need to enter their user ID, password and a random four digit code supplied on the screen. Using an on screen code such as this random four digit one, is an automated way for a site to insure that the person logging in is a human and not a robot or other program. TAG believes that ebaY is testing this so that ebaY users will have to log in to the site directly, which will prevent a third party service provider from logging in on the users behalf to post auctions, relist auctions, download management information or perform any other function requiring a users password.

Those third party service providers who sell or give users downloadable programs, can probably write scripts to add in this third element on log in. Online programs will not be able to get around this as easily, and will have to figure out a way for the seller to log in live, so the program can then take over to do its stuff. This will probably have the biggest impact on sniping programs and auction schedulers. Those who have bought into the ebaY API will have another gateway in, so will be able to bypass this new form of log in.

ebaY will use the excuse that they are doing this to make their site more secure for users, particularly to stop identity thieves from using alphabet software to hack out user passwords. If this was true, ebaY would program the log in so that a user could give ebaY a list of trusted service providers who would be able to log in without needing the four digit code security. TAG is sure ebaY will not do this and will instead seize the opportunity to limit users options for third party service providers.