Today's issue focuses on the eBay Live conference held June 14 - 16. As in previous years, we hired a photographer, a videographer and reporters to bring the experience back to those of you who did not to attend. The following URL links to a page containing news stories from the show along with links in the left-hand column to photos, videos and podcasts: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/ebaylive2007

This year, AuctionBytes was granted access to top eBay executives for the first time, and we sat down to video interviews with Meg Whitman and Bill Cobb. There is also an interesting podcast with John Donahoe.

I was also able to interview sellers and vendors, and I'm really pleased at the content that came out of these interviews. This year, I dug deeper into issues that affect sellers, including probing for marketing advice. The first article in today's newsletter guides you through the highlights of the AuctionBytes coverage.

The eBay Developer's Conference kicked off on June 11th immediately preceding the eBay Live conference in Boston. "eBay Anywhere" was the theme: eBay is encouraging the display of eBay listings all over the Internet (like blogs and on Facebook) and across platforms (including mobile devices and on users' desktop through tools like San Dimas). This is a 180-degree shift from how eBay had protected its proprietary marketplace in the past, when it did not even allow search engines to display its listings side-by-side listings from other marketplaces.

At the conference, eBay reached out to developers to create buyer tools built on its affiliates program as a revenue model (someone clicks and bids on a listing using your tool, and you earn affiliate revenue from eBay).

This is a far cry from the solid, if somewhat competitive, relationships eBay built with seller-side developers in the past. In my opinion, affiliates are not interested in the welfare of eBay buyers and sellers. They are focused on the revenue they derive through such programs, and will move on to the next opportunity when the rules change or when there's a more attractive program on another platform. Some may remember the story we broke in 2003 that was featured in John Battelle's book "The Search" that reveals the challenges of working with affiliates (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y03/m10/i24/s00).

However, eBay's opening of the affiliate program to its own sellers is a positive change. In the next issue of AuctionBytes-Update, we'll publish Julia Wilkinson's interview with Jeremy Shoemaker who runs AuctionAds, a site that helps sellers take advantage of eBay's affiliate program and "eBay Anywhere" philosophy.

eBay appears to recognize some of the challenges it is facing and wants to transform the site and regain the vibrancy of the marketplace. It can't do it alone, and its users and developers are weary. Low-volume and casual sellers find the site complicated (ask users who have tried using new versions of SYI and Turbo Lister). High-volume sellers are hitting the cyber ceiling on eBay, expanding to other platforms, and decreasing their dependency on eBay.

In another sign of changing times, the oldest independent message forum in the online-auction industry is closing. Jim Wells-Miller, who founded the site with his wife Crystal Wells-Miller, said OTWA has served its purpose in the industry. Two years ago, Wells-Miller had told users he was closing the site for financial reasons, but reversed his decision after receiving an outpouring of concern and offers of support (read "Online Auction Board OTWA to Remain Open" at http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y05/m07/i18/s01).

With Wednesday's announcement, there was another outpouring from long time users who thanked Jim and Crystal for providing an independent forum in the online auction industry (http://www.otwa.com/community/showthread.php?t=55518). One wrote, "Now we know how Norm and Cliff felt when Sam announced he was closing Cheers," referring to the popular 1980s television sitcom "Cheers." OTWA's closing means there is one less independent site where sellers can congregate, discuss business and share ideas.

It seems each year, Google steals some thunder from eBay Live, and this year was no different. We've been covering the brouhaha between eBay and Google in the AuctionBytes Newsflash newsletter and in the AuctionBytes blog.

We asked readers to share their thoughts on the Google - eBay "situation" that developed over the past 2 weeks, and we hit a nerve. You can listen to readers' own thoughts in their own voices here, in the inaugural edition of the new AuctionBytes Hotline podcast: http://tinyurl.com/29sz4d

Here is this week's Hotline question: "What is the single biggest challenge that you face as an online seller?" Call the Hotline and voice your opinion. You'll have 60 seconds to leave your message, and it could be used in the next AuctionBytes Hotline Podcast (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/hotline).

Dial toll-free 877-222-0856 or 508-720-9279 for international callers, and let us know what's on your mind!

Thanks for reading.