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The last eBay-centric article to appear on WebProNews concerned mobile transactions during the holiday season; the company was quite proud of its stats and had made some noise about them.  Now, there’s essentially been outside confirmation of its impressive performance, as eBay was declared the 2009 Mobile Retailer of the Year.

Mobile Commerce Daily is the entity that awarded eBay this title, and Giselle Tsirulnik, its senior editor, supplied quite a number of reasons for the judgment in an article today.  For starters, eBay’s sales were impressive, with about 1.5 million items changing hands thanks to mobile transactions during the holiday season.

Then there was a nifty promotion using a Mobile Boutique to consider, the success of the eBay iPhone application, and the introduction of the separate Deals application.  Plus, as Tsirulnik wrote, "EBay-owned online ticket marketplace StubHub went mobile in 2009," and PayPal took a lot of steps forward, too.

All of which appears to put eBay in an admirable position moving forward, since the growing popularity of iPhones and Android devices is sure to have people buying more stuff online in the future.

Of course, there are other factors to consider when thinking about a company’s success or failure, and eBay critics will be pleased to hear that it’s not having a good day on the stock market.  Despite getting the Mobile Retailer of the Year award, eBay shares are down 2.43 percent right now.

Related Articles:

> eBay Declares Mobile Success For Holiday Season

> eBay Fined $2.6 Million Over LVMH Sales

> eBay Previews Possible Geotargeting Feature For Sellers

Just as we did at the end of 2008, we have gone back through our entire archive for the year 2009 and picked out the articles that received the most conversation from our readers. As we approach the new year, we thought it would be fun to go back and reflect on some of the things that got people talking in the one that’s wrapping up.

Note: Please keep in mind that some of the articles are a bit outdated now as new developments have occurred throughout the year.

1. eBay Wants its Sellers Back

This article received the most commentary by far from WebProNews readers out of every article we produced this year.

2. Top 10 Frustrations for eBay Sellers

Another article on a related subject was also discussed frequently.

3. Does DMOZ Still Have a Place in Search?

Indicating that DMOZ is still definitely a topic worthy of discussion, DMOZ’s value was debated thoroughly in the comments on this article.

4. Do You Respect DMOZ After 11 Years?

DMOZ was also a hot topic after the company had its 11th birthday. It was quite interesting to find out what people thought after 11 years of the directory’s existence.

5. eBay Competitor Bonanzle Continues Big-Time Growth

As was made clear in a number of eBay articles we ran, a lot of users of that site were not very happy. Competitors took advantage. This was a look at the success of one competitor in particular.

6. House Says Bloggers Don’t Count As Journalists

The bloggers vs. journalists debate is always a hot one. Of course when the government gets involved with that debate, some heavy commentary will ensue.

7. Apple Fans Respond To The "Droid Does" Advertising Campaign

Apple fans love to talk. So do Apple haters. That point was very clear in the comments we received on this article.

8. Netbooks: Moving in Right Next Door to Useless

Mike ruffled some feathers with his criticism of the Netbook phenomenon. Although he certainly had plenty who agreed with his views.

9. Can eBay Win Back Sellers with a Shift in Focus?

eBay sparked some interest yet again when it announced its focus on the "secondary market".

10. eBay Unleashes Changes Galore for Sellers

Any time eBay makes changes that affect sellers, you can pretty much guarantee that people are going to talk.

11. Is MySpace Toast?

MySpace’s future is discussed as Facebook takes over as the dominant social network.

12. Google: Page Speed May Become a Ranking Factor in 2010

Google’s Matt Cutts dropped a hint that page speed may be considered as a ranking factor by the search engine soon. Some think this is a great idea, others think it’s horrible.

13. The AP’s Desperate Attempt To Outlaw Search Engine Links

A discussion about the Associated Press and fair use of content.

14. Murdoch On Blocking Search Engines: "I Think We Will"

News Corp. CEO Murdoch said some interesting things about how it plans to distribute its content in the future. This is still a hot topic.

15. Shocker: Facebookers Not Happy With Redesign

I’m sure you recall the big Facebook redesign. A lot of people are still bitter about it.

Looking back at some of these articles, it’s hard to believe they’ve all come from just this year. It’s amazing how much has happened in search, e-commerce, and social media. The rate at which everything changes and evolves is really quite astounding. I guess that can be attributed to the real-time nature in which we consume information now, and the sheer amount of content that is poured onto the web every minute of every day.

To get an idea of what I mean, just go to any of our tag pages and look back through our coverage of any given topic. Go to the Google tag, for example, and look at the enormous amount of things Google has been a part of this year alone.

What kinds of topics would you like to see covered more in the future? Share your thoughts here.

If any of your Christmas presents were a bit odd-looking or seemed like impulse buys, it might be because the gift giver did his or her shopping using a small, accessible screen.  eBay reported today that mobile transactions picked up dramatically this holiday season compared to last.

The volume of mobile transactions tripled on a year-over-year basis, according to eBay, and the current rate of unique mobile visits per day is around 750,000.  People aren’t just grabbing lots of cheap odds and ends, either, considering that a 23-foot boat recently sold for $19,108 and a Steinway grand piano sold for $10,000.

Then here’s a curious detail: mobile commerce seems to have become especially popular in the Lone Star State, since "[f]our of the top 10 U.S. ZIP codes for number of people buying via their mobile phones are from Texas."

Anyway, Lorrie Norrington, the president of eBay marketplaces, concluded, "Mobile is changing the way people shop this holiday season. . . .  eBay buyers and sellers have rapidly embraced mobile commerce this year, and this holiday season has been a mobile commerce tipping point.  Shopping will never be the same again."

eBay sellers and regular retailers who haven’t already done so are sure to spend the next several months adapting.

Related Articles:

> eBay Fined $2.6 Million Over LVMH Sales

> eBay Previews Possible Geotargeting Feature For Sellers

> eBay Back On Its Feet After Search/Browse Outage

Just as we did at the end of 2008, we have gone back through our entire archive for the year 2009 and picked out the articles that received the most conversation from our readers. As we approach the new year, we thought it would be fun to go back and reflect on some of the things that got people talking in the one that’s wrapping up.

Note: Please keep in mind that some of the articles are a bit outdated now as new developments have occurred throughout the year.

1. eBay Wants its Sellers Back

This article received the most commentary by far from WebProNews readers out of every article we produced this year.

2. Top 10 Frustrations for eBay Sellers

Another article on a related subject was also discussed frequently.

3. Does DMOZ Still Have a Place in Search?

Indicating that DMOZ is still definitely a topic worthy of discussion, DMOZ’s value was debated thoroughly in the comments on this article.

4. Do You Respect DMOZ After 11 Years?

DMOZ was also a hot topic after the company had its 11th birthday. It was quite interesting to find out what people thought after 11 years of the directory’s existence.

5. eBay Competitor Bonanzle Continues Big-Time Growth

As was made clear in a number of eBay articles we ran, a lot of users of that site were not very happy. Competitors took advantage. This was a look at the success of one competitor in particular.

6. House Says Bloggers Don’t Count As Journalists

The bloggers vs. journalists debate is always a hot one. Of course when the government gets involved with that debate, some heavy commentary will ensue.

7. Apple Fans Respond To The "Droid Does" Advertising Campaign

Apple fans love to talk. So do Apple haters. That point was very clear in the comments we received on this article.

8. Netbooks: Moving in Right Next Door to Useless

Mike ruffled some feathers with his criticism of the Netbook phenomenon. Although he certainly had plenty who agreed with his views.

9. Can eBay Win Back Sellers with a Shift in Focus?

eBay sparked some interest yet again when it announced its focus on the "secondary market".

10. eBay Unleashes Changes Galore for Sellers

Any time eBay makes changes that affect sellers, you can pretty much guarantee that people are going to talk.

11. Is MySpace Toast?

MySpace’s future is discussed as Facebook takes over as the dominant social network.

12. Google: Page Speed May Become a Ranking Factor in 2010

Google’s Matt Cutts dropped a hint that page speed may be considered as a ranking factor by the search engine soon. Some think this is a great idea, others think it’s horrible.

13. The AP’s Desperate Attempt To Outlaw Search Engine Links

A discussion about the Associated Press and fair use of content.

14. Murdoch On Blocking Search Engines: "I Think We Will"

News Corp. CEO Murdoch said some interesting things about how it plans to distribute its content in the future. This is still a hot topic.

15. Shocker: Facebookers Not Happy With Redesign

I’m sure you recall the big Facebook redesign. A lot of people are still bitter about it.

Looking back at some of these articles, it’s hard to believe they’ve all come from just this year. It’s amazing how much has happened in search, e-commerce, and social media. The rate at which everything changes and evolves is really quite astounding. I guess that can be attributed to the real-time nature in which we consume information now, and the sheer amount of content that is poured onto the web every minute of every day.

To get an idea of what I mean, just go to any of our tag pages and look back through our coverage of any given topic. Go to the Google tag, for example, and look at the enormous amount of things Google has been a part of this year alone.

What kinds of topics would you like to see covered more in the future? Share your thoughts here.

If a French court has its way, eBay will soon have to fork over $2.6 million.  The fine stems from a ban on the sale (or purchase) of LVMH goods, and actually ties to a case that ended in eBay being told to pay LVMH $61 million.

LVMH, which is the entity behind luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer, and De Beers, won a major case against eBay in June of last year.  LVMH claimed to be concerned about the sale of counterfeit merchandise, and eBay was supposed to keep all related items off its French site as a result.

Apparently eBay wasn’t completely successful, however (misspelled listings may have created problems), hence the latest fine.

Now, Alex von Schirmeister, the general manager of eBay in France, has stated, "We believe that the higher courts will overturn this ruling and ensure that eCommerce companies such as eBay will continue to provide a platform for buyers and sellers to trade authentic goods.

von Schirmeister also said, "The fine itself is disproportionate given that eBay complied with the Injunction.  It is out of step with our legal victories in France, UK, Germany, Belgium and the U.S."

Look for further developments down the road, then, as eBay appeals the ruling.

Related Articles:

> eBay Sued By Shoe Retailer

> eBay Collects Another Win Against L’Oreal

> eBay Wins French Ruling Over L’Oreal Fakes

eBay suffered a significant malfunction this weekend as an unspecified "technical issue" affected users’ ability to both search and browse listings for most of Saturday.  Now, the site’s been restored to working order, but a lot of sellers remain extremely unhappy.

Lorrie Norrington, the president of eBay Marketplaces, tried to do a bit of damage control by stating, "We know this is a really busy time for sellers ramping up for the holiday season.  We’re sorry that this technical issue occurred . . . and we regret any potential impact to your business.  Our teams worked around the clock to restore functionality as quickly as possible."

Norrington also hinted at the possibility of a financial peace offering, adding, "We will now be assessing the economic impact of this issue and will be compensating sellers appropriately.  In the meantime, we will be issuing full fee credits automatically for affected listings."

Still, in the absence of significant compensation, many sellers aren’t in a good mood at the moment.  A post on eBay Ink, an official corporate blog, has attracted 30 comments so far, and it’s possible to find longer (and less politely worded) threads elsewhere.  Given that many sellers were already unhappy with fees and policies, eBay may lose a significant amount of business due to the outage.

Traffic to eBay is up on a year-over-year basis, however (at least according to Compete), and the company’s stock has risen an impressive 2.61 percent so far this morning.

Related Articles:

> eBay Completes Skype Sale

> eBay Hits Q3 Targets, Gives Iffy Guidance

> Some eBay Sellers Disgruntled Over Top Rated Sellers Program

Update: It has been discovered that someone is selling an invite on eBay, with the price steadily rising (over five grand right now). I would be surprised if this doesn’t get shut down, and there’s no telling how many bids on here are legitimate anyway.

Original Article: Google is sending out over 100,000 preview invitations to developers who have been participating in the developer preview, the first users who signed up and offered feedback on wave.google.com, and select customers of Google Apps.

"Some of you have asked what we mean by preview," says Google. "This just means that Google Wave isn’t quite ready for prime time. Not yet, anyway. Since first unveiling the project back in May, we’ve focused almost exclusively on scalability, stability, speed and usability. Yet, you will still experience the occasional downtime, a crash every now and then, part of the system being a bit sluggish and some of the user interface being, well, quirky."

The company also says there are some key features that have yet to be fully implemented, such as removal of participants from waves, defining groups of users, and permissions configuration. These things will be rolled out in the coming months.

According to Google, over 27,000 developers have been prototyping with the Google Wave APIs since Google I/O where it was introduced. "Amazingly, these developers persevered, found work arounds, and advocated for new features when our APIs didn’t do what they needed," says Google Wave Product Manager Stephanie Hannon.

Google is featuring a few extensions that are ready to use today. These include extensions for Sudoku puzzles, telephone conferencing, real-time video chat, maps, and weather forecasts.

Google tells sandbox developers that they will get Wave accounts tomorrow at wave.google.com. They will get instructions for logging in from their sandbox accounts. They will also get invitations to bring on people they want to "wave" with. Below are some prototypes of extensions from SAP, Salesforce, and MediaWikiWave:

eBay announced some changes to its user agreement today. The company says the changes were made to help it implement the changes announced in the Seller Release details in July.

eBay Senior Counsel Scott Shipman explains the changes:

The biggest change to the agreement supports the new on-eBay resolution process and accompanying policy. With this user agreement update, the policy and process will offer coverage for all buyers who purchase an item on eBay.com. The policy provides guidance for sellers on how to avoid adverse claim decisions. In the event of an eligible claim it also grants eBay permission to deduct amounts from the seller’s PayPal account to refund the buyer. eBay will ask for permission to charge an alternate payment method in certain situations. (Note, most of the process details are now located in the policy, referenced in the User Agreement).

As with earlier updates to the User Agreement, we’ve made other minor changes to reflect eBay’s current product and service offerings and industry legal standards. For example, we’ve made a few changes to the way we describe use of our catalog content.

The new updated agreement is effective immediately for new members, and will be enforced starting September 29 for current members. The company says that no action in necessary to accept the agreement, but that those who don’t wish to accept it can close their accounts. They even point to instructions on how to do so.

In other eBay news, the company introduced an application directory for sellers this week. This contains third-party apps aimed at helping sellers improve their customer service, streamline shipping, and make their businesses more efficient.

eBay has announced Selling Manager Applications, a directory of apps for eBay sellers to use to improve their customer service, streamline shipping, and make their businesses more efficient.

Sellers can use these apps if they are subscribed to Selling Manager or Selling Manager Pro. Regular Selling Manager is free. Any apps the seller subscribes to will appear under the Applications tab in their version of Selling Manager.

"From sourcing product to shipping your items, Selling Manager Applications are designed to make your business easier to run. Best of all, every application is available with a free trial (usually between one week and 30 days) – so you can try it out before you subscribe," says eBay’s VP seller Experience Dinesh Lathi. "Most Selling Manager Applications charge a subscription fee; however, you will find many free applications as well."

Apps in the directory offer free trial periods so sellers can try them out before deciding whether or not they want to purchase them. So far there about 12 apps. UPS has an app in the directory, which Mike Sachoff of WebProNews talked a little more about.

eBay has begun rolling out the Applications tab in Selling Manager today. The company has special threads on the Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro discussion boards where sellers can leave feedback about the applications and ask questions.

eBay upset a lot of its sellers over the last year and a half or so with various announcements and policy changes. Evidence of this is all over the web on message boards, blog comments, and social networks.

Last week, eBay announced its latest round of changes, and while not everyone is 100% happy with them (that’s got to be impossible anyway), they seem to be going over relatively well compared to previous announcements. How are they going over with you? Tell us.

AuctionBytes conducted a poll on the changes to find out which ones people thought were good, and which ones they thought were bad. Following are some results they got for individual changes. These are the ones that got the most negative responses:

Starting in April, there will be a new structure for PowerSeller Final Value Fee discounts. The Final Value Fee discounts will change to 20% for eBay Top Top-rated sellers and 5% for all other PowerSellers.

Good: 31.0%
Neutral: 27.5%
Bad: 41.5%

Even these are getting fair amounts of "good" votes, so clearly not everyone is displeased. There are a lot more positive votes on other changes, which you can check out at AuctionBytes’ blog here.

On the other hand, you can see how a lot of users really feel by perusing the comments in our own coverage of eBay’s latest announcement here also. It’s not all glowing, believe me.

eBay announced this week that they were starting to test the new top-seller badges.

"Over the next few weeks you may see a new seller badge appearing on some item pages and in search results," the company said in a statement. "This badge is part of the new eBay Top-rated seller status announced last week and launching in October. Starting this week and over the next few weeks, we’ll be testing the badge in search results and item pages for a small percentage of eBay traffic."

Are you in the majority that feel eBay’s latest changes are a step in the right direction? Which changes do you like? Dislike? We want to hear from WebProNews readers.