A Tribute to Bobal -- By Giraffer and Shipscript

eBay lost a beloved Community member this week -- our dear friend Bobal. If you've been to an eBay Live (any of them but the very last one in Chicago), or if you've ever sought expert help on the Photos/HTML Discussion forum, then Bobal needs no introduction to you. From his ubiquitous "bull" icon signature -- to his one-of-a-kind eBay uniform which he wore proudly as he wheeled around his favorite eBay Live conferences -- to his dedication to helping others, Bobal was a stand-out. He epitomized the barn-raising type of generosity that made eBay's Community so special.

It's been said you can really know a man through his friends. I leave you now with this tribute from two of Bobal's closest eBay friends -- giraffer and shipscript. On behalf of all the staff here at eBay, our hearts and prayers go out to Alice, Bobal's devoted wife. We thank you, too, for helping Bobal help so many others over the years.

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By giraffer and shipscript:

Last Sunday, eBay lost a pioneer Community member and its most colorful legendary figure - known to many as simply Bobal.  At 5:06AM on Oct. 26, 2008, after a two-month battle with cancer, Robert E. Bull quietly slipped away when his wife Alice released his hand and his grip on this material world.

Living with Multiple Sclerosis, emphysema, and diabetes, attached to an oxygen hose, and navigating a motorized chair with only one eye could be daunting for many, and it was indeed a life-changing challenge for Bobal years ago. However, he credited eBay with lifting him from his morose existence by providing him a new purpose and new lease on life.  You can read his words here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20050308024256/http://www.bulls2.com/index/bobal/mylife.html

Bobal became an eBay member on April 21, 1998, learned buying and selling, and quickly realized what a fantastic venue this afforded people with disabilities. He soon discovered eBay’s help forums, where other new members were struggling to learn eBay, and he has been answering questions and helping members ever since. His warm and friendly style set the tone on the forums where he seemed to be available any time of day or night, every day of the year.

And people quickly found his posts by looking for his snorting bull avatar.

That dedication and generosity didn’t go unnoticed by eBay staff. Because of his commitment to helping fellow members, Meg Whitman presented him with the Community Hall of Fame Award in 2002 in Anaheim, California.

And Alice remembers how extremely proud, amazed, and humbled Bob was that a farm boy from Jamestown, New York could get a chance to make a difference in so many lives across the globe. (Read a 2004 Chatter newsletter article about Bobal's accomplishments.)

Bobal’s favorite hangout was eBay’s Photos & HTML forum, where Bob’s Tips are the defacto help pages for new sellers:  http://www.bulls2.com/indexb/bobstips22.html   He also hopped around to many other forums, such as the eBay Live Board where he answered questions and helped people get to eBay Live each year. Bob loved to have fun, enjoyed meeting people, and encouraged members to join him at the annual Live events where he, with his wife Alice, could be spotted from across the exhibit hall wearing outrageously bold outfits, holding court among a knot of admirers.

 

Photo left: eBay Live 2007 Boston. Bob with wife Alice (the "Al" in "BobAl"), daughters Cheryl and Barbi

Photo left: eBay Live 2006 Las Vegas. Bob with daughter Barbi and granddaughter Brandi

Bobal was a man full of patience, honesty, humor, and caring, with a love for helping others. Bob frequently commented that the eBay Community was “the fuel I need to keep my fire going each day”. He was rarely seen or encountered without a smile on his face and a warm welcome in his voice, whether meeting in person or chatting on the forums.

We'd like to share some comments posted on the forums by other members.

nates_tips from the Photo/HTML Board ---

“When I first came to eBay, I had no clue where to start, and I didn't even know what templates were. I was literally clueless about eBay, and about computers. I stumbled across the eBay forums, and I found myself on the Photo/HTML board. I asked a question, and within minutes, this guy with a bull thingy responded. You gave a link to your help pages, and within a couple of weeks, I had read every single page on your website.

“Honestly, your help pages helped me get started on eBay. If it wasn't for your help, I don't know where I'd be. After getting a good understanding of things through asking questions, trials and errors, I decided to start posting on the eBay boards. I sorta had a newbie type idea, and had a million links to other sites that I couldn't vouch for. You kindly emailed me and gave some advice on what I could do to be of better help, etc.

“You had and still do, have an influence on the way I post on the boards. You have always been kind, helpful, full of joy, and never posted in a negative way, ever. You have set the path for me and others to follow.”

kaleidowonders from Photo/HTML Board ---

“Thanks so much for all the help you didn't even realize you gave me. I've used your tips to learn some basic html, and as a nice safety net. Always knowing that I could come back here and reference your easy to follow info.

“No doubt there are countless others like me who have silently benefited from your hours of work and generosity. And many of them may not get the word to come here and acknowledge your help. So I just hope that you realize you have touched many lives and businesses with your generous spirit!”

purpleferret999 from Canada Town Square Board eBay.ca --

“A dear man that I am proud to say taught me html and I was thrilled to have met him.”

thevintagezone1 from Photo/HTML Board ---

“Bob, I am sure you don't remember me but you have helped me soooo many times. I could never have worked from home if you had not been here with your advice and knowledge. I have been able to make a living and raise my son (that has autism) without having to leave him with a baby sitter when he was little. I can't thank you enough for the help that I have received from your emails, posts and links. You made a DIFFERENCE in our lives....Much love, Rebecca”

shipscript from Photo/HTML Board ---

“Bob, this may be changing from a 'thread of hope' to a 'goodbye thread'. And yet, it will still remain a thread of optimism and inspiration to so many because of your phenomenal legacy.

”You have uplifted and expanded the lives of many who just needed to see from your example that it is possible to live with untold adversity and to succeed in a special way. You have reached outside of your own personal limitations to enrich the lives of so many, and you have done that with grace and with a special kindness toward those you help. Your friends and admirers are more numerous than you can possibly know, and even when you move on, you will still be winning new friends and admirers. Your journey has been, and will continue to be, a noble one.”

The eBay forums are buzzing with memorial posts from community members remembering Bobal, as can be seen in these few examples:

Photo/Html: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520002948&start=0

eBay Live:  http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510003262&start=0

The Soapbox: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510017821&start=0

Animals: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510017898&start=0

Miscellaneous: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=520038589&tstart=0

Powersellers: http://forums.ebay.com/db1/thread.jspa?threadID=510003504&start=0

Canada Town Square: http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jspa?threadID=500036630&tstart=0

How can we remember Bobal and honor his legacy? Several charities were mentioned (Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Cancer research) for those who would like to make a contribution directly or through eBay’s Giving Works.  But Bobal was an ardent believer in “paying it forward” and spoke of this with his wife and friends. Many of us have been helped by Bobal at one point or another, and one of the finest tributes each of us could make is to pass along his patience, honesty, and overflowing kindness when helping others. Pay it forward for Bobal.

Rest In Peace, dear friend.

_____________________________

Bob’s remains have been donated to the Arizona State Medical Center in Tucson for disease research and the family will forego a funeral or memorial service. Notes may be sent through eBay’s contact system to Bobal. To send cards or letters (no flowers please), please see the Photo/HTML forum for information. Bobal would also approve of using eBay’s Giving Works to send anonymous donations in his memory to any charity of your choice.

Introducing PayPal Micropayments

Good news for sellers who sell low cost items on eBay (typically, $10 and below). PayPal has launched a special pricing solution called Micropayments that can save you money if you regularly accept payments with small total dollar amounts.

The Micropayments account pricing is 5% plus 5 cents per transaction (for USD accounts). Compared with our usual 2.9% plus 30 cents, micropayments pricing will cost you less if the total transaction amount is under $12.

You can only either have micropayments or "regular" pricing on any given single PayPal account, so PayPal suggests maintaining two accounts if you're a seller of low cost items who also sometimes has higher dollar amount transactions - one account that is setup with micropayments pricing, and one with the standard rate - and then processing to the appropriate account depending on the total transaction amount.

Some of you who pay close attention may remember that micropayments pricing was actually launched a couple of years ago, but was only available to select customers. We're happy to announce that micropayments pricing is now available to all accounts worldwide, and we now have a new website that explains all the details.

eBay at the Kansas Jubilee

Last week, eBay seller and Education Specialist Joyce Banbury (danse on eBay) hosted a special event in Hays, Kansas titled, "Kansas Jubilee eBayer Convention for eBay/eCommerce Sellers and Buyers." The two-day convention was held at the Memorial Union hall of the Fort Hays State University campus and was sponsored by the Fort Hays State University College of Business and Leadership.

How did eBay become involved in a member-sponsored event? Joyce approached us several months ago with news of the upcoming Jubilee and asked if we in Community Development might send a few employees to instruct or speak at the event. We were happy to oblige. (I never miss a chance to visit our members in the great Midwest, especially a town or city which I have never visited. Big cities are OK but they are no match for small town hospitality.)

Five employees from eBay and one from PayPal attended as part of a larger staff of 14 guest speaker/instructors:

Nearly 50 eBay seller's from as far away as Nebraska and Texas attended the Jubilee to learn about a varied roster of topics including Catalog Photography, Marketing on eBay, Creating a Brand with eBay Stores, Packing and Shipping, Using PayPal, etc. Other workshops included an Extreme Listing Makeover session, a workshop on boosting DSRs and feedback, and a session on improving visibility in Search.

Although the two day event concluded on Saturday, Oct 4th, the spirit of the event will continue with a 10 day Charity Auction of two, extensively autographed and bejeweled (with eBay Live! pins) eBay Live! white lab coats.

100% of the auction proceeds will benefit the High School Rebuilding funds of Chapman and Greensburg, Kansas school districts. Chapman High School was extensively damaged in a tornado this year and the town could really use a helping hand in recovery. The auctions will go live on Oct, 15^th so if you want to do your part and own a rare piece of eBayana, bookmark the seller ID yabiecentral and get your bids in starting October 15, 2008.

Our thanks go to Joyce Banbury for inviting us to her event and to all of our hosts and fellow speakers and attendees for your enthusiasm and kindness during our all-too-short stay in Hays, Kansas.

[Pictures courtesy Joyce and Education Specialist Cindy Shebley (www.clovercitycells.com)]

Jeff "My mom says I'm cool!" -- we wish you well!

The Community Development team says goodbye to one of our own this week. After 7 years, Jeff, who many know from this blog, from Voices gatherings, and all eBay Lives but the very first, is moving on. Our team has a long history together, and for this reason, we've always been close like family (you know, that kind where everyone is always in everyone's business). We've watched and supported Jeff during many of his important life milestones over the years.

Oh, the memories...

Jeff's always been a free spirit.  He came to work each day with a smile on his face and music in his heart, although his friends knew behind those twinkling eyes there was a streak of rebel in him.

Jeff's boyish charms (and intractable ego) made him a bit of an office flirt....strange as it may seem to us, he regarded himself as a chick magnet.

 

One of the MANY (too many to count, really) Jeff quirks was his eating habits.  (I've personally watched him eat his weight in garlic mashed potatoes.)  He's a simple man with simple food preferences.  But we did keep trying to tell him that you are what you eat.

Eventually, he did settle down with the woman he loves.  We love Kristin, too, and their wedding was such a joyous occasion for all of his eBay co-workers!  (Jeff really made a beautiful groom.)

When we learned Jeff and Kristin would be having their own little eBay-er this summer, we were ectstatic for them.

So....So Long, Jeff!  May, as your Skype message has told us for the last 2,555 days, your mom keep thinking you're cool, and your Feedback stay 99% positive.  And don't forget, you still owe me $94,323,754.37.