the.world.is.flat-第99部分

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their　daily　lives…to　help　nurture　more　people　with　the　imagination　of　11/9　than　9/11。　
Let　me　offer　a　few　examples。　
eBay　
Meg　Whitman；　the　CEO　of　eBay；　once　told　me　a　wonderful　story　that　went　like　this：　
〃We　took　eBay　public　in　September　1998；　in　the　middle　of　the　dot…com　boom。　And　in　
September　and　October　our　stock　would　go　up　eighty　points　and　down　fifty　in　a　single　
day。　I　thought；　'This　is　insane。'　Anyway；　one　day　I　am　minding　my　own　business；　sitting　
in　my　own　cubicle；　and　my　secretary　runs　over　and　says　to　me；　'Meg；　it's　Arthur　Levitt　
＇chairman＇　of　the　SEC　on　the　phone。'〃　The　Securities　and　Exchange　Commission　oversees　
the　stock　market　and　is　always　concerned　about　issues　of　volatility　in　a　stock　and　
whether　there　is　manipulation　behind　it。　In　those　days；　for　a　CEO　to　hear　that　〃Arthur　
Levitt　is　on　the　line〃　was　not　a　good　way　to　start　the　day。　
〃So　I　called　my　general　counsel；〃　said　Whitman；　〃who　came　over　from　his　cubicle；　and　
he　was　white　like　a　sheet。　We　called　Levitt　back　together　and　we　put　him　on　the　
speakerphone；　and　I　said；　'Hi；　it's　Meg　Whitman　of　eBay。'　And　he　said；　'Hi；　it's　Arthur　
Levitt　of　the　SEC。　I　don't　know　you　and　have　never　met　you　but　I　know　that　you　just　
went　public　and　I　want　to　know：　How　did　it　go？　Were　we　＇the　SEC＇　customer…friendly？'　
And　so　we　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief；　and　we　talked　about　that　a　
454　
little　bit。　And　then　＇Levitt＇　said；　'Well；　actually；　another　reason　that　I　am　calling　
is　that　I　just　got　my　tenth　positive　feedback　on　eBay　and　have　earned　my　yellow　star。　
And　I　am　so　proud。'　And　then　he　said；　'I　am　actually　a　collector　of　Depression…era　
glass；　post…1929；　and　so　I　have　bought　and　sold　on　eBay　and　you　get　feedback　as　a　
buyer　and　seller。　And　I　thought　you　would　just　like　to　know。'〃　
Every　eBay　user　has　a　feedback　profile　made　up　of　comments　from　other　eBay　users　who　
have　done　transactions　with　him　or　her；　relating　to　whether　the　goods　bought　or　sold　
were　asexpected　and　the　transaction　went　off　smoothly。　This　constitutes　your　official　
〃eBay　reputation。〃　You　get　＋1　point　for　each　positive　comment；　0　points　for　each　
neutral　comment；　and　…1　for　each　negative　comment。　A　colored　star　icon　is　attached　
to　your　user　ID　on　eBay　for　ten　or　more　feedback　points。　My　user　ID　on　eBay　might　
be　TOMF　（50）　and　a　blue　star；　which　means　that　I　have　received　positive　feedback　
comments　from　fifty　other　eBay　users。　Next　to　that　is　a　box　that　will　tell　you　whether　


the　seller　has　had　100　percent　positive　feedback　comments　or　less；　and　also　give　you　
the　chance　to　click　and　read　all　the　buyers'　comments　about　that　seller。　
The　point；　said　Whitman；　is　that　〃I　think　every　human　being；　Arthur　Levitt　or　the　
janitor　or　the　waitress　or　the　doctor　or　the　professor；　needs　and　craves　validation　
and　positive　feedback。〃　And　the　big　misconception　is　to　think　that　it　has　to　be　money。　
〃It　can　be　really　small　things；〃　said　Whitman；　〃telling　someone；　'You　did　a　really　
great　job；　you　were　recognized　as　doing　a　great　history　paper。'　Our　users　say　to　us　
＇about　eBay's　star　system＇；　'Where　else　can　you　wake　up　in　the　morning　and　see　how　
much　people　like　you？'〃　
But　what　is　so　striking；　said　Whitman；　is　that　the　overwhelming　majority　of　feedback　
on　eBay　is　positive。　That's　interesting。　People　don't　usually　write　Wal…Mart　managers　
to　compliment　them　on　a　fabulous　purchase。　But　when　you　are　part　of　a　community　that　
you　feel　ownership　in；　it　is　different。　You　have　a　stake。　〃The　highest　number　of　
feedback　we　have　is　well　over　250；000　positive　comments；　and　you　can　see　each　one；〃　
said　Whitman。　〃You　can　see　the　entire　history　of　each　buyer　and　seller；　and　we　have　
introduced　the　ability　to　rebut。　。　。　You　cannot　be　anony

mous　on　eBay。　If　you　are　not　willing　to　say　who　you　are；　you　should　not　be　saying　
it。　And　it　became　the　norm　of　the　community　really　fast。　。　。　We　are　not　running　an　
exchange…we　are　running　a　community。〃　Indeed；　with　105　million　registered　users　from　
190　countries　trading　more　than　35　billion　in　products　annually；　eBay　is　actually　
a　self…governing　nation…state…the　V。R。e。；　the　Virtual　Republic　of　eBay。　
And　how　is　itgoverned？　EBay's　philosophy；　said　Whitman；　is；　〃Let's　make　a　small　number　
of　rules；　really　enforce　them；　and　then　create　an　environment　in　which　people　can　
fulfill　their　own　potential。　There　is　something　going　on　here　besides　buying　and　
selling　goods。〃　Even　allow…
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