Dad sells daughter's friendship on ebay.

  • Thread starter Thread starter kaos
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a controversial eBay listing where a father purportedly attempted to sell his daughter's friendship. Participants explore the implications of such an act, the nature of online relationships, and the societal context surrounding the sale.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disbelief at the idea of selling a friendship, questioning the motivations behind such actions.
  • Others suggest that the listing could be a joke or a prank rather than a serious offer, raising doubts about the authenticity of the seller.
  • A few participants criticize media portrayals, particularly a doctor's characterization of the seller as a "sociopath," arguing that such claims are unfounded without further evidence.
  • There are mentions of other unusual items sold on eBay, including a bid to renounce loyalty to a sports team, highlighting a trend of bizarre online transactions.
  • Some participants reflect on the nature of "friendship" in online contexts, particularly on platforms like MySpace, where social rank may influence perceptions of value.
  • One participant references a notable internet project involving trading items, suggesting a broader commentary on value and exchange in digital spaces.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the nature of the eBay listing or the motivations behind it. Multiple competing views remain regarding whether it is a serious act, a joke, or a commentary on social dynamics.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions about the authenticity of the listing and the identity of the seller, as well as the implications of selling relationships in a digital age.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in discussions about online culture, social media dynamics, and the ethics of digital transactions may find this thread relevant.

Physics news on Phys.org
Are souls still for sale? I put a bid on one once (to use as a spare, if I needed to do something devious). I was outbid by an Irish guy named Angel O'Darkness.
 
I heard that got taken down shortly after it was posted. The feds are also looking into things. Not good.
 
kaos said:
Check it out at http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=3990694 yuck smiley got into url link

What other weird stuff are they going to sell next.
That the add was up for a month before it got pulled, and that people actually bid on it rather than contacting Ebay is distressing.
 
Last edited:
I hate how the "doctor" makes it a fact that the seller is a "sociopath".

He doesn't even know anything about it, and he's already stating facts... not claims, but facts.

I don't think that looks good on his part.
 
JasonRox said:
I hate how the "doctor" makes it a fact that the seller is a "sociopath".

He doesn't even know anything about it, and he's already stating facts... not claims, but facts.

I don't think that looks good on his part.
At this point I don't think they even know it was really a father, it could be someone stupid playing a practical joke.
 
kaos said:
Check it out at http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=3990694

What other weird stuff are they going to sell next.
The story seems to be gone.

Edit: I found it.

Apparently all that was being sold was a "cyber" friendship at "myspace". This could be either a joke or the "daughter" might be a fake/fantasy character. If this is really a father pressuring his daughter into this it would be quite bad.
 
Last edited:
  • #10
Pimping a cyber-relationship. My, how times have changed!
 
  • #11
"Friendship" on MySpace is a matter of social rank. I imagine having attractive people as a friend makes it even moreso. No, this ad is only objectionable to me in that it supports social rank through number of practically anonymous cyber "friends".
 
  • #12
I saw an ebay bid where a guy renounced his loyalty to the Detroit Lions (which he'd been a fan for like 30 years) and offered to instead cheer for whichever team the highest bidder chose - it included wearing jerseys on game days, watching all the games, etc. When I saw it, the bidding was actually at a hundred bucks or so - and it still had a lot of tiime left. The negotiating about what would be bought with the purchase did take up a lot of space - several folks wanted him to cheer against a certain team - which I'm not sure was part of the original terms of use.
 
  • #13
But by far the best internet nothing-for-something deal is the One Red Paperclip guy - who is in the process of trading up from one red paperclip to ultimately a house. He's now gone from originally having one red paperclip to now having a recording contract - but he will only stop once he has a house. It's awesome!

http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/
 

Similar threads

Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
35
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
5K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K