I was hoping for some kind of relevant survey although the odds of that are slim… or at least let me know what day the mandatory testing will be over, so I can go about listing again in the classic version before it goes down in flames. The data they collect from my participation in this forced test will be inconclusive since I have not used the new Beta page or even clicked on the link to it for 10 days.And I don’t plan on using it, since it is still incomplete and flawed. I was wondering if anyone here is aware of the issues in ebay similar to what I’m reporting? It would be nice to see some published “outsider’s” written opinions on this, since the ebay community seems to exist in a vacuum.

The recommendations you propose are quite avant-garde for those who do not like change. I haven’t decided yet whether I’m one of those people. I do like those recommendations with a few comments:
1. “Stop making recommendations” - I can understand how making my own recommendations from testing can seem imposing. I think what everyone in our design teams need to understand is that they are only the beginning to the discussion of changes, not the end. There still needs to be someone who compiles the data to make it readable. Perhaps I can do just the testing in our next design.
2. “Stop Conducting Evaluations” - We’ve actually embraced the idea of everyone having to test their designs with paper prototyping. We’ve also found ways to “push out” the knowledge so everyone can benefit from the knowledge. This way, everyone gets a say. The caveat is that not everyone is proactive or available enough to do this so sometimes great ideas don’t get spoken. But there’s always the next iteration.
3. “Seek Out New Techniques [to help the team focus on user needs]” - I like this very much and I think we’re doing a good job on it. Of course, there’s always room for improvement.

Thanks! ..and great article!
Ben