[Sigia-l] Ebay - fact or fiction?

[Tammie Hutto Egloff]

I found a few references to the story, and ran across this direct reference
from ebay:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/industry/06/07/ebay.lessons.learned.idg/

Jake Cressman <rjc44 at cornell.edu> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I'm fact checking a story I heard that sounds vaguely suspect. Maybe you've
> heard it too and can refer me to some legitimate sources.
> 
> The story goes that ebay once had a yellow background color (I think I
> remember that). Then one day, without altering the site architecture or
> doing any page redesign, they changed the background color from yellow to
> white. Immediately the ebay community revolted. Hundreds of emails came in
> from users who said they could no longer navigate the site, that everything
> had been "moved around" and that ebay better put it back the way it
$%%#-ing
> was. So, they did. The background color was changed back to yellow.
> 
> However, the design team at ebay began to incrementally change the
> background color over a period of months. Each time they would adjust the
> yellow a shade closer to white. Eventually the background was pure #FFFFFF
> and the users lived happily ever after.
> 
> Anyone else heard this one? I was told the story's famous, but I've only
> heard it once so...
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Jake Cressman
> 
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