Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

and the oldest vesrion not snipe… 5 second and 3000 second….
the message is the follow
Listing is ended. Events
Mon Dec 10 08:57:59 CET 2007: Communications failure talking to the server. (1) Mon Dec 10 08:57:59 CET 2007: Failed to load from server! (1) Mon Dec 10 20:10:57 CET 2007: Preparing snipe. (1) Mon Dec 10 20:13:05 CET 2007: Cancelling snipe, auction is reported as ended. (1) Mon Dec 10 20:13:05 CET 2007: Cancelling snipe. (1)

config IMAC C2Core system 10.5 leopard…..

mike

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Morgan,

Thank you for the reply to my inquiry. I used 1.03pre1 a bit earlier and it successfully sniped with 4 seconds left on the bid.

Franko

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Greetings,

Pretty much…

Work’s been kicking my butt lately, I’m afraid. I did a major architectural upgrade of one of our infrastructure libraries, and have been spending most of the past several weeks getting it ready for prime-time, and then last week we deployed it live. A few hitches, and everything seems to be working pretty well, so maybe things’ll die down to a dull roar for a bit and I can catch some programming time at home.

I’m working on the next version of JBidwatcher, and one of my problems right now is merging the bunch of changes that were made to fix up JBidwatcher between 1.0 (when the code forked for the ‘Next’ version) and 1.03pre1 into the ‘next gen’ JBidwatcher codebase. I made a lot of architectural changes to JBidwatcher, to better match what I’ve learned in the roughly 7 years I’ve been developing Java now. While those change’s have made the code LOTS better, unfortunately they make it a little hard to integrate changes from the 1.0 version in. :(

I’d rather get the new version to a stable point and let people start using it, then make more changes in the 1.0.x codebase, as long as 1.0.x is still basically working.

So those two things are the core reason for my long silence here. My day job, and trying to make the new version a better program.

— Morgan Schweers, Cyber*FOX*!

p.s. Reposting in Development.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

I’ve been away from the forum for a while. Is 1.0.3pre1 the most reliable version at the moment?

Thanks
Franko

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Testing 1.03pre1 on OS X 10.4.10 looking for working update to this essential and most excellent program. Thanks for Jbidwatcher it has been brilliant!
Drag and drop auctions is not working and URLS added using paste appear but ‘N/A’ in the time left column and a ‘red eye’ for all items in the status column. Info on pasted auctions give the same finishing date for all new auctions as an old expired one .

I haven’t tested a snipe yet but without any times detailed I think it unlikely to work.

Good luck with the update Morgan

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

I see, Ebay is not trying to sell their API, they are simply out to get sniping software… and the answer is to keep figuring out what they changed.

Right now 1.0.3pre1 is working fine!

Is there a way to add a button to test firing a snipe?
Also is there a pattern of the way Ebay is releasing changes to their site? (End of month?) At least we will know we are good for some time…

JBidWatcher is my favorite software…

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

My bid went off fine with 1.0.3pre1 (I’m on a mac, OS X). Lazlo, hopefully this version worked OK for you?

Thank you for your efforts, Morgan! I love JBidwatcher (and not just because I’m partial to birds.) :)

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Greetings,

How much is the Ebay software kit?
May be we can all pitch in and buy it for Morgan…
There is power in the numbers…

As much as I appreciate the thought, the core problem is that developers using the eBay API are not allowed to call PlaceOffer (the bidding portion of the API) on a timed basis. It’s explicitly forbidden to use it in a sniping program, and it’s called out just in case it’s not clear what’s meant by ‘timed’ bidding. :(

I wish I could use the API. You have no idea how much I wish I could… sigh

— Morgan Schweers, Cyber*FOX*!

p.s. Sorry I’ve been quiet lately; the last week has been murder at work, and I’ve been regularly up until 3-4am getting things working.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

How much is the Ebay software kit?

May be we can all pitch in and buy it for Morgan…

There is power in the numbers…

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Sorry guys….my fault. The link to the 1.0.3pre1 version is in the “JBWatcher Help” forum in the “Bidding apparently failed for an unknown reason” discussion. For some unknown reason I was thinking it was in this discussion.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

By the way, there also seems to be a serious problem with JBidwatcher 1.0.2 synchronizing time with the Ebay server clocks. Aside the several time-synch issues reported in this thread (including mine), there are a slew of similar bug reports on the JBidWatcher SourceForge bug tracking page:

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=103914&group_id=3914&func=browse

I’ve been using JBidWatcher for years (on the same computer) and have never had the time synch issues before…

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Cyberpip, I don’t see any posts in this thread where Morgan talks about 1.0.3pre1.

JBidWatcher 1.0.2 is now completely random — sometimes the snipes fire, sometimes they don’t, but even when the snipe does fire JBidwatcher can’t understand the response from the Ebay servers, and gives you an error message that “Snipe failed for unknown reason” (when you actually won the auction).

“The only problem I forsee is that I have to agree that ebay seems to be trying to prevent snipping software from working since it helps prevent running up the bids and costs them money.”

Ebay is more than happy to support sniping programs. They even provide a software developer’s toolkit to help you write Ebay software. The problem is that they charge for the software developer’s kit, and Morgan can’t continue to release JBidWatcher as freeware if he has to buy the Ebay developer’s kit.

It sure look like Ebay is trying to “encourage” Morgan to buy the developer’s kit by constantly changing the Ebay server messages to throw-off software developers who haven’t purchases the official Ebay software kit.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Hi Larisa, I am now using version 1.0.3pre1 which Morgan posts about earlier in this thread. He also apparently added a couple further changes to this version which is supposed to change when it checks for updates or when you have it update. If you select update it will pull up the 1.0.2 version but just select ignore for now. The 1.0.3pre1 version is working for me on Vista, at least for now. The only problem I forsee is that I have to agree that ebay seems to be trying to prevent snipping software from working since it helps prevent running up the bids and costs them money. Newbies to ebay hate sniping. And I guess some experienced ebayers do too, but by far its the experienced ebayers who use this knd of software or do it manually. Its still a crapshoot anyway because of the number of folks sniping so I dont know ebay is so against it.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

cyberpip, what updates? Looking now I see that mine failed with 1.0.2 and it looked like yours did on the 29th as well. I see now where Morgan posted an update in another thread, he said “The only change is the recognition of two new forms of post-bid page.” Would this have prevented a snipe from firing? I have 1.0.3pre1 installed now & a snipe set up for tomorrow morning. I’m not sure what version Lazlo and jacob were using when theirs failed. Will report back how it goes.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Well, JBW seems to be working for now. Fired off two snipes close together this afternoon, won one..so am a happy camper. The updates lines that Morgan has added seem to be working for now. Now lets hope Ebay doesnt try to break things some more.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Sorry, I deleted my failed snipe so I can’t get the error message, but I had a recent one fail as well. It was yesterday afternoon. I am on Mac OS X. I’ve been following along with all the problems discussed here and each time have been able to snipe successfully with JBidwatcher after making the updates. I didn’t get an error adding the recent auction, and my max bid was more than enough (in fact, nobody else bid on the item), but the snipe either never fired or was not successful firing. I have been really happy with JBidwatcher, it was working so well until the constant ebay changes. There is a real need for a good Java-based snipe tool. Thank you.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Error message below for failed snipe

Wed Aug 29 08:23:54 MDT 2007: Failed to load from server!
(1) Wed Aug 29 11:46:56 MDT 2007: Preparing snipe.
(1) Wed Aug 29 11:47:05 MDT 2007: Loading bid request…
(1) Wed Aug 29 11:47:20 MDT 2007: Failed to bid. ‘Show Last Error’ from context menu to see the failure page from the bid attempt. (1) Wed Aug 29 11:49:18 MDT 2007: Cancelling snipe, auction is reported as ended.
(1) Wed Aug 29 11:49:18 MDT 2007: Cancelling snipe. (1)

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Am using 1.02 with Windoze Vista with snipe time set at 14 seconds. Got the error of “canceling snipe, auction reported as ended” after recieving unknown error. First snipe I have tried with 1.02. Had made sure that clock was synced so not sure whats up.

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

“It probably has something to do with eBay’s new beta pages.”

I don’t think so — I just had another snipe fail with the same “Failed to load from server” error.

I think it’s pretty obvious that Ebay is randomly changing the server handshake messages to discourage software developers who haven’t purchased the Ebay API/SDK.

Does anyone have any other snipe programs they could recommend?

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Drats. I’m having the same problem with the communications failure talking to the server, and failure to load from the server error. It probably has something to do with eBay’s new beta pages. They’re randomly picking auctions and users as test subjects.

Fri Aug 24 12:08:50 EDT 2007: Failed to load from server! (31)
Fri Aug 24 14:15:28 EDT 2007: Preparing snipe. (1)
Fri Aug 24 14:16:29 EDT 2007: Failed to load from server! (1)
Fri Aug 24 14:17:28 EDT 2007: Firing actual snipe. (1)
Fri Aug 24 14:17:30 EDT 2007: Unknown error sniping on xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (1)
Fri Aug 24 14:17:32 EDT 2007: Failed to load from server! (3)

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

JBidWatcher isn’t working at all now.

I just had two auctions close, and JBidWatcher didn’t fire the snipe at all:

Events
Sun Aug 26 10:35:50 CDT 2007: Communications failure talking to the server. (1)
Sun Aug 26 10:35:50 CDT 2007: Failed to load from server! (1)
Sun Aug 26 12:35:59 CDT 2007: Communications failure talking to the server. (1)
Sun Aug 26 12:35:59 CDT 2007: Failed to load from server! (1)
Sun Aug 26 15:48:04 CDT 2007: Preparing snipe. (1)
Sun Aug 26 15:50:05 CDT 2007: Firing actual snipe. (1)
Sun Aug 26 15:50:06 CDT 2007: Unknown error sniping on 2 Sets of 2 BARDEN Precision Bearings NEW 307HDL (1)

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Could it be due to the fact that if I login via UK i get “You are the current high bidder” but if I login via USA I get “You’re the high bidder and currently in the lead”?

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Hi Morgan,

I just had a “no prior bids” snipe that triggered with the same message. The one I posted above had bids on it — I’ll check the debug message in a couple of minutes…

Robert

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

Greetings,

Yes, it started yesterday apparently. At the minimum, they changed the wording on the post-bid page for items that had no prior bids to yours. If you’re seeing that message on an item that did have bids prior to the snipe, please go to the item in JBidwatcher (if JBidwatcher is still running; if it’s been restarted this won’t work), and right-click (or control click for a one-button mouse), and choose ‘Advanced’ and in the submenu, ‘Show last error’. If you can let me know what shows up (you might need to scroll down before you can see the important messages), so I can try to fix it. Email works best; screenshots are good…text copies work too. I’ll post here begging for mercy if I get too many. :)

I’ve already got a fix for the ‘no prior bids’ text message, but I don’t yet know which other ones have changed, because I haven’t had time to investigate.

— Morgan Schweers, Cyber*FOX*!

Topic: [Release] JBidwatcher 1.0.2 is now available!

I’m getting a similar problem – everytime I now snipe or bid via Jbidwatcher I get “Unkown error” but the bid or snipe goes through anyway, Anybody any idea what’s wrong?