I strongly believe that one has the right to be critical of other people's efforts. I am no framebuilder, but I still can criticise some bikes that are poorly done.
I don't think Dale would turn anybody away who wants to join the CR list, so the sellers could join and defend their auctions, if they like.
Even if the sellers are not present, we can talk about them. Just like I can criticise the government's war plans among friends without asking the government to attend.
Finally, I don't like the "buyer beware" policy. When you bid on an e-bay item, you have a description and a few photos. If you assume that the photos show the best side and omit the problems, and likewise for the description, you cannot buy anything. The same for other stuff listed on the net - often without a photo at all. So "buyer beware" means that you only buy locally what you can inspect in person.
So, e-bay is based on trust. Bad listings, intentional or not, destroy the whole process. Sure, you could travel to see the bike in question, but the cost is such that it is not worth while in most cases. (Spend $ 800 to find out that a $ 650 bike isn't what you thought it was? You might as well buy it and throw it in the garbage if it doesn't turn out, and still save $ 150.)
One of the reasons e-bay is so successful here, and not in my original home country of Germany is that people here are more honest with their descriptions, while Germans very much feel "Buyer beware." "You didn't ask whether this particular flaw was present, so I didn't have to tell you" seems to be the prevailing thought among many Germans.
Just my thoughts, of course.
Jan Heine, Seattle