# So what's all this about on EBay?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 11, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249 "2003-12-11T01:12:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249/1 "2003-12-11T01:12:24Z")
In the item descriptions some people include the word “l@@K” (spelt in that way.) I was wondering if this is like the “wARez RuLEz” phrase that everyone selling copied games over the internet seemed to use a while ago, just a phrase someone started and everyone uses. If so where did it come from? Any significance to the “@@”?
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249/2 "2003-12-11T01:26:06Z")
I think it’s just because the @@'s look like a pair of eyes. I’ve seen plenty of LOOK! signs in stores with eyes painted in the Os. I don’t think it’s anything more mysterious than that.
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### Author:  [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249/3 "2003-12-11T05:44:49Z")
I’ve seen that “L@@K” in item titles. It’s used because it stands out among other titles. If L@@K was the norm, then I’m sure people would be using LOOK.
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### Author:  [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249/4 "2003-12-11T08:09:11Z")
I’ve always interpreted @@ as “whatever you do -_don’t!_”
I spares me from clicking on particularly annoying auctions.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-whats-all-this-about-on-ebay/218249/5 "2003-12-11T11:20:10Z")
I agree with the previous “eyes” suggestion in this case, but for other words there can be another reason. A lot of people selling promotional CDs (which are not strictly speaking supposed to be sold!) will use “PR0M0” (with zeros) or “PR@M@”, to try to avoid the searches used by record companies to stop the auctions.
I hadn’t realised that eBay do this - they have “partnership agreements” with record companies that cancel auctions for things like this. I had a nasty email from them when I tried to sell a pre-release copy of a concert DVD…