eBay will be tightly controlling the content of blogs that its users set up via the newly announced blogging features that the online auction is set to introduce next week, reports AuctionBytes.com. eBay's policies limit users' self-promotion and set strict guidelines not only limiting adult content and profanity, for example, but also preventing mentions of eBay competitors - or even users' own off-eBay businesses.

Such limitations will likely diminish the attractiveness of setting up an eBay blog, not to mention create disgruntlement and enforcement difficulties. Some rules, understandably, limit eBay's legal liabilities, such as prohibiting the use of intellectual property without permission.

But there are also exceptions to the rules, which are likely to cause confusion - this, for example: "Members publishing Blogs may include links to sites that offer goods for sale off eBay, as long as they do not promote outside-of-eBay sales or prohibited items; nor may the Blog contain links to commercial Web sites where goods from multiple sellers are aggregated by a common search engine."

Breaking the rules could result in content removal, listing cancellation, forfeit of eBay fees on canceled listings, limits on account privileges, loss of PowerSeller status and account suspension.