eBay Tightens Rules for Community Discussion Boards

eBay is tightening up the rules for its community discussion boards, sparking complaints that the rules are choking off the free flow of information among members. Under the new rules, eBay community members can't use the boards to warn others if they were ripped off by a buyer or a seller, they can't ask each other where to find a particular item to buy, they can't share private e-mail, and -- if eBay decides to delete an offending post -- the members aren't allowed to even discuss the post.