Netscape founder joins EBay board

Call it a big win for online auctioneer EBay Inc. The San Jose company announced Tuesday that Netscape Communications co-founder and all-around golden geek Marc Andreessen had joined its board of directors.

In a statement, EBay Chief Executive John Donahoe said Andreessen’s insights would be invaluable as the company seeks to “drive further innovation on our platform, invest in growth opportunities and develop technology that will further benefit our customers, build powerful communities and enhance e-commerce.”

Translation: EBay is counting on Andreessen’s mojo to help outmaneuver Amazon and Google, which have been siphoning some of its merchants. Things are bound to get tougher with the economy preparing for what Andreessen last year predicted would be a financial “nuclear winter.”

-- Jessica Guynn