While the line can be blurry, there is certainly no comparison between a 24 hour, poorly/vaguely- described auction on Ebay and a major auction house's featured item in a two-week auction directed expressly at our hobby. None.
I do not believe in outing any auctions, but it is fair to suggest that a major auction house that sends out specific-target advertising and catalogues and provides such a lengthy time for discovery and thus bidding is not really capable of being "outed". This is particularly true if you're talking about a T206 Plank. Of course, this is not what happened in the Ruth m101-6 ebay auction.
It does become more complicated if the seller is a less-prominent auction house. Also, I have seen little gems buried in multi-card lots in major house auctions, some added late to the catalogue/website, that should not be "outed", IMO.
There may not be an absolute rule against exposing ongoing auctions and probably should not be. However, as Pete said, it is a matter of etiquette. When in doubt, don't out.
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If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.- Ulysses S. Grant, 18th US President.
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