I would add that the Earth is flat.
easily be done by an out-of-the-game clock
easily be done by an out-of-the-game clock You answered this one yourself. It's a lot more easier to handle this with out-of-the-game clock, just because of the page refresh and idle logout problems. Why implement something that works worse than it's simpler alternative, that is accessable to everyone.
But the auction end is constantly changing when it gets interesting ...
I want a hot cheerleader to dance through my room 2.32 Minutes before the auction ends. Easy to implement aswell, and so user-friendly...