Divide Buy/Sell into different classifications ?

[Michael Ang]

Hi there owners of this forum,

Been in this forum for a long time and seen it grew a lot especially the buy/sell sections.

It's my favourite place to shop for used items and a great avenue to sell my unused stuffs.
Much better than Ebay Singapore or Yahoo I would say.

However, I do noticed that it is greatlly really huge and locating a particular product class eg Lens take a long while to scan through the whole list. I know I can use the search function to filter this but may not be prefect.

Any chance of classifying them into various classifications much like our Straits Times CATS section? I reckon this would help.

My suggestions are :-

1. Camera body
2. Lens
3. Tripods/Stands
4. Studio Equipments / supplies
5. Printers / Scanners
6. Softwares
7. Others
8. Previous sell/buys

YOu don't have to reclassify those already listed. Just put them under "previous sell/buys"

What do you think?

Cheers

Michael

[bagatelle]

I second this great idea.

[Drudkh]

it has been discussed many times.

[Michael Ang]

Hi mod/owner.

no luck with this request huh?

Thanks

Michael

[Jason Ho]

Originally Posted by Michael Ang Hi mod/owner. no luck with this request huh? Thanks Michael

1st thanks for your suggestions and comments.

This topic has been discussed many times. We had decided to keep things as it is for some of following considerations

1) More subforums=more resources needed on server . And searches that span across more forums will take more resources and time as well. More subforums also mean more moderations and maintenance. Eg admin/moderators have spend additional time and effort to move threads into the right category/subforum.

2) Classifications requires very careful planning so that members wont double post for the sake of getting more attention for the thing they buying or selling.

3) If we split forum based on listings (too huge), then what should we do if a split forum became less crowded (eg 1 or 2 per day?) Do we join them back? Or what happen say when a Lens B&S forum becomes too crowded again? Do we split it up according to lens focal range? Or do we split based on different Brand lens? And the argument can go on and on and on.

4) Classified ads system and forums works differently. There are software and effort considerations when we try to mod one system to work like another.,

4) Also it provides some inconvenience for buyers and seller as what had been discussed before. You can check them out in the previous posts.

At this moment, we are keeping things as it is. I am not saying things will stay the same forever but this is the decision for now.

[Darren]

The best workaround right now is to use the Search function to list only the items you are interested in.

Use the Advanced Search funtion (see this thread - http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=147156) and the following parameters

a) Make sure you have selected Search Titles Only
b) Enter your search phrase eg WTS: DSLR Minolta ; WTS: Lens Nikon and so on

And you will get a very accurate listing of items fitting that search. This was the primary reason why we implemented a Forms-based posting method in the Buy & Sell sub-forum - so that keywords are standardised for searching.

We will look into creating some standardised, default search parameters and linking them into buttons so that members can just click and get a listing, but in the meantime, the easiest and quickest way to sort the Buy & Sell is to use the Advanced Search facility.

[synapseman]

How about just dividing into 2 further sub-sections? WTB and WTS

[+evenstar]

Originally Posted by Darren The best workaround right now is to use the Search function to list only the items you are interested in. Use the Advanced Search funtion (see this thread - http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=147156) and the following parameters a) Make sure you have selected Search Titles Only b) Enter your search phrase eg WTS: DSLR Minolta ; WTS: Lens Nikon and so on And you will get a very accurate listing of items fitting that search. This was the primary reason why we implemented a Forms-based posting method in the Buy & Sell sub-forum - so that keywords are standardised for searching. We will look into creating some standardised, default search parameters and linking them into buttons so that members can just click and get a listing, but in the meantime, the easiest and quickest way to sort the Buy & Sell is to use the Advanced Search facility.

I tried searching "WTS: 85mm canon" few weeks ago, and came up with a whole list of WTS posts unrelated to what I was intending to search for, and some even as old as Jan 2004

[CYRN]

apparently the search function did not seem to have "filter " logic.

I tried to search for "70-200 IS" got the same as +evenstar.

[wind30]

Originally Posted by Darren The best workaround right now is to use the Search function to list only the items you are interested in. Use the Advanced Search funtion (see this thread - http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=147156) and the following parameters a) Make sure you have selected Search Titles Only b) Enter your search phrase eg WTS: DSLR Minolta ; WTS: Lens Nikon and so on And you will get a very accurate listing of items fitting that search. This was the primary reason why we implemented a Forms-based posting method in the Buy & Sell sub-forum - so that keywords are standardised for searching. We will look into creating some standardised, default search parameters and linking them into buttons so that members can just click and get a listing, but in the meantime, the easiest and quickest way to sort the Buy & Sell is to use the Advanced Search facility.

do you actually use the search function? I find it unreliable at best. Threads I see with the word olympus in the B&S forum does not appear in my search result. The standardised posting format is a very good idea but the search functin just doesn't work very well.

Example, I just search on olympus (titles only). But it fails to find the olympus E300 sale thread I see on the first page of the B&S forum.

[wind30]

I just realise it DOES NOT think the first olympus is a word .

Just try it. Search for olympus in titles and you will find that all your results have double olympus in the titles. Somehow the first olympus used in the standardised posting format is not searcheable... which kind of defeats it purpose huh..

[Jason Ho]

Originally Posted by wind30 do you actually use the search function? I find it unreliable at best. Threads I see with the word olympus in the B&S forum does not appear in my search result. The standardised posting format is a very good idea but the search functin just doesn't work very well.

We do use search functions, just that some may not use it as often as other do. So I am not sure what are you doubting.

I just did the Olympus search and it works for me. I did a search on

Key words : olympus
Search Entire posts

Show results as thread

on Buy and Sell subforum alone.

It did return me with alot of results with the latest post dated 5 days back.

When i did a similar search but with Show results as posts, it shows me the latest post on the result list is dated 8 hours back.

Originally Posted by wind30 I just realise it DOES NOT think the first olympus is a word . Just try it. Search for olympus in titles and you will find that all your results have double olympus in the titles. Somehow the first olympus used in the standardised posting format is not searcheable... which kind of defeats it purpose huh..

I got results more than what you mentioned. With the 1st search I did earlier, I get these results that you probably missed out in your search :

WTS: DSLR - Olympus E300 Kit (with 14-45 lens) (non double olympus words)
WTS: Classic Cameras (no olympus on title but the olympus words are inside the posts)

The reason why you see alot of double Olympus words on title is because of the B&S form option plus the user-filled title wording. I dont see anything wrong with that.

Originally Posted by wind30 Example, I just search on olympus (titles only). But it fails to find the olympus E300 sale thread I see on the first page of the B&S forum.

This is because the forum needs to index each post to make those post title and content searchable. And the indexing doesnt work immediately after each post. Forum indexing works on interval (schedule). I am not the person to tell you how often does it update the index. But if you assume a post is immediately searchable after its posted, I can tell that doesnt happen here. And users of this forum should do their diligence to go thru the B&S forum listing 1st and not just solely rely on search.

Based on B&S postings and traffice, we do make server and forum adjustments to improve the search results. And I hope everyone understand we are also limit to resources (machine, server) and how the forum software works. But like what I say, you will never get the newest B&S post appearing on your search result.

Hope that clears up the doubts people have on how and why things work in this forum.

[Jason Ho]

Originally Posted by +evenstar I tried searching "WTS: 85mm canon" few weeks ago, and came up with a whole list of WTS posts unrelated to what I was intending to search for, and some even as old as Jan 2004

Please provide more details what you are expecting to see so that I can understand what you mentioned better. Also what are your search parameters?

Do you expect to see exact WTS: 85mm canon wordings on your search results title or post content or?

And the reason why there are even Jan 2004 posts is because it searches thru all the posts in the B&S. I even get old post dated all the way back to 2002

Please give us more details and as exact as you can provide. That will help us in understand where can be the potential area to be fixed or if thats a norm.

[Jason Ho]

Originally Posted by CYRN apparently the search function did not seem to have "filter " logic. I tried to search for "70-200 IS" got the same as +evenstar.

Can I know what do you mean by filter logic? Please explain more so that I can understand what you trying to say because I am confused.

Also do you get any result at all on the 70-200 IS search? I tried just now and I dont. I will need to ask our forum software guru Edmund before I understand why though. My assumption is the forum indexing engine doesnt index pure numbers and common words like is, a, this, there. Then again, I will have to do more research before I can provide more insights.

[razor]

I support to split the B&S into Buy and another Sell.

[CYRN]

Originally Posted by Jason Ho Can I know what do you mean by filter logic? Please explain more so that I can understand what you trying to say because I am confused. Also do you get any result at all on the 70-200 IS search? I tried just now and I dont. I will need to ask our forum software guru Edmund before I understand why though. My assumption is the forum indexing engine doesnt index pure numbers and common words like is, a, this, there. Then again, I will have to do more research before I can provide more insights.

By filter logic.. I ment similar to how we "fine tune" our searches in Yahoo or Google.. ie. Search> WTB +70-200 -IS...etc

For 70-200.. nope

But got plenty unnessary returns for search > wts canon 70-200 IS

[wind30]

Originally Posted by Jason Ho We do use search functions, just that some may not use it as often as other do. So I am not sure what are you doubting. I just did the Olympus search and it works for me. I did a search on Key words : olympus Search Entire posts Show results as thread on Buy and Sell subforum alone. It did return me with alot of results with the latest post dated 5 days back. When i did a similar search but with Show results as posts, it shows me the latest post on the result list is dated 8 hours back. I got results more than what you mentioned. With the 1st search I did earlier, I get these results that you probably missed out in your search : WTS: DSLR - Olympus E300 Kit (with 14-45 lens) (non double olympus words) WTS: Classic Cameras (no olympus on title but the olympus words are inside the posts) The reason why you see alot of double Olympus words on title is because of the B&S form option plus the user-filled title wording. I dont see anything wrong with that.

NO. The thread I missed was this.

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=147324

This thread was started TWO DAYS ago and it still does not show up when I search for olympus. There are other threads that does not show up. This is just a small example. If you actually CRAWL through the B&S forum you will find many threads on olympus which did not show up on a "olympus" word search. now olympus users like me have to crawl through the B&S PAGE by PAGE, with 95% of the stuff totally useless.

[wind30]

Jason,

by the way,
there are quite a number of E300 sales threads that you missed using the search function, and those are not new "threads". I still can't figure out why the search function behaves as it is.

[Michael Ang]

Hi guys,

Oh, thanks for your replies especially from the owners and the mods.

Actually, while I find the search function useful. It is less so when I use it for browsing. I have a habit of looking through the CATs section of the local papers as though I am window shopping and I do that sort of browsing here and in other forums such as those in www.xtremeplace.com.

Occasionally, I find something of great interest to me such as Backgrounds, filters that were not originally on my "shopping list". Perhaps I am just an implusive shopper but i find sometimes that Buy/Sell threads are a good source of learning about photography equipment. haha

Anyway, hope this request will be granted when Clubsnap got better resources...

And guys, no need to start a flame war here... Be cool, all right?

Cheers

Michael

[Michael Ang]

Hi guys,

Oh, thanks for your replies especially from the owners and the mods.

Actually, while I find the search function useful. It is less so when I use it for browsing. I have a habit of looking through the CATs section of the local papers as though I am window shopping and I do that sort of browsing here and in other forums such as those in www.xtremeplace.com.

Occasionally, I find something of great interest to me such as Backgrounds, filters that were not originally on my "shopping list". Perhaps I am just an implusive shopper but i find sometimes that Buy/Sell threads are a good source of learning about photography equipment. haha

Anyway, hope this request will be granted when Clubsnap got better resources...

And guys, no need to start a flame war here... Be cool, all right?

Cheers

Michael