Simply-the-best-for-you Volunteer Community Mentor
@retro_entertainment_collectibles wrote:
@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:
@retro_entertainment_collectibles wrote:
@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:@retro_entertainment_collectibles I know you're up on current languages, platforms, which I am not, since I was primarily involved with designing & diagnostics of legacy software (which despite popular opinion is still very much in use). So a question for you, would the API even have a user's search criteria in it? That strikes me as very odd, as I thought the API was simply an interface. I realize that it *could* have it, but with eBay having always treated search habits & frankly anything related to search, as a trade secret, it would seem odd to me that search criteria would be passed via the API, had this been eBay's API. But I'm thinking mainly of 3rd party tools that would never need that info as the main users of the API. Perhaps there's a whole class of API users that I'm not taking into consideration?
I've not really explored eBay's API's but it'd be extremely++ unlikely they'd have a statistical API public facing. But as I said many operations have focal API type accessors towards data mining both for internal and approved partner/sub contractor usages. I'm sure for example place like Amazon have a whole plethora of varied API's not publicly exposed and likely even automation for things such as re-stocking.
That's why I am engineering a mechanism whereby I can bury myself in the backyard in nothing more than a 55 gallon drum with a breathing straw and room for three months of Peanut Butter crackers and recycled urine... If there ever is a solar flare strong enough to take out considerable IT infrastructure I need be prepared in advance and booking the next UFO flight on Expedia likely not be an option.
@retro_entertainment_collectibles Nah, not gonna bury myself. I wanna see the Aurora from that one 😃
What you're saying about the API's makes total sense. Interfaces in legacy/enterprise software to 3rd party companies were a pretty rare thing, so there typically was only 1 interface, not a variety depending on usage/need. They were also far less structured & more 'on the fly'.
I was kinda questioning the whole thing b/c eBay would never release that info, so I was surprised that a competitor would. Though I honestly don't see what's so secretive about search behavior/criteria, I can see that when you're the industry leader, you're using the knowledge of those behaviors in aggregate to bolster your own competitve position.
In general, I believe that search criteria does not get nearly enough press or attention. Most sellers don't even think about it. Ever. eBay certainly does, it's what they mean when they say "relevancy". It is critically important to our job as sellers, yet is basically an unknown. It's nice to see some attention to search behaviors, but as the data shows, most searchers are very vanilla. Even those of us who know how to search in a cherry vanilla with chocolate sprinkles way, rarely do. Most users seem to use the KISS method and that is not a surprise. Oh & now I want some ice cream.
Often the case where technology meets humanity that the perfect solutions are hard to come by or simply not possible. Most folks be they sellers or buyers don't understand the complexity under the hood of an eBay nor the positives and/or negatives or both of change be that willing or forced. Where there is an upside usually a down side to and visa versa all to often where IT and humanity meet.
@retro_entertainment_collectibles Well, not religious, but Amen. Could not explain searching with quotes on here b/c too many couldn't understand the concept & kept trying to tell me, "well I shouldn't have to". Ummm, it depends on what type of search you're trying to do. I gave up. I don't love everything that eBay does. In fact, I hate a fair amount of it, but I would love to see everyone who complains have to spend a day running eBay's system. The complexity level is extraordinary, the required 24/7 uptime & functionality is amazing to me. I sure do wish they would do more testing before implementing changes though. Coming from the legacy side, I cannot fathom the changes without testing, in particular, regression testing, but DH is familiar with the currently hip Agile methodology (though he's an old enterprise guy too), so he's been explaining to me that the ramifications of the Agile methodology is exactly what we see with eBay. Implement a new change, but break 10 other things that worked fine in the process. I have no idea if they use the formal methodology, but it seems they use it at functional level knowingly or not. Or everything is just so distributed that no one knows what anyone else is implementing. Both seem to be at play from at outsider perspective. All in all though, it's quite amazing what they do accomplish.
@retro_entertainment_collectibles I love the way you write, "the powers that pee" LMAO. There will always be outside forces at work in any business. Some that can be reasonably expected and should be planned for, others, well, we all collectively just went through one. No one expects the Spanish Inquisiton. Or a global pandemic. Those same people who can't be bothered to or are afraid to learn something new, are of course, the ones who know how eBay should best be run 😃
In the meantime, off topic, you made me think of this ancient Howie Mandel song, from decades before he was famous - I Do the Watusi - has scantily clad showgirls if that's an issue for anyone.
Have a great evening.
@anasazirose wrote:Well, best match is never best match, buyers should realize this when a search for 'paw paw seeds' brings up canteloupe seeds as the 3rd item on the 1st page. It's obvious ebay cares about the buyer when they have a problem with a seller, but when they're being paid more money to throw sponsored canteloupe seeds into a search for paw paw seeds, then they care about money, because that is in NO WAY a best match. But hey, in the words of Jamie Iannone - CEO, "we constantly look at take rate as a way to say, what's an opportunity to lean in or to grab more take rate."
LOL, I should never have read that conference call transcript.
@anasazirose Well, keep in mind that sellers can purposely manipulate search as well. That said, I just did a default BM search for Paw Paw seed & got no cantaloupes. In fact, my entire first page is either paw paw seeds or a 3 others that have "paw" in the title. Not saying it's never happened, we've all seen weird results before.
Thank you for the education as well, I've never heard of a "paw paw".
@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:@anasazirose Well, keep in mind that sellers can purposely manipulate search as well. That said, I just did a default BM search for Paw Paw seed & got no cantaloupes. In fact, my entire first page is either paw paw seeds or a 3 others that have "paw" in the title. Not saying it's never happened, we've all seen weird results before.
Thank you for the education as well, I've never heard of a "paw paw".
Well, the canteloupe are gone, but tobacco is 2nd. I wonder how ebay does that? I mean, give me canteloupe and tobacco and not you?
If you can find one to taste, do it! September is when they're ripe in PA. BTW, My son brought home a paw paw fruit from work about 20 years ago. I kept looking for more, no one ever heard of them. The coworker of my son's had retired, and he only knew him to see him. Fast forward, I bought paw paw seeds on ebay. They were all dried, but I didn't know at the time that that means dead for paw paw seeds. For years I tried to find them elsewhere, finally got some trees in WV through a Craigslist ad, most died. Then bought some at the Mother Earth Fair, waited 6 years for fruit and have been a hobbyist paw paw seedling backyard grower since. Just last year decided to try selling seeds on ebay, which is why I often search for them. I want to see where my 3 listings come up. They are usually buried by other seed types or multiple duplicate listings, but I still do ok. Now I find it interesting to know that the search results depend (somewhat) on who is searching.
@anasazirose wrote:
@simply-the-best-for-you wrote:@anasazirose Well, keep in mind that sellers can purposely manipulate search as well. That said, I just did a default BM search for Paw Paw seed & got no cantaloupes. In fact, my entire first page is either paw paw seeds or a 3 others that have "paw" in the title. Not saying it's never happened, we've all seen weird results before.
Thank you for the education as well, I've never heard of a "paw paw".
Well, the canteloupe are gone, but tobacco is 2nd. I wonder how ebay does that? I mean, give me canteloupe and tobacco and not you?
If you can find one to taste, do it! September is when they're ripe in PA. BTW, My son brought home a paw paw fruit from work about 20 years ago. I kept looking for more, no one ever heard of them. The coworker of my son's had retired, and he only knew him to see him. Fast forward, I bought paw paw seeds on ebay. They were all dried, but I didn't know at the time that that means dead for paw paw seeds. For years I tried to find them elsewhere, finally got some trees in WV through a Craigslist ad, most died. Then bought some at the Mother Earth Fair, waited 6 years for fruit and have been a hobbyist paw paw seedling backyard grower since. Just last year decided to try selling seeds on ebay, which is why I often search for them. I want to see where my 3 listings come up. They are usually buried by other seed types or multiple duplicate listings, but I still do ok. Now I find it interesting to know that the search results depend (somewhat) on who is searching.
Yeah, I don't get tobacco, but they can very easily tailor results to the searcher. In fact, that's exactly what's supposed to happen, though I don't often see it. The only non paw-paw seeds I see are things like 'plumeria orange paw seed' & a couple of others that DO have paw in the title. But search results are supposed to be tailored, so I certainly don't doubt that you are seeing the Tobacco & I've def seen searches where a Sponsored ad (believe to be the PPC sponsored ads) have been shown very high. In fact, I had a thread about 1 that I came across once & a bunch of people chimed in, most believing it was a PPC ad. Even eBay took part in the thread. The tailored searches started quite a few years ago, but in reality, I don't really see them much, when I've compared with other users.
For some reason the Paw Paw looks like Durian to me, which I tried once & hated. I don't like the creamy/custardy/banana type fruits. I'm always willing to taste a new fruit though, so if ever given the opportunity, I'll totally try it. It's one of the things I love doing when I travel outside the US.
ETA: In my old thread, where I had a similar result, it was only theorized that it was a PPC Sponsored ad. No one was able to confirm & by the time eBay looked into it, they didn't see the odd result anymore. THey asked me to try the search again & sure enough, I wasn't getting it anymore either.
