eBay changing all clickable text color to black!! Awful!!!

[ibt_computers]

eBay is now changing all the clickable text color on it's web pages from BLUE with an underline in blue (so you know it's clickable) to, drum roll please... Pure black with no underlining, just like all the other text on their web page. So, now in eBay's infinite (stupid) wisdom, we have no idea what is clickable and what is not clickable unless we move our mouse over the text on their entire web page to see what ultimately turns blue. ABSOLUTE NONSENSE!!! How on earth is this "BETTER"?? eBay is taking away all of the color cues that used to be on the screen and just making everything either white, grey or black. Argh!!!!!!!!!! Stupidity!!!

[eburtonlab]

It is possible that it may be a browser issue; see here:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Member-To-Member-Support/Search-history-no-longer-displayed/qaq-p/3122...

Currently I am seeing black title links in Firefox, but blue or purple titles in Chrome or Edge.

[eburtonlab]

Even more curious: not all Firefox searches are black titled.

If I perform a new search from the main page, the titles are in black text, as are subsequent searches.

But if I search from the Advanced Search page, the titles are still blue or purple. Though subsequent searches return black titles.

I am able to convert a black title search result to blue or purple by going directly from the black titled search results page to the Advanced Search page using the "Advanced" link in the upper right, and then clicking the search button on the Advanced Search page to re-run the search.

For a given search, adding this string to the URL seems to produce blue or purple titles:

&_fosrp=1

Adding this string (or removing the previous one) produces black titles (in Firefox, at least for me):

&_fosrp=0

@shipscript  had previously identified that particular attribute as being associated with a series of broken searches that occurred about a month ago in a thread on the Community Mentor Lounge. It is still not clear to me what the purpose of that attribute is.

[systemsengineer]

I was hit with this today as well.  This also killed the ability to see which links I had already visited.  I do way too many searches to try and remember where I left off.  This now creates a significant waste of my time by ending up looking at the same items.

It's too bad.  I had just started using eBay again significantly in the past 6 months.  This will hurt all the sellers I would have bought from.  Yes, they'll survive with the measly numbers I spend, but how many others will give up without even a comment?!

[shipscript]

Starting from a saved bookmark, the "visited" color remained through various keywords until I clicked a category. So the style change is somehow scenario based. That is when all went to black and the link underline feature did not appear until the page finished loading.This tells me the black links are probably loaded by scripts that may further load stylesheets or worse yet, scripted styles. Scripted styles can not be overridden by stylesheet actions, making the "visited" attribute color very suseptible when scripting a link event.

I did not see the fosrp in any of my searches.

@ibt_computers 

@systemsengineer 

Use the "Tell us what you think" link at the bottom of the black search page to let the team know how difficult searching is without a "visited" color on links. They should be very sensitive to site usability complaints like this one.

[systemsengineer]

Thanks for the pointer.  I've done that and called in about it.  I really don't care what colors they pick, but "visited" needs to be distinguishable.  We (humans) have been conditioned to expect it to happen and a lot of us use that feature in daily life outside eBay.  

[gelert5]

Many, many thanks for that tip! 👍👍
Adding &_fosrp=1 straight onto the end of the URL worked great for me in Firefox.
I can now once again see which links I have previously visited.
YAY! 😃
To quote another's recent post here:
"I do way too many searches to try and remember where I left off.
This now creates a significant waste of my time by ending up looking at the same items."
Your tip has solved this issue!

[bry2431]

Adding the string to the end of URL worked for me too. However, it's still not the right answer because all that does is add another keystroke for as users. I hope ebay reverts back to how it was before. Does anyone know (or guess) why they did the change in the first place? I don't see any incremental value other than look and feel?

[shipscript]

---

@bry2431 wrote:

 Does anyone know (or guess) why they did the change in the first place?

---

@bry2431 

As mentioned in my post, I suspect it has to do with scripts, and not with an intentional design change. Use the "tell us what you think" link on the search page to let them know the change is not user friendly.

[wpwino]

Adding &_fosrp=1 straight onto the end of the URL worked for me as well. Now I just have to add it to about 100 saved searches. Thanks Ebay for causing me days of aggravation and now having to waste several hours of my time fixing your mistake.

One commenter says it may be script related. This might explain another issue I've been having regarding delays of several hours to days for notifications and messages, which started happening about the same time.

[brandlix_18]

well explained.

[eburtonlab]

@wpwino 

Now I just have to add it to about 100 saved searches. Thanks Ebay for causing me days of aggravation and now having to waste several hours of my time fixing your mistake.

If this works it may be quicker for you.

Open your Saved Searches page.

Starting with the first saved search, right click on "view items" and open the search in a new browser tab.

Go to that tab and unsave the search using the heart icon at the top.

Click on the "Advanced" link to go to the Advanced Search page, then hit the blue search button there.

That should give you the search results with the blue or purple titles that indicate whether a page has been visited or not. If so, save the search.

Close the tab and go back to the Saved Searches to open the next search.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@gelert5 

On a side note...Well a side note for me. When you click on a discussion and read it goes from dark bold to standard(regular font), I guess to signify that you have read. It may have been there before and I just never noticed or it could have started yesterday. To my eye eBay changes things that don't really need to be changed.

Regarding the original observation @ibt_computers personally not seeing the change you mention. Possibly a dot com thing vs dot ca. Or something that hasn't happened here yet but will eventually. Sadly what is happening is as soon as us fine folks on eBay...Sellers and Buyers get used to something, it changes only to cause confusion. (Personally using Chrome...Which version? Should I really need to pay attention?)

I'm still getting my mind around the recent switch with the discussion posts clicking on the See More button and having to scroll up to where I left off. Others thought it was better than sliced bread. Me, I just find it extremely annoying. As to eBay reverting on ANYTHING because of mega complaints, to quote George W...."Isn't gonna happennnnnn!!!!"

-Lotz

[bry2431]

Already told them "what I think" per your recommendation on your original post. Thanks for your perspective on an explanation

[wpwino]

Thanks for the tip eburtonlab, but unfortunately I do not use Ebay's "Saved Searches", I save my searches as bookmarks in Firefox.