Well...what I would like is to not have moderators trying to figure out what is ok and not ok relative to comments posted. Its a slippery slope. Some people appreciate the comments (if they are delivered in a spirit of helping) and others don't appreciate them (when someone slams them without any intention of buying).

Currently I have comments enabled but after looking at the admin side of things it appears that comments really address buyer and seller reputation....not posting something about the item.

With this in mind I've done a little customization to the 1st Generation : For Sale category. Try placing an add as I've added some custom fields. One placed have some other users try to leave comments to see how that are manifested.

Thanks

Mark

 

SIGPIC is not picked up in comments.

 

Since the topic has turned to photos, what about “how-to” post photos not being charged against the personal gallery quota? Is this option still in consideration?

There still are some of us on dial-ups and using legacy equipment, I find the photo hosting feature on this site more user friendly then having to build/host elsewhere and then integrate it here. I also feel better about the photo remaining for posterity instead of subjected to possible volatile conditions on the offsite host. I’ve used many of the MCO/NAM “how-to” threads of the past but find they have not retained key photos with time when I revisit them.

In my youth I lived in a few foreign countries where the price was never listed for the product in the market place and it was always an arduous task to make a purchase. The way NAM potential purchasers ring me like a bell when I post a sell on the market place would rival any Italian or Turkish marketer. The site can enhance features, but many of the things being asked for here can not supersede inate buyer/seller behavior.

 

I kinda doubt it will be...keep this on the list of things to look into further once we get some other details about the configuration of the marketplace fleshed out.

Mark

 

We can do this now...however because of all the things I'm working on right now its proving difficult to get enough sleep and get everything done that I need to. Also, I think I've identified some software that will allow us to build out a great how-to area. I need to investigate it further but I think it should work for this purpose.

Mark

 

For the Wheels section, can you put in fields with Offset, Width, Weight, a checkbox for Yes or No for hubcentric, This way people will be prompted to add what everyone wants to know. This will cut down on comments, exp the snarky ones.

 

In testing the marketplace I found that comments are one thing (like replies in a thread) and seller feedback is another. The way it is currently configured I can allow comments in one category while not in another. Feedback appears to be an option for anyone that currently has at least one item for sale in the marketplace (found via the member list in the marketplace). If a person doesn't have an item for sale they don't appear in the member list and therefore their seller reputation isn't known until they put something up for sale again.

Mark

 

Can you give me the full list of what should be asked for? I would imagine diameter, manufacturer, wheel name, etc. would be useful as well I'll configure this and we can try it out.

Mark

 

I kinda like the simple format that its in now. With the new format, there is no way I'll surf all the catagories. I often find myself interested in parts that I wouldn't normally be in the current format because all the parts are listed together. If you break them up into 20 catagories, it just takes too much time to scan the ads IMHO. Who knows though, I'm sure I'll learn to like it, but, thats just my first impression.

 

What if I were to create a Pulse-like feature that gave a snapshot of everything currently For Sale and another for all things Wanted?

Mark

 

+1
miata.net went to that type of format, and I just stopped looking as I just couldn't deal with checking 15+ categories.
If someone is looking for a specific part, that's what the 'search' is for.

 

Man, thats a good idea. Maybe give it a try and see how it works, I know I'd be scanning that one every other day for sure if that feature was implemented.

 

I spend a lot of time in the Marketplace. Partly because of my never-ending search for non-sunroof MCS's... ...and partly because I like to keep tabs on the going prices for MINI's as some day I might add a 3rd to the fleet.

That being so, the marketplace to me is as much entertainment as it is a tool for buying/selling. From some of the regular posters I've seen, I don't think I'm alone in this regard. I will admit to being "bad" in the past, but in the past year or so I've tried to keep criticism to a minimum and only post comments about price when the OP asks why the car isn't selling. Otherwise, I try to keep comments light-hearted, encouraging and basically a free "bump."

Without the "peanut gallery" comments, the Marketplace would be a much less fun place to browse.. although I admit it does get out of hand at times, but I believe a bit more moderating could help that... a few deleted posts and locked/deleted threads and people would start to understand what is acceptable and what is not.

Nothing wrong with the proposed marketplace format. A biking site I go to (Ridemonkey.com) uses the same one.... although I'll admit I don't look at it as much as when it was a more tradtional thread format.

 

For the wheels

Manufacturer
Name
Color or Finish
Diameter
Width
Offset
Weight
Hubcebtric (this could be a Yes or No checkbox)
Bolt Circles (only if multiple application)

Anyone else want to chime in with other bit's of info?

 

type.....forged, cast, semi-solid forging, gravity cast, pressure cast, etc. kidding....just forged or cast would be fine, even though you could put it in the description or research it

 

Once I realized that keywords and description were separate fields, I liked it. My first attempt only had 10 words in the description.

I don't spend a lot of time in marketplace so can't comment on whether it's an improvement over what exists now. Certainly the new version seems more comprehensive.

 

I know what these allow but are there different types? Is there a short list of possible types or is it a yes/no type of line item?

If we provide this information in the marketplace I'll also include it in the wheel database I've been talking about building based on Gnatster's feedback.

Mark

 

Things that can be determined with a question or a little research can make the site overly complex. For example, I love Holies, but they won't fit my car, but obviously will fit other MINIs. How specific does the information need to be?

Jas.

 

I don't want to make it overly complex by requiring all the info to be entered. That said if you do know this level of information about the wheels you are wanting to sell it would likely help the buyer...hence the idea of providing options to include it if you have it.

Mark

 

Someone mentioned to me that the database should include items such as if the tires rub with that wheel. Thats going to far, there are just to many variables such as suspension mods, alignment specs and even tire brand. A simple way to classify is via the same items most people will ask for anyway.

 

Usually with the 4x100 there will be 4x114.3 so this could be a simple yes/no

 

The 'edit' and 'sold it' links should be larger text. They were kind of hard to find.

Jas.

 

I think comments should be allowed because a lot of times they're helpful or just someone giving a bump for a nice item. Supersize pics definitely need to be larger.

Also, I really like the thought of the user feedback and rating.

 

Ok...did some playing around with the images tonight and learned the following:

If you click on the thumbnail it updates the preview image which is to the right of the item description.

If you click on supersize it opens a new window that shows the image at a max of 600 pixels wide.


I originally thought that clicking on the thumb would show the supersize image but that is not the case. A couple of things I might be able to do....change the action so that if you click on the thumb it updates the preview AND opens a new window with the supersized image. This however might be a little annoying. The alternative is to make the preview images a max of 400 pixels wide/tall.

Thoughts?

Mark

 

I think the preview images are fine as is, after all they are just a PREview. You may not want to view the supersize pic but just the little preview. I agree that it would get a little annoying. I insist that the supersize picture needs to be bigger to allow for more detail.

Note, the supersize feature works like that on eBay as you have noticed.