Is there no rule on AU about multiple identical items must be listed in Dutch format?

I do a search on "code*" and get tons of hits on auctions with the same title by the same seller.

Very frustrating for me, especially as the search word is in the description and not in the title.
 

No, there is no such rule. I think if you were to specify the location of the auction -- its category -- in power search, you'd see that the listings you see are, while identical, from various categories.

I understand your point regarding the additional listings you see in a search. More on that later.

Rather than just two-step this one and do as they do at the east bay, we see another side to this issue.

Assume for a moment you had fourteen computer monitors to sell.

I know that when I go looking for something at the auction, I tend to look for an item that is closing sooner, rather than later as the time-value of the item is greater if I can win an auction today instead of two weeks from now.

The absence of this rule would let a seller list one monitor to close each day, from one day hence through 14 days in one sitting. (he'd hit relist and change the number of days the auction is to run. Indeed, one could make the case that the time of the auction is a significant element that does make it different.)

My opinion is the customers are served because there will be a monitor they can bid on and win each day. The seller is served because he has a better chance of having the item a person needs up for auction the day that the person that visits our site needs it.

I guess, bottom line is that I see the rule on eBay as limiting sellers more than it should. On top of that rules such as this one by eBay seem to me to be the type where favoritism too often enters the arena. Said another way, why is one seller forced to comply while dozens get away with it because they aren't reported (or aren't on someone's list to harrass.) (BTW: I also disagree with eBay's rules on pricing... that all pricing -- opening bids -- have to be same. Isn't this an auction. I guess I just think both those rules go too far.

Finally, to address your problem. You said that the cryptography/codebook collectors are a relatively close-knit group. I remember from the early days on eBay, that sellers of items such as "Hot Wheels" adopted the "code" HW in their title's to effect a quick and effective search. It seems to me a unique acronym might solve your search issues on all sites. it could be /code/ cypcode ... or some other unique string. Considering how close knit the group would be, their adopting it would go a long way in popularizing it.

neomax
 

To give you a perspective on the difficulties of standardizing on a search word.

When I search for codebooks on eBay I have to put in a string something like this:

code* -(code3*) -(code 3*) -(warhammer*) -(source*) -(zip*) -(belden*) -(pre*)

The search string could be much longer except that eBay limits the length of the string.

What this allows me to do is to filter all of the "Code 3 " cars, "C/C++ source code" offerings, "Trixie Belden and the Mysterious Code" books, everything listed as "Pre Zip code" or "Pre-code".

Because I generally only search on titles I am able to reduce the hits by 50% or more on eBay.

When I search AU specifying "code" or "code*" I currently get about 450 hits and literally nothing listed has anything to do with the "code" I'm interested in.

You are suggesting that because the folks interested in codes per se is very tight knit that we invent a standard.

That wouldn't work because we couldn't communicate that standard to the sellers.

AU (and other sites) might be able to help with an FAQ for buyers and sellers about word usage in auction titles and by providing a selection list similar to the category selection list most sites already have. Also by a comprehensive list of words and who uses them posted on site.

Unfortunately, AU doesn't permit title only searches and even if we did have a standard and the sellers knew about it and used it, we would probably end up with false hits when the standard happened to appear in the description of a totally unrelated item.

[This message has been edited by codebuster (edited 02-05-99).]
 

Regarding your comment about identical auctions in different categories.

I thought AU allowed multiple categories?

Why would someone need to list items across several categories if AU allows multiple categories for an item?
 

Regarding your point about identical auctions closing at different times.

Take a gander at user [email protected] and the multiple Dutch auctions they are currently running.

The identical auctions close at the same time.

I know that this seller lists quite a bit on AU because I have seen most of the titles every time I search AU.

Don't take this the wrong way. I've nothing against a seller doing business however they choose so long as it is ethical as well as legal.

But with sellers listing on AU in the manner that [email protected] is doing exacerbates the problems with AU search.

I don't want AU to punish or regulate the sellers. I want AU to improve the SEARCH facility.
 

Would you believe that some sellers don't grasp that they can have the same auction listed in multiple catagories? Sure you would because they have to read to know that:-)

I agree that our search function is comparatively weak and have stated so on numerous occassions.

I understand the difficulty with the "standardized and unique" "code" for items in the area. That type of solution would only work over time and would never be 100 percent.

I think we may have discussed this before but it would seem to me that you could search three or four (of the 19 major) categories quicker and with less "roughage" than a complete site search.

For instance, it would see that if you just didn't search computer's but instead did books, one or two of the collectible areas and maybe grabbag you'd be 99 percent certain of finding anything of interest that was there.

Still, I know that is not a "good fix" and that an improved search is needed.

All I can say is that we recognize the need too... I do know from my previous inquiries that it is "on the list" ... but I don't know its placement in regard to priority. (Sometimes I'm just plain surprised when I see something new:-)

neomax
 

"W.U. Telegram Coded"
"Orphan Annie Coder/Decoder"
"Captain Midnight Code-O-Graph"
"Interesting Postcard in Cipher"

For the volume that AU currently carries I get about 400 to 500 hits across all categories on "code". This is roughly the number I get on eBay without the various filters across all categories.

The real problem for me is that AU's search is on all the text and I cannot search titles only.

If you try the experiment yourself by searching all categories for "code" you will see that rarely does a hit occur for "code" in the title.

When it does it is for "code" that I am not interested in.

Will you ask AU to bump priority on developing a search by title only feature?

And perhaps ask if some of the AU powers that be wouldn't agree to come onto AW for a constructive discussion regarding what users see as needed improvements?
 

I've tried the search and I know that it rarely brings items up that include "code" in the title.

As a practical matter, I might suggest the strategy in power search of organizing the hits by catagory. This would have the items reported (even in the long report with all the garbage) organized by category allowing you to quickly scan the hits in groups such as computers (no interest) but spend more time exploring the hits in the books and collectible areas.

If you want direct contact, review by the PTB, try posting to "[email protected]" ... I see items sent there referred to me by the PTB. (Tell them what a good job I'm doing:-)

I will say if there were enough interest in doing a town meeting on AU here your suggestion that the PTB would make an appearance could probably be arranged.

neomax

Indeed, anyone would be free to post a

neomax