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Classifieds Manual, Part 1 - User Browsing

Posted by wimg , in Manuals 07 May 2011 · 21,393 views

Part 1 - User browsingNormally, I'd start at the Forums page, and right at the top, I do find a Classifeds tab, just next to the Forums tab (circled/marked with blue).

Clicking on this tab, will give me the following view, displaying all the categories and subcategories in Classifieds:

Note that the general Writing Instruments category is highlighted here with blue, and it consists of three subcategories. Let me click on the Writing Instruments category itself first:

Not only do I get a list of subcategories, but also a listing of items in those subcategories. Now what if I click on a subcategory, f.e., the Low Volume one:

Great, just the items in the Low Volume subcategory. Let me now click on that beautiful Urushi pen I see there:

I can see all the details now, plus a bunch of thumbnails of the pictures attached to this classified. Let me click on one of those thumbnails:

The complete picture shows up now, and I can save the picture, or close it again to go back to the classified. What I don't see here is that if I scroll to the right top of the picture, there wil be a Next button in case there is more than one picture attached, so that I can scroll through all of them.Anyway, this is how I can look at these classifieds. Simple enough. :DWim

Ravenmoon

May 09 2011 02:47

Why is there a 'Save" option for the photos? I realize that anyone can grab them anyway, but I don't really want a "save to disk" option right out there....I'm not posting photos to provide stock images...I see several of the images I have posted have been 'downloaded' several times? This does not seem to be related to viewing, unless it doesn't count my views, because the number did not change when I viewed the images.

wimg

May 09 2011 10:58

Hi Ravenmoon,The Save option is a standard feature of Classifieds, and of any of the applications on this board. Note that we do protect against hotlinking and leeching here, but individual images can be downloaded by members, as mentioned, this is true everywhere on the board. Also, we have bots visiting the site - they will download everything for indexing.The view count doesn't change here when you view your own classified, AFAIK. Also, downloading an image will mean someone viewed the classified, so per definition a download will have increased the number of views. BTW, clicking on a thumbnail to view the full image also constitutes a "download". Viewing multiple images from the same classified will only show up as one view, however.If you are worried about copyright etc., I suggest you add a watermark to your images. That is true for all images on this site, and any other site I know which displays images. I think it is best to attach and/or upload only images that are a relatively small size. F.e., a 900 X 600 image is only big enough to print at 3"X 2" with any semblance of quality, which is barely bigger than a passport photograph. However, it is more than adequate for screen viewing here.HTH, warm regards, Wim

BamaPen

May 09 2011 17:58

Maybe I'm missing something, but I have not found any view count on my classifieds. Either nobody has looked or I don't know how to find the counter.

wimg

May 09 2011 22:35

It is still a bit hidden, actually. Click on the main thumbnail for a classified. The image opens up, and right at the bottom it mentions the number of "Downloads". This is the number of views, excluding your own views.HTH, warm regards, Wim

Immoteus

May 10 2011 07:37

Is there currently anyway of receiving email notifications for new postings? I've clicked on "subscribe" but I haven't found any method of altering my subscription method.

BamaPen

May 10 2011 12:30

It is still a bit hidden, actually. Click on the main thumbnail for a classified. The image opens up, and right at the bottom it mentions the number of "Downloads". This is the number of views, excluding your own views.HTH, warm regards, Wim

Wim,I don't see it at all. I do see downloads when I hover over a thumbnail, but nothing for the ad as a whole.John

wimg

May 10 2011 12:49

Is there currently anyway of receiving email notifications for new postings? I've clicked on "subscribe" but I haven't found any method of altering my subscription method.

"Your Profile" (click on your member name at the right top of the board) -> dropdown box -> My Settings -> Notification Options -> Scroll down to Other Notifications, and tick the boxes for the type of notifications you'd want to receive for classifieds.HTH, warm regards, Wim

wimg

May 10 2011 12:49

Hi Bamapen,

Wim,I don't see it at all. I do see downloads when I hover over a thumbnail, but nothing for the ad as a whole.John

That is exactly it, the number of views = the number of downloads for the main thumbnail.HTH, warm regards, Wim

sjs

May 12 2011 16:52

What does "Low Volume" mean? The volume of the pen? The number of pens per classified? The number of bids expected?

MrBlue

May 13 2011 00:31

+1 on the question of what "Low Volume" means. I wonder if this is something that the admins thought would be self-evident, but really isn't...

pennamer

May 13 2011 01:10

The new classified listings have entirely discouraged me from using them for at least the reasons that I set out below.1. The distinction between "low volume" and "professional" is unclear to users. The chosen wording also suggests that casual sellers are somehow not "professional". In any event, no one selling a pen is a professional, as the word itself connotes a person subject to a statutory governing body.2. The layout of the main listing of classified ads is too narrow on any less than a very wide screen. Compact laptops and tablet devices find swaths of white space lining the left and right columns, and the listings themselves stuffed into the centre. The layout is unusable on a mobile phone browser.3. Each main listing entry shows a price, but not its currency. While the currency appears in the listing itself, a user determines it only by clicking on the main entry. Given that price is one of the key attributes of any listing, the currency itself should be shown. Otherwise, the current format is about as useful as if every main listing simply said "Pen for sale" and the user were then forced to click on each ad to find out what make and model.4. The column width given over to identify the seller in the main listings is unduly wide. The item description is unduly narrow, meanwhile.5. As far as I can tell, there is no way to mark as "read" all existing listings. When returning to the classifieds after the passage of time, one is forced to rely upon memory as to which listings have already been considered.6. While "time left" might help thin the number of ads that clutter up the forum years after their posting, the fact is that many pens do not immediately sell, and buyers might be discouraged from contacting sellers about unsold items after there is "no time left".7. The "random classifieds" in the left column is useless.8. Oddly, when clicking "view new content", the above complaint about column widths is addressed, but now the resulting wide listings no longer tell the user who the seller is for each item.By way of background, I can say that, using the former marketplace forum, I have bought pens from Yurigia, Bryant, and colincarter. I doubt I would fight through the new classifieds to try and find more pens. I think that the change has significantly diminished the usefulness of FPN.

Glenn-SC

May 13 2011 03:06

another +1 on the difference between or the meaning of "high volume" and "low volume"?

wimg

May 13 2011 23:26

What does "Low Volume" mean? The volume of the pen? The number of pens per classified? The number of bids expected?

+1 on the question of what "Low Volume" means. I wonder if this is something that the admins thought would be self-evident, but really isn't...

If you read the manual, somewhere in the middle it states that this is about the volume of adverts you place/pens you sell. Low Volume means <= 3 adverts a week, and <= 100 over a whole year. If you are a habitual seller or a professional selling pens, you are obliged to post adverts in the High Volume category.These two categories were created in order to give ordinary people the option not to be swamped by the people who post many adverts.When we have some more time available, we will add a FAQ here to make it easier to find answers to these types of questions.HTH, warm regards, Wim

wimg

May 13 2011 23:40

The new classified listings have entirely discouraged me from using them for at least the reasons that I set out below.1. The distinction between "low volume" and "professional" is unclear to users. The chosen wording also suggests that casual sellers are somehow not "professional". In any event, no one selling a pen is a professional, as the word itself connotes a person subject to a statutory governing body.

IMO, you are worrying about semantics here. As to Low and High Volume, see my previous comment, and the many replies I made in the Community Feedback forum.

2. The layout of the main listing of classified ads is too narrow on any less than a very wide screen. Compact laptops and tablet devices find swaths of white space lining the left and right columns, and the listings themselves stuffed into the centre. The layout is unusable on a mobile phone browser.

As I mentioned in one of the posts, Classifieds is not prepared yet for use with the IP.Mobile skin, because the functionality to display many of the items required just isn't present in that skin. I suggest on a mobile platform you try using the Lo-Fi skin.

3. Each main listing entry shows a price, but not its currency. While the currency appears in the listing itself, a user determines it only by clicking on the main entry. Given that price is one of the key attributes of any listing, the currency itself should be shown. Otherwise, the current format is about as useful as if every main listing simply said "Pen for sale" and the user were then forced to click on each ad to find out what make and model.

Again addressed already in many replies. Yes, it is missing. Unfortunately it isn't multi-currency, hence the workaround. Why not ask sellers to list the price in the title? Problem solved.

4. The column width given over to identify the seller in the main listings is unduly wide. The item description is unduly narrow, meanwhile.

? If this refers to using it on a mobile platform, I suggested using the Lo-Fi skin.

5. As far as I can tell, there is no way to mark as "read" all existing listings. When returning to the classifieds after the passage of time, one is forced to rely upon memory as to which listings have already been considered.

That is not the case, again see Community Feedback. Check VNC (View New Content), the Classifieds tab. Furthermore, there are indicators to show which adverts you have already seen. A dull coloured tag in front of the advert means you have read it already. New ones show up with a very clear tag.

6. While "time left" might help thin the number of ads that clutter up the forum years after their posting, the fact is that many pens do not immediately sell, and buyers might be discouraged from contacting sellers about unsold items after there is "no time left".

As mentioned in other replies, a seller has the option to relist an item up to 5 times. That is a single click of a button.

7. The "random classifieds" in the left column is useless.

That is an opinion, not a fact. Others find it very useful.

8. Oddly, when clicking "view new content", the above complaint about column widths is addressed, but now the resulting wide listings no longer tell the user who the seller is for each item.

Does that matter if it is an item you find interesting?

By way of background, I can say that, using the former marketplace forum, I have bought pens from Yurigia, Bryant, and colincarter. I doubt I would fight through the new classifieds to try and find more pens. I think that the change has significantly diminished the usefulness of FPN.

Well, funnily enough FPN is about discussion forums. The Classifieds and Market Watch were just an extra service to our members, with an extremely high maintenance ratio, and lots of complaints from buyers and sellers alike about its usefulness and other features. I sincerely suggest you use it for some more time before drawing a final conclusion. It is a better tool than the forums ever were for listing classifieds.HTH, warm regards, Wim

Surfbits

May 14 2011 11:28

Is there anyway to see when the classified was listed so we know if it's recent or how recent it is exactly? Does the seller have to keep it updated so I know which pens are left or what other FPN members have purchased already before I contact the seller? Rather then seeing 'Days left" can we see date listed?

wimg

May 14 2011 23:07

Unfortunately, the date listed is not available. However, classifieds have a set run time, which is 30 days. So one can fairlly easily calculate when it was posted.The seller indeed has to keep it updated, which is extremely easy to do for a seller, unlike the situation in the old classifieds forums. Any changes will be reflected immediately in the classified when it is edited.HTH, warm regards, Wim

pennamer

May 15 2011 02:31

Thank you to wimg for taking the time to consider my comments. (That could be mistaken for sarcasm, so just to be clear: I am sincerely expressing appreciation.)

wimg

May 15 2011 09:58

Thank you to wimg for taking the time to consider my comments. (That could be mistaken for sarcasm, so just to be clear: I am sincerely expressing appreciation.)

It's a pleasure!Warm regards, Wim

Surfbits

May 15 2011 11:44

OK, wimg, thank you. Please consider adding listing time to the classifieds in the future. I like to see the latest ones and how long they've been live. Next, when I click on Classifieds in the top tab, and I see the full classifieds section, I understood that when I click on "View new content" I was suppose to see the new listings since I've been there last? Everytime I do this, the header says "There has been 1 new classified since you've been here last." Or close to that. I know that there has been many new ones, but I always am told only 1, and I do not know which ones are the new ones or which ones I've seen before. What am I doing wrong in the above scenario?

wimg

May 15 2011 15:04

Hi surfbits, I honestly don't know if you are doing anything wrong at all. Looks like you spotted a bug, so I'll pass it on to the developer.What you need to check for are those new topics which have changes, i.e., the ones with a clear rather than greyed out tag in front (to the left) of the classified.HTH, warm regards, Wim