So how are you liking the new CL "Relevance" default?
 

Seems CL needed to make a change for the sake of change so they decided to offer search options Newest Relevance and Price with Relevance as default when you search in All for Sale.

I just spent some time going back and forth on their feedback forum about making the default newest...to no avail.

Here in Denver the highest relevance ad in my Sewing Machine search in All for sale is this one:

http://denver.craigslist.org/art/4164675772.html
Nice machine - fair price

Lowest relevance on the front page - first 100 listings -
http://denver.craigslist.org/atq/4150078924.html

Lowest relevance overall - over 500 deep - is this Pfaff Industrial
http://denver.craigslist.org/hsh/4163197752.html

You can still select newest but you have to do so every time

I'm beginning to wonder if some AHCA coders haven't jumped ship and gone to CL?

I just went and checked. Yep, they fixed it and now it's broke. Just like facebook and photobucket.

Joe

Why can't they leave well enough alone?!

They must be the same programers who designed the yahoo groups Neo.

That apparently started a few days ago. I just click on 'newest' at the top right side of the screen and it re-sorts to that default. Granted, something that really wasn't broken to begin with, but not as horrible as some other 'fixes' I've seen.

I hope you realize these sites are run for the advertisers not for the customers...

It's a shame, same as the death of Singer and Sears... pandering to profit watchers, not pride in product...

But these are free ads. Where's the profit motive?
The response I got was - it's for about spam reduction.
This will make people write better ads..they said.
I thought that's what flagging was for.
When I asked what makes for greater "Relevance" I was told that that's a secret
When I pointed out that the only thing that seemed to make the #1 ad in Sewing Machine Search Relevance #1 was word count I was told that doesn't matter - but again they wouldn't tell me what does.
When I pointed out that this was quite an afront to those for whom English is not a primary language or those who lack creative writing skills we stopped conversing.

Yes - for those of us who work CL like a slot machine we'll make the extra selection of Newest but what about people unfamiliar with CL? There's no Introduction page that tells them that the results they will see - unless they choose newest - will be presented in a random order based on "Relevance" and that a lot of what they're presented with will already be sold.

I'm suggesting to everybody who uses CL regularly that they go to the feedback forum and post their opinion - one way or another.

All I really wanted to convey to them was
A: Ok - can't you make Newest the Default and Relevance the Option?
B: How about a setting where we can choose which we prefer?

and Yahoo Groups!

I think that would require either a cookie, which could get deleted (many people delete cookies after each session), or a CL sign-in with custom user pages. That would require a lot more resources on their servers.

I thought my CL wasn't broken yet, but it's because I search from my bookmarks so my searches didn't change. I see their point about spam, but I wonder if they're planning to have sponsored listings which will be at the top in the default search. The people who search every day will figure out what's going on. For people who don't search every day -- does it matter what order the results are in? I know it's annoying to have them decide what's relevant. But I've gotten used to computers making decisions for me. I used to fight it by "fixing" my settings so that I was in control, but it's a never ending battle so I gave up on most issues. And computers are slowly getting better at doing it right. I still control my spam settings on my mail server (I don't let them decide what is spam and what isn't.) My BIL used to be a relevance analyst for a search engine. When he described it to me it sounded like he was mostly trying to get irrelevant results pushed to the bottom. It's not an exact science.

Are you going to get that Two Spool?? I have a friend in Denver. I might have to make him go get this if you don't want it.

PS -- The reason they don't want to tell you how they determine relevance is that you could potentially use this information to help make your spam more relevant. (the generic "you" -- I know you're not!)

So glad to read this - I was sort of freaked out about how I was getting older stuff and newer stuff all mixed up. I also really wonder about relevance - I sort for "sewing" only - maybe it's how many times the word "sewing" is listed in the add. . .

I'm going to go figure out where the "newest" button is

hmmm- when I sort by "relavance" all the machines from the one I know is a dealer show up first, and the rest seem alll over. Maybe they are allowing some to pay to make sure their adds show up at the top.

I don't think that's the case.... are the dealers ads more "wordy?"?

The two spool is all yours :-)

I didn't notice. I wondered why it was screwy.

I noticed it was messed up but I didn't know they did it on purpose. I just wonder if they let a few people go from working up the Obama Care website... so if a wordy ad is what they want I need to add a few words to the Crush and Sew. AHEM. please send suggestions. I'm out of thoughts.......... I guess you could write about anything EH? HHHMMMMMM

I absolutely LOVE the thumbnails option.:)

If you're really up for seeing how you can game the new system I'd try doing a cut and paste from an historical sewing machine site.

That's been there for a while now

Ha I went on CL and added to the ad - it is even worse... See what happens - does it move up or down the line?

There is one or two up there right now must have copied off Ebay
We can play their game now can't we?

It will be interesting to see what text causes it to go up

It doesn't even come up in a search now - so it isn't how many words after all - it was close to the top. Maybe if I raise or lower the price.

Well, raising the price and adding more words moved it next to last on the third page for relevant - SO it isn't how long the ad or how many pictures - price might have something to do with it. I did change Singer to Sanger on the catch line. The ad below is for a serger at $800. I'll play with it after work. I wonder if that machine has made it to pintrest yet?

I wonder what would happen if you deleted the old ad - then put up a new one with more verbiage

You could also try using the verbiage from this ad which is still #1 Relevance in Denver and see if it tops in your market as well.
http://denver.craigslist.org/art/4164675772.html

there are police on EVERY BOARD. just know big brother is always watching.

No doubt but the honest answer is ... now that ads appear based on "relevance" and they can't or won't provide the criteria one has no choice but to test to see what constitutes a "better ad" as they told us was their goal in all of this.

Couldn't figure out what you were talking about when I checked CL on my iPad. Then I checked CL on my computer and I see what you mean - how is an ad from Oct. 31st relevant?

http://rochester.craigslist.org/atq/4160108714.html
(It does seem reminiscent of something I saw recently on eBay)

I always figure listings that long ago to be non-relevant and long over. But, it is easy enough to change to what I want. I can see it is a pain to have CL choose what they assume you want (or what they want you to want.) BTW - I really like the two spools in the first posting!

Yep - just went to eBay - I was right, I guess he tried eBay first:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Willcox-Gibb...item27d9984105

It took me a while to figure this out. I kept wondering why the same items were listed at the top several days in a row. Finally discovered those "relevance, etc." buttons. Why do they think this is a better start to a search? Just when it's safe to go back in the water, they jump the shark!

Well, I just found it, its new to me and I love it..LOL

Well-- here in Denver that Singer got knocked off #1 relevance (Sold?)
and now #1 is this
http://denver.craigslist.org/ele/4159526726.html
Which is cross posted in 3 categories in violation of CL policy
Note that it, too, features wordy cut and paste verbiage

#1 relevant here for keyword "sewing": http://dayton.craigslist.org/art/4143780080.html

#2 is this, with no picture: http://dayton.craigslist.org/for/4100940629.html

So far - in our world - "relevance" is "irrelevance"

Lew, you are so irreverent...

I'll still try to sell on CL but I will rethink a couple ads and see what sells.

It seems that only new plastic wonders are relevant.

There was a 301 on top for a couple weeks here - ad was copied off a web site - I wonder if I copy the same if mine will come up first?

I think the old date just means that the seller has renewed the ad a few times because it didn't sell. That could indicate that it's overpriced, not that it's necessarily irrelevant. I saw a nice 201 in your area!
http://rochester.craigslist.org/atq/4162674953.html

That's just the table. The machine sold. They tease.

The bums. I like blonde wood but that style of cabinet is better with dark wood. You don't often see it in the light wood, though.