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Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

pcmag.com

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Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You write “Blaming technology” in response to a comment that does not mention any technologies. You might want to examine what your preconceptions are, that you would see “technology” in a comment that does not refer to technology. You were responding to a comment that describes two business strategies, perhaps you should respond to that.

I wrote technology on purpose, to cut through useless information. It is not relevant that “Craigslist” obviated classified ads. The root problem newspapers were solving was a seller being able to provide information to a wide audience of buyers. Technology brought about a better way of solving this problem, so the root problem newspapers were getting paid to solve with classifieds no longer exists. Not having local…

This is an example of unintended consequences courtesy of paperclip-factory style optimization. Just because an effect is 2nd order doesn't give one leave to claim that it is a separate issue.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it depends how specific your buying is. If I'm searching for Scooter, it may be good that it returns also mopeds and motorcycles. But if I'm searching for Nikon d850, and get first 10 entries for Nikon d750, Nikon d610, canon 5dMkii, Sony rx100, and then finally a d850, then its really really annoying; and that's 80 percent of my experience. For the other 20 percent, When I do want to search for something gen…

Maybe that's a personal difference. I tend not to get my heart set on a specific product, and will generally go with whatever happens to be well-priced on the market at the time. Especially so on Marketplace. If I search for Nikon D850, and some of the search results are (for example), Nikon D750s at a significantly lower price[1], then at least for me personally I'm happy to be shown that result. This isn't a hypoth…

Ok, what happens when a small mechanical component on your Nikon D850 breaks and the camera has been out of production for like a decade and what you actually need isn't a camera in general but a specific replacement part that will fit your specific model number? Or do you just throw out the camera entirely and buy that Nikon D750 that fuzzy search dug up?

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really, really like Facebook Marketplace's fuzzy searching. Random people listing stuff on local classified sites don't always use the correct keywords, and it's in everyone's best interest for these listings to actually get a good amount of views. I suspect this "fuzzier" algorithm accounts for the far lower amount of spam too. A search for "heat pump dryer" on Gumtree will return 25 listings in a row from the sam…

I think it depends how specific your buying is. If I'm searching for Scooter, it may be good that it returns also mopeds and motorcycles. But if I'm searching for Nikon d850, and get first 10 entries for Nikon d750, Nikon d610, canon 5dMkii, Sony rx100, and then finally a d850, then its really really annoying; and that's 80 percent of my experience. For the other 20 percent, When I do want to search for something gen…

What absolutely confounds my comprehension of marketplace sites and any online business driven by user directed discovery, is the unbroken and never deviated from practice in every industry and field of making the method and techniques used for search as unique inviolable individual apotheoses of a imaginary USP.

why on earth doesn't occur to anyone that heterogeneous search methods producing a range of results with a identifiable classifiable process or at least perceptual sensibility that users can get some understanding of, might provide not only consumer choice but profit?

The only thing that I can imagine to be happening is the overriding objectives must be econometric optimization and blow every other consideration. Or maybe it's possible with the adherent mantra of "internet speed" development that without constant investment in maintenance "development" nothing will work if left alone while bringing in alternative abilities.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#264

* I far, far, far prefer Craigslist interface to anything else in that space. It's clear and focused Its search engine too - I get things I search for in the area I search for. For me, Kijiji and Facebook marketplace are awful UI, awful distractions, and give me 10,000 "suggested" or "fuzzy searched" things in random order, suppressing things I'm actually looking for. And I've completely given up on eBay over last de…

CL is still alive and well here in LA. It's possible it's just in the markets I'm looking in (tools, machinery, cars, etc), but I've always preferred it over things like FB, OfferUp etc. I feel like the people I meet from CL are generally much more knowledgeable about what they have and its value. Other platforms often feel like a relative selling grandpa's stuff and have done the bare minimum of research to find a p…

My theory about CL is that between the minimalist UI and bad press it discouraged “normies” (for lack of a better word) who were afraid to get scammed so it was mostly serious sellers, plus occasional scammers who were not hard to spot. I met many delightful people over the years dealing with vintage audio, motorcycles, midcentury furniture. Facebook marketplce sellers are much flakier in my experience.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it depends how specific your buying is. If I'm searching for Scooter, it may be good that it returns also mopeds and motorcycles. But if I'm searching for Nikon d850, and get first 10 entries for Nikon d750, Nikon d610, canon 5dMkii, Sony rx100, and then finally a d850, then its really really annoying; and that's 80 percent of my experience. For the other 20 percent, When I do want to search for something gen…

Maybe that's a personal difference. I tend not to get my heart set on a specific product, and will generally go with whatever happens to be well-priced on the market at the time. Especially so on Marketplace. If I search for Nikon D850, and some of the search results are (for example), Nikon D750s at a significantly lower price[1], then at least for me personally I'm happy to be shown that result. This isn't a hypoth…

The difference between the Nikon D750 and D850 happens to be one of the most considerable and well defined product differentiation achieved in modern photography :~)

The D850 is a seminal state of the art camera that internally is identical to the contemporary flagship the D5 in every way except for major improvements like high resolution and exceptional sensor which is arguably not surpassed almost six years later. Whilst the D750 is a cost engineering marvel. The D750 is a very fine camera, but nothing in the league of the D850.

If you are actually considering purchasing a D750 I'd strongly recommend that you investigate the D780 which only appears to be much the same, but includes the majority of the successor mirrorless technology developments including excellent video giving live view operating far better than any other DSLRS from Nikon including the flagships.

Nikon managed some exemplary product differentiation in the last range of DSLR cameras. Unfortunately for everyone Nikon can't seem to be anything like as clear and focussed with the Z series mirrorless range.

Edit: the D850 compared with the contemporary flagship D5, is capable of only slower rates of shooting, has a smaller battery, no extended grip and dual orientation controls and the sensor can't -quite- perform in low light like a D5. In every non sports shooting environment the D850 would be regarded as a flagship, but for historical reasons and the attachment rate of D3/4/5/6 users buying proportionately many more elite lenses, it's the lower resolution action and low light big pro cameras that get the flagship accolade. Single digit pro cameras also optimize photo processing in camera for JPEG output as is big agency wont and urgency the need for finished product out of the box without any processing. In case you're looking into this, JPEG output from the D5/6 is incredibly good. "Merely" 20MP sensors in these cameras are far better than any specification can indicate, being developed to produce the cleanest pixel level signal, which really is visible in the output. A hardly used very good condition D5 can be had for $1500 lenses dumped en masse for Z upgrades are bargains. If you can deal with the bulk of these cameras, you'll very unlikely i've dissatisfied. And de facto unbeaten autofocus with a major feature omitted from new designs Group Priority AF which glues the focus to your selected nearest subject without any deviation that happens in the Z bodies because of the omission of this professional feature. Novices are apparently buying the Z9 mirrorless flagship because it's not got AF compromises to frustrating degree. But you can have a complete kit for the same money in the DSLR line.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#266
post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It surprises me how much companies fail at the basics of online shopping.. FB market is a garbage fire. They’re more interested in selling ads than making a market place. For new stuff Amazon is huge and cluttered yet still manages to run circles around almost every other online store for similar reasons to what you listed. The only exception I’ve found is BH Photo and Video. But all the others like Walmart/Jet, Home…

Isn't Home Depot licensing Amazon's store logic? I don't remember why I have that impression, as I haven't been to Home Depot in ages, but for some reason it made me feel that Amazon was running their store.

I never heard anything like that. The Home Depot site doesn't feel much like Amazon's, but maybe they do and they just don't use it well. I have a friend who did some contract work for Home Depot and it sounded like they followed VP-empire-building-driven development.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#267
post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can’t believe I’m defending journalist but this analogy is only partially accurate imho. People consume press and news media on their own volition, and even more less-vetted but newsworthy information through social media. Journalists are gassing what consumers respond to. I believe what’s happened is that in the past, local news consumers were aware of their own “fire” (crime, civics, politics) and now in a connecte…

Many journalists, arguably most journalists, also see themselves as advocates; advocates for something other than journalism or speech. And this has become much more prevalent than in previous generations. Everybody is an underdog, everybody else is an abuser, and abuse can't be tolerated. Even the concept of being able to report on an issue without becoming entangled in it has become anathema. The concept was, of co…

s/journalist/pundit/g

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#268
Wow, all this talk about Craigslist's (and Craig's) minimalist approaches really makes pcmag's experience all the more jarring.

- Pcmag wants to push notifications (deny)

- give us your email! (full page sudden popover, tiny "no thanks" text)

- ads every paragraph (big enough to disrupt reading flow)

- ads in floating banner at the top

- browser creaks and groans trying to paint as I scroll, white blocks if I go too fast.

It's almost like they are trying to demonstrate why Craigslist looks the same by giving a vivid counter-example.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

CL is still alive and well here in LA. It's possible it's just in the markets I'm looking in (tools, machinery, cars, etc), but I've always preferred it over things like FB, OfferUp etc. I feel like the people I meet from CL are generally much more knowledgeable about what they have and its value. Other platforms often feel like a relative selling grandpa's stuff and have done the bare minimum of research to find a p…

My theory about CL is that between the minimalist UI and bad press it discouraged “normies” (for lack of a better word) who were afraid to get scammed so it was mostly serious sellers, plus occasional scammers who were not hard to spot. I met many delightful people over the years dealing with vintage audio, motorcycles, midcentury furniture. Facebook marketplce sellers are much flakier in my experience.

Echoing my thoughts down the page, the problems that you mention, from a "normies" perspective, make a interesting thought exercise in wondering how you could attach suitable features to satisfy these needs. It's easy to mumble "open the API", but first one may have to consider how a API can handle the continuation of crucial revenue generation native site features such as advertising and data analysis reuse. Something more involved than a REST interface seems necessary.

Re: Why Craigslist still looks the same after 25 years

#270
post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fairness, the only valid complaint I've heard about Craigslist is that it diverted classified ad revenue away from reporters, destroying local newspapers, and then local elections. With Craigslist, this always felt like an unintended consequence. With facebook, it seems like one of their top ten strategies for getting us to devolve into mineshaft dwelling mole people that live in the metaverse.

Blaming technology for obviating business models is not a valid complaint. In this case, I would say the participants of the local society are responsible for paying for journalism and working to support local elections. But even then, you could come up with arguments such as so and so population was too poor and had to work two jobs and did not have time to attend city/county/state meetings, or were not sufficiently…

>Blaming technology for obviating business models is not a valid complaint.

But where your value proposition is created by code your code defines your business model to a critical extent.

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