|
 |
| | | Author: | mnementh  | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 00:16 | | Subject: | Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 192 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | | Status: | Open | | Vote: | [Yes|No] | |
|
| Please make the necessary improvements to the search functionality to allow for
matching based on generic terms / attributes.
The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
Meanwhile, the exact same search at BrickOwl, returned 26 different friends polybag
sets. Including the one I was looking for. (Link not provided due to forum
rules)
The same search on Amazon returned 3 results, including the one I was looking
for. Adding the word "lego" to the search terms (since amazon is not LEGO specific)
improved the results to 10 polybag sets. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
The same search on eBay returned 237 results, again including the one I was looking
for. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
We might as well just be sending people to these sites, because that is exactly
what is going to happen if they do a search here and do not find what they are
looking for. They are going to go elsewhere and end up buying there because
the search works.
The problem seems to be that BrickLink is using a straight keyword search. So
if "Friends" isn't in the name of the set, and "Polybag" isn't in the
name of the set, it isn't going to find anything.
I propose that the BL search also search through all the attributes of items
as well. Some attributes, such as category, BrickLink already has in the database.
Some attributes, such as "polybag", may need to be added.
Thanks,
Troy
|
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | BRICK_BLUE | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 00:42 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 36 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, mnementh writes:
| | Please make the necessary improvements to the search functionality to allow for
matching based on generic terms / attributes.
The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
Meanwhile, the exact same search at BrickOwl, returned 26 different friends polybag
sets. Including the one I was looking for. (Link not provided due to forum
rules)
The same search on Amazon returned 3 results, including the one I was looking
for. Adding the word "lego" to the search terms (since amazon is not LEGO specific)
improved the results to 10 polybag sets. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
The same search on eBay returned 237 results, again including the one I was looking
for. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
We might as well just be sending people to these sites, because that is exactly
what is going to happen if they do a search here and do not find what they are
looking for. They are going to go elsewhere and end up buying there because
the search works.
The problem seems to be that BrickLink is using a straight keyword search. So
if "Friends" isn't in the name of the set, and "Polybag" isn't in the
name of the set, it isn't going to find anything.
I propose that the BL search also search through all the attributes of items
as well. Some attributes, such as category, BrickLink already has in the database.
Some attributes, such as "polybag", may need to be added.
Thanks,
Troy
|
|
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | BRICK_BLUE | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 00:45 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 36 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| The search capabilities on this website are straight out of 1994.
In Suggestions, mnementh writes:
| | Please make the necessary improvements to the search functionality to allow for
matching based on generic terms / attributes.
The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
Meanwhile, the exact same search at BrickOwl, returned 26 different friends polybag
sets. Including the one I was looking for. (Link not provided due to forum
rules)
The same search on Amazon returned 3 results, including the one I was looking
for. Adding the word "lego" to the search terms (since amazon is not LEGO specific)
improved the results to 10 polybag sets. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
The same search on eBay returned 237 results, again including the one I was looking
for. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
We might as well just be sending people to these sites, because that is exactly
what is going to happen if they do a search here and do not find what they are
looking for. They are going to go elsewhere and end up buying there because
the search works.
The problem seems to be that BrickLink is using a straight keyword search. So
if "Friends" isn't in the name of the set, and "Polybag" isn't in the
name of the set, it isn't going to find anything.
I propose that the BL search also search through all the attributes of items
as well. Some attributes, such as category, BrickLink already has in the database.
Some attributes, such as "polybag", may need to be added.
Thanks,
Troy
|
|
|
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Author: | mnementh | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 00:55 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 42 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, BrandNewBrick writes:
| | The search capabilities on this website are straight out of 1994.
|
2000 to be exact.
What I do not understand is that it DID work better at one time. Not great,
or even good, but better.
At some point Dan changed it so that the default search ONLY searched item descriptions,
and did not search comments added by the seller. I believe this was done to
lessen the load on the server at the time.
I would think that the servers in use now would be powerful enough to handle
it. A return to at least this level of functionality should be easy to implement
and would be a welcome first step.
Troy
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | bb163688 | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 02:23 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 50 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| Troy-
I voted YES! I have wanted this feature for a long time. As an example, for 2
weeks now I have had the new Agents figs for sale, before they even had a category
added to the catalog. I listed them unsorted, then edited them to the minifig
category and submitted. However, if a buyer goes to the website and types in
"Ultra Agents", when it wasn't added yet, the results returned zero. I even
had written in the description the fig names, set numbers they were from and
the Ultra agents title.
I have had the exact same issue come up before when I sell things not in the
catalog yet, or when I am searching for a part or set, but without exact words.
I truly hope they implement this feature.
Melissa
|
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | Jazzabell | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 02:41 | | Subject: | (Cancelled) | | Viewed: | 35 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| | (Cancelled) |
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | atrbricks | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 02:45 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 35 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, mnementh writes:
| | Please make the necessary improvements to the search functionality to allow for
matching based on generic terms / attributes.
The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
Meanwhile, the exact same search at BrickOwl, returned 26 different friends polybag
sets. Including the one I was looking for. (Link not provided due to forum
rules)
The same search on Amazon returned 3 results, including the one I was looking
for. Adding the word "lego" to the search terms (since amazon is not LEGO specific)
improved the results to 10 polybag sets. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
The same search on eBay returned 237 results, again including the one I was looking
for. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
We might as well just be sending people to these sites, because that is exactly
what is going to happen if they do a search here and do not find what they are
looking for. They are going to go elsewhere and end up buying there because
the search works.
The problem seems to be that BrickLink is using a straight keyword search. So
if "Friends" isn't in the name of the set, and "Polybag" isn't in the
name of the set, it isn't going to find anything.
I propose that the BL search also search through all the attributes of items
as well. Some attributes, such as category, BrickLink already has in the database.
Some attributes, such as "polybag", may need to be added.
Thanks,
Troy
|
I did the exact same the other day. I needed to find a set number, but didn't
know the exact name of the set. A search here showed nothing, so I immediately
hopped over to the Owl and had the number in seconds.
They are definitely one up on this site as far as search goes.
Katie
|
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | BLUSER_36530 | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 09:00 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 28 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, mnementh writes:
| | Please make the necessary improvements to the search functionality to allow for
matching based on generic terms / attributes.
The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
Meanwhile, the exact same search at BrickOwl, returned 26 different friends polybag
sets. Including the one I was looking for. (Link not provided due to forum
rules)
The same search on Amazon returned 3 results, including the one I was looking
for. Adding the word "lego" to the search terms (since amazon is not LEGO specific)
improved the results to 10 polybag sets. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
The same search on eBay returned 237 results, again including the one I was looking
for. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
We might as well just be sending people to these sites, because that is exactly
what is going to happen if they do a search here and do not find what they are
looking for. They are going to go elsewhere and end up buying there because
the search works.
The problem seems to be that BrickLink is using a straight keyword search. So
if "Friends" isn't in the name of the set, and "Polybag" isn't in the
name of the set, it isn't going to find anything.
I propose that the BL search also search through all the attributes of items
as well. Some attributes, such as category, BrickLink already has in the database.
Some attributes, such as "polybag", may need to be added.
Thanks,
Troy
|
You got my vote, Cause it is broke.
if you try to search for this set
Putting Emmet or LEGO Movie in the search results in nothing comeing up.
I'm glad you beat me to the punch cause i was gonna suggest this.
If you read this post reply to it so as to keep it Bumpin.
Thanx!
|
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | crazybirdman | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 10:57 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 31 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| Yes, it's gotten to the point where I just search on the other sites first,
them come back here when I have the exact name or number. But will all buyers
do that? Not at all.
|
|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Author: | mnementh | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 11:01 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 60 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, crazybirdman writes:
| | Yes, it's gotten to the point where I just search on the other sites first,
them come back here when I have the exact name or number. But will all buyers
do that? Not at all.
|
For sets, I have been using the search over at Brickset for years to find things
such as this. But in this case even the mighty Brickset let me down.
And I do not like their new interface at all 
Troy
|
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | Author: | Huw | | Posted: | Jun 7, 2014 16:05 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 37 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| | | And I do not like their new interface at all
|
Sorry to hear that, Troy. Do me me know why and I'll see if I can improve
it.
Huw
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | akunthita | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 11:05 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 39 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| Voted a big YES! Yesterday I searched for Unikitty and only got one result, but
I wanted to see all of them (Astro-kitty, Angry-kitty, etc.). Then I searched
for kitty and got the other versions. I also do the same as other's mentioned;
use other websites as my search engine (Brickset, the LEGO wiki, etc.) find the
exact set number then come back here. A shame... search engines are a very basic
functionality of any website, not to speak of a shopping site! As Troy said;
people will just go elsewhere if they can't find what they are looking for
here. This is one of the biggest complaint people have about BL in the larger
community.
In Suggestions, mnementh writes:
| | Please make the necessary improvements to the search functionality to allow for
matching based on generic terms / attributes.
The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
Meanwhile, the exact same search at BrickOwl, returned 26 different friends polybag
sets. Including the one I was looking for. (Link not provided due to forum
rules)
The same search on Amazon returned 3 results, including the one I was looking
for. Adding the word "lego" to the search terms (since amazon is not LEGO specific)
improved the results to 10 polybag sets. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
The same search on eBay returned 237 results, again including the one I was looking
for. (Link not provided due to forum rules)
We might as well just be sending people to these sites, because that is exactly
what is going to happen if they do a search here and do not find what they are
looking for. They are going to go elsewhere and end up buying there because
the search works.
The problem seems to be that BrickLink is using a straight keyword search. So
if "Friends" isn't in the name of the set, and "Polybag" isn't in the
name of the set, it isn't going to find anything.
I propose that the BL search also search through all the attributes of items
as well. Some attributes, such as category, BrickLink already has in the database.
Some attributes, such as "polybag", may need to be added.
Thanks,
Troy
|
|
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | dcarmine | | Posted: | May 31, 2014 17:32 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 40 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| In Suggestions, mnementh writes:
[snip]
| | The situation that I have is that someone asked me a question about a particular
Friends polybag set, but did not provide the set number. So I did a search for
"Friends Polybag":
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=friends%20polybag
As you can see, this returned ZERO hits even though there are a ton of different
Friends Polybag sets.
|
[snip]
I have always hated the BL search. I also wonder how one knows which sets are
polybags, especially when someone advertises in the forum, how can you visit
their store and find just the polybags?
Since the site is now crawled by the bots, I am wondering how a google search
would work to find things on BL?
Donna
|
|
| | | | | |
| | | | | Author: | LastingToysInc | | Posted: | Jun 11, 2014 12:31 | | Subject: | Re: Improve search to allow for generic terms | | Viewed: | 26 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | |
|
| Heck these days a decent sites search engine will even handle spelling mistakes
sometimes! This is a pretty well exact match only and having been on the site
for 10 years or so now, it's always been the hardest to work with the searches.
|
|
|
|
|
USA, Ohio
Poland, w. Mazowieckie
United Kingdom, England
Canada, Ontario