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| krus54 |
Original Post: Dec 31 '07, 11:07 am |
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Reviews written: 132 Member since: Dec 20 '99
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Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Excuse me if this is a dumb question, but I went to write some reviews of cat food so I performed a search on the specific types. A very long list came up. On a good number of the search results the product box had a "Write a Review" link while many (naturally the ones I wanted to review) were listed but no link to write a review.
Why would all these products be listed, but not the opportunity to write a review?
Now another question. A while back I wrote a review on Schwans in the online stores area. If was a consumer and came to Epinions to see if there were any reviews on Schwans before writing and did a search... NOTHING comes up with the search term "Schwans" Anyone know WHY this won't come up?
Dave |
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| KMINER |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 11:15 am |
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Reviews written: 982 Member since: Jan 17 '00
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54 Excuse me if this is a dumb question, but I went to write some reviews of cat food so I performed a search on the specific types. A very long list came up. On a good number of the search results the product box had a "Write a Review" link while many (naturally the ones I wanted to review) were listed but no link to write a review.
Why would all these products be listed, but not the opportunity to write a review?
Dave
Hi, I asked that too a while back. I don't recall there being an answer yet :)
Kimm |
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| uglybugg |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 11:18 am |
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Reviews written: 268 Member since: Sep 20 '00
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54 Excuse me if this is a dumb question, but I went to write some reviews of cat food so I performed a search on the specific types. A very long list came up. On a good number of the search results the product box had a "Write a Review" link while many (naturally the ones I wanted to review) were listed but no link to write a review.
Why would all these products be listed, but not the opportunity to write a review?
Now another question. A while back I wrote a review on Schwans in the online stores area. If was a consumer and came to Epinions to see if there were any reviews on Schwans before writing and did a search... NOTHING comes up with the search term "Schwans" Anyone know WHY this won't come up?
Dave
I recall seeing Schwan's in there in the past so I searched and found it. I entered Schwan's (with the apostrophe) and then the link that says to broaden the search to all categories and it's there down at the bottom third of the page.
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| rcjones |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 11:20 am |
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Reviews written: 56 Member since: Nov 26 '05
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54
Now another question. A while back I wrote a review on Schwans in the online stores area. If was a consumer and came to Epinions to see if there were any reviews on Schwans before writing and did a search... NOTHING comes up with the search term "Schwans" Anyone know WHY this won't come up?
Dave
Use the drop box, online stores and services, then enter your search topic.
Schwans = http://www.epinions.com/search/?submitted_form=searchbar&search_string=Schwans&tax_name=&dyn_nav=0&dyn_nav_id=&search_vertical=6205&searchbar_submit=Search
RC
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| krus54 |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 11:36 am (Updated: Dec 31 '07, 11:36 am) |
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Reviews written: 132 Member since: Dec 20 '99
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: rcjones Use the drop box, online stores and services, then enter your search topic.
Schwans = http://www.epinions.com/search/?submitted_form=searchbar&search_string=Schwans&tax_name=&dyn_nav=0&dyn_nav_id=&search_vertical=6205&searchbar_submit=Search
RC
But that's fine for people who KNOW Epinions. For the majority of people who come here but don't know their way around the site and want to do a quick lookup... if you type in "Schwan's" in the home page search box you get:
We found no matches for "schwan%27s" in Food and Drink.
Please try a different search or broaden to all categories.
I had already searched all categories from the home page. It should be easier for the average person to do a lookup.
Also, any ideas on the first question in my post? :-( |
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| popsrocks |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 11:47 am (Updated: Dec 31 '07, 11:50 am) |
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Reviews written: 2011 Member since: Aug 25 '02
 in Gourmet, Restaurants |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54 Excuse me if this is a dumb question, but I went to write some reviews of cat food so I performed a search on the specific types. A very long list came up. On a good number of the search results the product box had a "Write a Review" link while many (naturally the ones I wanted to review) were listed but no link to write a review.
Why would all these products be listed, but not the opportunity to write a review?
Dave
Hey Dave,
It seems when the we went to using the Shopping catalog many items came over that way. There are also many duplicates and sometimes you will find one not reviewable and another that can be, so deeper search is important and not everyone has the know how or the patience to do so.
I understand that frustration of seeing the product and yet now being able to review it. I have run into this many times.
I know you were once directed to the thread that talked about many of the issues of the change. We received some answers there and some are not yet clarified, or at least I didn't capture them.
Another frustration we talked about was seeing something that could be reviewed and seeing the "No longer available" posted next to it. I continue to write when I see these in hopes that the product will someday be available. I happen to be writing a review of a car battery charger right now that has two listings. One with a proper photo and a source to purchase it. That one does not allow a review. I have another listing that has no picture and the words, "No longer available" and I can write a review on the very same product there.
Epinions management understands the frustration we are going through and has stated they are working on it as well as bringing reviewed items to the top. That will be excellent when done!
Though I have been frustrated, as many others have been recently, I am also quite happy at seeing so many products that I could not previously review. It's interesting that I have found many products in my home that I once tried to find in the search to no avail. Now they are there.
I'm taking the good with the bad with high hopes that the latter is slowly being worked out.
pops
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| scmrak |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 11:52 am |
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Reviews written: 1294 Member since: Sep 27 '00
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54 Also, any ideas on the first question in my post? The database now in use (ever since Black Tuesday, October 28th) is the Shopping.com database instead of the now phased-out Epinions database. The swap entailed the creation of, by conservative estimate, a gazillion new items for EPs researchers that were already in SdC's database. The act, however, of "smooshing" the SdC database on top of the Epinions structure has resulted in myriad (actually megamyriad) mismatches. That's why so many items seem to be "filed" in the wrong place. That's why so many products that are still found on shelves are labeled "no longer available." That's why about half the people around here are madly writing reviews of products once considered "frivolous" and the other half are stewing about why their old reviews aren't getting any hits.
Many products that were in SdC's database but not EPs's database before the catalog swap were not reviewable then - most of them still are not.
The answer that has been given officially is that the database is in "lockdown" until after the holidays so that the real customers - people using the price-comparison features - are not discomfitted by database changes. We're told that after the holidays, the database will be unlocked and SdC/Eps staff will begin working on repairs.
HTH
-30-
rex
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| krus54 |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 12:37 pm |
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Reviews written: 132 Member since: Dec 20 '99
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: popsrocks
Another frustration we talked about was seeing something that could be reviewed and seeing the "No longer available" posted next to it. I continue to write when I see these in hopes that the product will someday be available. I happen to be writing a review of a car battery charger right now that has two listings. One with a proper photo and a source to purchase it. That one does not allow a review. I have another listing that has no picture and the words, "No longer available" and I can write a review on the very same product there.
pops
Phil!
Whoa! I just finished writing three reviews for products that say "No Longer Available" but they ARE available. These are items I regularly order from Schwan's (I just found that we can review individual items rather than just the online store). So will I get credit for the 10 4 10 if I get the rest of reviews in before midnight PST tonight on products that say "No Longer Available" (even though they ARE available)? Why would products that are currently being sold have that written by them?
Dave |
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| roheblius |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 12:44 pm |
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Reviews written: 593 Member since: Dec 13 '99
in Music |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54 Phil!
Whoa! I just finished writing three reviews for products that say "No Longer Available" but they ARE available. These are items I regularly order from Schwan's (I just found that we can review individual items rather than just the online store). So will I get credit for the 10 4 10 if I get the rest of reviews in before midnight PST tonight on products that say "No Longer Available" (even though they ARE available)? Why would products that are currently being sold have that written by them?
Dave
You will get credit for every product review you've written that has at least been rated SH.
There are also some listings that aren't "products" and are "deals" instead. You can't write reviews on "deals", and the goal is to dial down the "deals" in the search listings and try to show the products (which you can write reviews on) before them.
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| Andyman |
Posted: Dec 31 '07, 2:41 pm |
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Reviews written: 131 Member since: Sep 29 '99
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: krus54 Excuse me if this is a dumb question, but I went to write some reviews of cat food so I performed a search on the specific types. A very long list came up. On a good number of the search results the product box had a "Write a Review" link while many (naturally the ones I wanted to review) were listed but no link to write a review.
Why would all these products be listed, but not the opportunity to write a review?
Great question. A simple way to understand the answer is to take a look at our parent site, shopping.com. Shopping.com shows all kinds of products available from thousands of online stores. They literally suck up the inventory of all these web stores and organize it for you. Where possible, if more than one store is selling the same product, they consolidate it all into one listing. This is what we call a 'product' in the formal sense.
However, there are a lot of things for sale that Shopping.com cannot find any matches for anywhere else. If only one store is selling the item, then instead of consolidating it as a "product" listing, Shopping.com simply displays that store's price for the item, and links you directly there. Since they can't add much more, like price comparison, the best thing to do is send you straight on to the store with a direct link. Those links are what we call "deals." As you browse around different categories you will see products and deals.
As our parent company, Shopping.com is also the provider of our product catalog, or the database of products you see on Epinions that you can review. We inherit their products, their search engine, and a lot of back-end technology directly from them, including this.
The problem with "deals" is that there are lots of them and they come and go daily. In some categories, like Flowers and Clothing, it's impossible to say if two stores are really selling the same exact item. Is one L-size white tee shirt the same as another? Should we show them as one product? Probably not. And if we allow you to review those loose, individual deals, there's a good chance your review will simply disappear once that online store stops selling the item.
To keep members from investing work in reviews they will most likely lose very quickly, we simply don't show the "write a review" link on deals. We can still show online pricing, a description, and an image for deals, so we do. And we link you to the store where you can find out more. Epinions has offered price comparison features for a long time and that's what this fits under. I realize that it is frustrating not to be able to write a review of everything. And if you consider Epinions' only feature to be the reviews, then it makes less sense to show these items. However, as a Shopping.com company, we offer comparison shopping as well.
I agree it's not a snug fit for Epinions, but this is the backstory and explanation of how this works. |
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| krus54 |
Posted: Jan 03 '08, 2:04 pm |
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Reviews written: 132 Member since: Dec 20 '99
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Andy,
Thanks for the great explanation!!
Dave |
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| meagandowney |
Posted: Mar 15 '08, 8:33 pm (Updated: Mar 15 '08, 8:34 pm) |
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Reviews written: 356 Member since: Sep 11 '05
in Books |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: Andyman . . .there are a lot of things for sale that Shopping.com cannot find any matches for anywhere else. If only one store is selling the item, then instead of consolidating it as a "product" listing, Shopping.com simply displays that store's price for the item, and links you directly there. Since they can't add much more, like price comparison, the best thing to do is send you straight on to the store with a direct link. Those links are what we call "deals." As you browse around different categories you will see products and deals.
Does it make sense for the site if I SAP deals? There are a lot of deals that are actually hot products and I would think it would make sense to have the review feature available, but it doesn't make much sense to request duplicate listings. What would you prefer?
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| roheblius |
Posted: Mar 15 '08, 11:33 pm |
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Reviews written: 593 Member since: Dec 13 '99
in Music |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: meagandowney Does it make sense for the site if I SAP deals? There are a lot of deals that are actually hot products and I would think it would make sense to have the review feature available, but it doesn't make much sense to request duplicate listings. What would you prefer?
It wouldn't be a duplicate product since a deal is not a product. I'd say go for it.
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| meagandowney |
Posted: Mar 16 '08, 5:42 am |
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Reviews written: 356 Member since: Sep 11 '05
in Books |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Thank you. They probably aren't that hot, but if I own them that makes them hot to me. |
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| meagandowney |
Posted: Apr 04 '08, 7:45 am |
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Reviews written: 356 Member since: Sep 11 '05
in Books |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: meagandowney Thank you. They probably aren't that hot, but if I own them that makes them hot to me.
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| rudixeno |
Posted: Apr 21 '08, 1:54 pm |
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Reviews written: 174 Member since: Nov 14 '05
in Home & Garden |
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RE: Questions on Search Tool and Epinions DB
Quote: meagandowney Thank you. They probably aren't that hot, but if I own them that makes them hot to me.
If you own them, chances are someone else does too. Further there is probably someone else who'd like your opinion on whether or not they should own one too. Go for it!
Rudi
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