Why dont Pistonheads sort out the classifieds mess?
Discussion
Yeah agree - should be sorted.
What makes the ph classifieds search unique is the way that somebody can click and search for the exact model they want, e.g. E46 M3 or 996 Turbo. When people abuse these categories when posting ads, it really does ruin the search functionality. If we wanted to search by just 911 filtered or by just M3 filtered there are other sites that do the same.
What makes the ph classifieds search unique is the way that somebody can click and search for the exact model they want, e.g. E46 M3 or 996 Turbo. When people abuse these categories when posting ads, it really does ruin the search functionality. If we wanted to search by just 911 filtered or by just M3 filtered there are other sites that do the same.
It does get looked at each time this is flagged up. However it's an evolving situation.
Each car advert that's manually (Dealer or Private) uploaded to the site we ask for the VRM so we can lookup and pre-fill as much data as we can.
For instance the data returned for my Old Cappuccino looks something like this (null data removed) (The newer the car, the more data we'll get back)
So it maps it into that category (but there's still the option at the top of the submit form to change where it is if it it gets mapped wrongly).
However when you move onto Makes and Models with multiple version of a car (911's being a prime example) it gets a lot more complex to map.
Now it get's a bit more interesting.
We can resolve the new 911 because it's got its mk in the name (997). That's easy enough.
However with the older ones there's less and less (and often less accurate) data on each car.
So we can go by year (ie this was made from then till then) but we're often not provided with any variant information so we'd have no way to determine if it was a Turbo, or a Carrea or so on. And what if one model was made at the same time as another and all we've got to go on is the year and that it's a 911...
So if we picked the wrong Category for your car and you didn't notice then it can get submitted to wrong place.
We also receive automated feeds of adverts from some companies that want bulk stock added to the website.
So the above process happens for every car and the mapper makes a best effort to define what car it is and appropriately categorise it using Regex(Regular expressions(a way of pattern matching text)).
We cannot go through every category every day to ensure that the adverts that are there are in the right places (there simply isn't enough time)
However an eagle eyed user that identifies a car in the wrong category can report it (as wrong category) and our classifieds admin will relocate it usually within 24 hours.
We are constantly tweaking the regular expressions for makes and models to get the hit rate up. But especially with feeds of cars there's only a finite amount of data we get back and that is out limit as to how granular we can be with our categorisation.
Now, imagine that we split the pre-89 911 category down into more models (Turbo/Cab/RS/etc), but the automated system doesn't have any more information to go on so it would dump all the one's it cant match into the "other models" category (both feed adverts and User/Dealer uploaded adverts where the user didn't change the category from our recommended category after they entered their VRM) leaving the remaining categories comparatively empty and not returning all the car's that you actually want to find.
The same goes for 3-series cross over years between one model and the next, and so on.
This is just explaining the tech behind the categorisation mapper.
Once a specfic issue is identified we try our best to tweak the settings to see if there's a way to make it map more accurately, but often there just is not enough data to do it.
Ramble over...
Each car advert that's manually (Dealer or Private) uploaded to the site we ask for the VRM so we can lookup and pre-fill as much data as we can.
For instance the data returned for my Old Cappuccino looks something like this (null data removed) (The newer the car, the more data we'll get back)
VRM Lookup for MAZ7690 said:
BodyTypeName :CONVERTIBLE
Colour :RED
CountryOfOrigin :JAPAN
CylinderLayoutTypeName :INLINE
Doors :2
DriveTypeName :2 WHEEL DRIVE
DrivingAxleTypeName :REAR
EditionNameVariant :12V TURBO
EngineLayoutTypeName :FRONT
EnginePower :63
EngineSize :657
EngineTorque :63
FirstRegistered :1994-02-26T00:00:00
FuelAspirationTypeName :TURBO
FuelDeliveryTypeName :NORMAL
FuelTypeName :Petrol
Make :SUZUKI
Manufactured :1994-01-01T00:00:00
Model :CAPPUCCINO
NoCylinders :3
NoGears :5
TopSpeed :90
TotalPreviousKeepers :10
TransmissionTypeName :MANUAL
VRM :MAZ7690
WheelPlanTypeName :2 Axle Rigid Body
VSColour :RED
CountryOfOrigin :JAPAN
CylinderLayoutTypeName :INLINE
Doors :2
DriveTypeName :2 WHEEL DRIVE
DrivingAxleTypeName :REAR
EditionNameVariant :12V TURBO
EngineLayoutTypeName :FRONT
EnginePower :63
EngineSize :657
EngineTorque :63
FirstRegistered :1994-02-26T00:00:00
FuelAspirationTypeName :TURBO
FuelDeliveryTypeName :NORMAL
FuelTypeName :Petrol
Make :SUZUKI
Manufactured :1994-01-01T00:00:00
Model :CAPPUCCINO
NoCylinders :3
NoGears :5
TopSpeed :90
TotalPreviousKeepers :10
TransmissionTypeName :MANUAL
VRM :MAZ7690
WheelPlanTypeName :2 Axle Rigid Body
lookup for my 79' mMG BGT said:
Colour :BLUE
EngineSize :1798
FirstRegistered :1981-07-10T00:00:00
FuelTypeName :Petrol
Make :MG
Manufactured :1979-01-01T00:00:00
Model :B GT
TotalPreviousKeepers :4
VRM :XOK577T
WheelPlanTypeName :2 Axle Rigid Body
Our mapping system looks at the Make first, SUZUKI, that's easy enough, it then looks at the model, CAPPUCCINO, again easy enough in this case.EngineSize :1798
FirstRegistered :1981-07-10T00:00:00
FuelTypeName :Petrol
Make :MG
Manufactured :1979-01-01T00:00:00
Model :B GT
TotalPreviousKeepers :4
VRM :XOK577T
WheelPlanTypeName :2 Axle Rigid Body
So it maps it into that category (but there's still the option at the top of the submit form to change where it is if it it gets mapped wrongly).
However when you move onto Makes and Models with multiple version of a car (911's being a prime example) it gets a lot more complex to map.
1975 911 2.7 RS said:
Make :PORSCHE
Manufactured :1975-01-01T00:00:00
Model :911
Manufactured :1975-01-01T00:00:00
Model :911
1979 911 3.3 Tubro RS said:
Make :PORSCHE
Manufactured :1979-01-01T00:00:00
Model :911
Manufactured :1979-01-01T00:00:00
Model :911
2011 911 997 said:
Make :PORSCHE
Manufactured :2011-01-01T00:00:00
Model :911 (997 GEN II)
These are 3 911's I found at random.Manufactured :2011-01-01T00:00:00
Model :911 (997 GEN II)
Now it get's a bit more interesting.
We can resolve the new 911 because it's got its mk in the name (997). That's easy enough.
However with the older ones there's less and less (and often less accurate) data on each car.
So we can go by year (ie this was made from then till then) but we're often not provided with any variant information so we'd have no way to determine if it was a Turbo, or a Carrea or so on. And what if one model was made at the same time as another and all we've got to go on is the year and that it's a 911...
So if we picked the wrong Category for your car and you didn't notice then it can get submitted to wrong place.
We also receive automated feeds of adverts from some companies that want bulk stock added to the website.
So the above process happens for every car and the mapper makes a best effort to define what car it is and appropriately categorise it using Regex(Regular expressions(a way of pattern matching text)).
We cannot go through every category every day to ensure that the adverts that are there are in the right places (there simply isn't enough time)
However an eagle eyed user that identifies a car in the wrong category can report it (as wrong category) and our classifieds admin will relocate it usually within 24 hours.
We are constantly tweaking the regular expressions for makes and models to get the hit rate up. But especially with feeds of cars there's only a finite amount of data we get back and that is out limit as to how granular we can be with our categorisation.
Now, imagine that we split the pre-89 911 category down into more models (Turbo/Cab/RS/etc), but the automated system doesn't have any more information to go on so it would dump all the one's it cant match into the "other models" category (both feed adverts and User/Dealer uploaded adverts where the user didn't change the category from our recommended category after they entered their VRM) leaving the remaining categories comparatively empty and not returning all the car's that you actually want to find.
The same goes for 3-series cross over years between one model and the next, and so on.
This is just explaining the tech behind the categorisation mapper.
Once a specfic issue is identified we try our best to tweak the settings to see if there's a way to make it map more accurately, but often there just is not enough data to do it.
Ramble over...
tjlazer said:
Mobile classifieds don't work either - click on bmw as a group get nothing? End up having to click through each sub class...didn't used to have to do this?
The current mobile classifieds is a stop-gap while we finish a new very shiny mobile version which faithfully replicates the functionality of the full site is coming soon.
kwit that keeps posting number plates for sale in loads of sections! You could try the google approach and look at the data you have that's accurate and try to have a 2nd guess based on it.
Price and
Mileage and
Model year
Make and maybe
Colour and maybe
Manual vs automatic
etc
Might help with a very good guess. when compared to current and previous ads that are likely to be correct. I.e ones put up my PH members. You could also use 3rd party price data to try and do this for newer cars.
Maybe too much effort ...
Price and
Mileage and
Model year
Make and maybe
Colour and maybe
Manual vs automatic
etc
Might help with a very good guess. when compared to current and previous ads that are likely to be correct. I.e ones put up my PH members. You could also use 3rd party price data to try and do this for newer cars.
Maybe too much effort ...
Pistonheads classifieds make Autotrader look slick. Sometimes i search for say a Focus ST within 25miles of my postcode and nothing comes up. Widen search to nationwide and still nothing! Have given up completely looking for cars via PH and will now never use PH to advertise my cars either. There was nothing wrong with the old classifieds and the current ones are terrible. Well done.
150bhp said:
Pistonheads classifieds make Autotrader look slick. Sometimes i search for say a Focus ST within 25miles of my postcode and nothing comes up. Widen search to nationwide and still nothing! Have given up completely looking for cars via PH and will now never use PH to advertise my cars either. There was nothing wrong with the old classifieds and the current ones are terrible. Well done.
What's your postcode? First three letters are fine. I've just searched for the ST with about half a dozen different postcodes nationwide and got results from every one. 
Postcode G69. I can search for any type of make/model within 25miles and nothing turns up. Extend that to nationwide and still nothing. Can then come out and go back in again to classifieds and search again for same make/model and joy of joys it actually finds several cars within the distance Ive specified. It shouldn't be so notchy/frustrating/annoying to search for a car on a dedicated motoring website. What was wrong with the old classifieds?
150bhp said:
Pistonheads classifieds make Autotrader look slick. Sometimes i search for say a Focus ST within 25miles of my postcode and nothing comes up. Widen search to nationwide and still nothing! Have given up completely looking for cars via PH and will now never use PH to advertise my cars either. There was nothing wrong with the old classifieds and the current ones are terrible. Well done.
This is what I get when I search for Focus ST' http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds?Cat... Also the old classifieds were broken. Remember when the forum became very slow? Well, that was due to the classifieds being broken.150bhp said:
Its just a bit annoying 
I'm not trying to imply that you're wrong. It's just that we may have a bug. Right. This is what I see with your postcode and Focus ST.
Do you see any results with this link?
If you don't, what browser are you using?
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