TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri May 06, 2016 12:41 pm

Chris Vallone posted on the VVWCA Facebook page today about some suggestions to improve the site, especially the classified section. Everett asked that a thread be started to address concerns.

Quote: To my Vdub Folks out there who frequent thesamba.com , I want to get a petition going and present it to Everett that the site needs a total upgrade! It is stuck in the Windows 98 era, it is flooded with ads showing VW prices ALL over the place, and not to mention a bunch of SCAM ads. It is a popular site, and too many people use that site to dictate the market, and it is WAY off in many respects. I think many of the car ads should be in an auction format, the market will dictate what the car is worth. More cars sell on eBay motors than on thesamba, because it comes down to reality. I have been doing this for years this business, I search so many sites on a daily basis in the Vdub world. Thesamba is a great resource for historical info and that hard to find part, but the classified car ad section and the site itself needs an overhaul. Your thoughts?

This is Everett's response
Quote: Feel free to start a thread in the "Site" Forum on the site and I will address any suggestions people have - this is the area for web Site feedback. I will address a couple things you said - #1 - I can't control prices or what people ask for cars or parts. #2 Scam ads - If you see a scam ad, YOU need to report it. Hit report in the ad and pick "Scam ad." I do the best I can and in fact there are scam ads that never appear on the site due to automation I wrote (7-10 in the past couple days alone) to catch them but I'm one person. If 1,000 people are looking it's easier to get them removed quicker.

One of my personal suggestions would be to have a more easily navigable classified section when using a phone. The drop down menus often close before a selection is made.

Fri May 06, 2016 1:06 pm

he was bitching about the prices here...and "he's in the industry and knows the "real" price"

sounds to me that he's a little bitter. I see no reason to change anything.

let me hit up vallone and tell him how to run his bizz

Fri May 06, 2016 1:27 pm

I love the site. Leave it as is. It is simple and gets the job done. For those wanting a mobile version, there may be ways to do that with CSS or HTML5. I am sure there may be ways to do it as an app as well. If anyone has that skillset and if Everett is willing to look into it, maybe someone can step up and volunteer to help build it. If there is any compensation to be had (ad revenue, etc.) work something out with Everett.

Fri May 06, 2016 5:10 pm

Note:
I added Mr. Vallone's text to the first post of this thread as it might have been confusing to read my response without seeing the original text.

I have no intention to add auctions.

Other suggestions are welcome.

Fri May 06, 2016 5:28 pm

I'm not impressed with Chris's thoughts what-so-ever.. If he doesn't like the format in the classifieds, DON'T USE IT.. I see nothing wrong with it.

We should start a thread about the hackery he does in his how to videos. That would be beneficial.

Fri May 06, 2016 5:31 pm

If you want an auction... put it on eBay and post an ad with a link.

Fri May 06, 2016 5:54 pm

i am pretty happy with the site, use it more for the forums than anything. I say leave it alone. I would like a good mobile version. I do travel a good bit, just with my phone, so that would help me out.

Fri May 06, 2016 11:01 pm

The site is ok as ist is. It dont need a modern touch!
Seller's are responsible for the asked prices - not Everett and not thesamba.com
It doesnt matter to me, if cars sell better on ebay motors. Other peoples and companys are responsible for ridiculous split bus prices. Remind the Barret T1 auction for 160.000$...?
I'm into vw's since 25 years, using this site since 2004. I'm absolutely ok with it! Not everything need's a new look, more functions, less this or that.
if you ask 10 people for changing's, you'll probably get 10 different answers!

If i'll ever get unhappy with this site, i'll avoid it. But there is no reason for me to do it at the moment!
My 2 cents.

Kind regards,
Mario - T3HQ / germany

Sat May 07, 2016 6:55 am

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: he was bitching about the prices here...and "he's in the industry and knows the "real" price"

sounds to me that he's a little bitter. I see no reason to change anything.

let me hit up vallone and tell him how to run his bizz

Sat May 07, 2016 7:24 am

wcfvw69 wrote:
We should start a thread about the hackery he does in his how to videos. That would be beneficial.

agreed.

Sat May 07, 2016 7:34 am

I have been selling on The Samba since 2003, thanks to Everett for this great job, its a perfet site as is.

Wed May 11, 2016 6:53 am

I'd like to have more functionality from the Control Panel.

Be able to select what Technical & classified forums/sections show up in my view (like, I rarely ever look at the Thing, watercooled, vanagon, etc... forums/classifieds)
Have a button called "your content" that would show all forums/sections with a checkbox.
User could select/deselect what forums appear when they log in.... keep the view tidy & relevant to each user.

Another suggestion...
Be able to select number of posts shown per page.
Some people like to click to the next page, some like a long & uninterrupted read. This may cause legacy problems, because there are references like "see page 53".... and it would lose meaning if off 'default'. This could only be totally overcome if post number were provided... and outstanding "page #" references were resolved to post numbers.... or there was just the understanding that page references correspond to "default" posts per page setting.

Wed May 11, 2016 7:15 am

Whoa... I really like Easy's suggestions above. ^^^

In regards to how the site looks, meh I like that this site looks old school. I think it keeps more randoms/short timers out as opposed to a fancy flashy new one.

Three suggestions for the classifieds:

Always hide want adds unless you select it - The volume of buyers vastly outnumbers the sellers. Sellers should be the ones who have to select to view.

Always "new adds on top" - I'm tired of seeing overpriced random bits refreshed to the top of the page. It's fine that they want to keep rolling it over, but I don't want to see it every week bounced back up.

On the iPhone, there is a bug in the "wheel" selections in the classifieds search that will select out or double select a section when checked after it closes (if that makes sense). No big deal.

Wed May 11, 2016 8:20 am

Also, if under the "Members" part of Profile... Have a list of "people you follow"... kind of the opposite of the "ignore list." The "buddylist" serves a different purpose.

There's some users that consistently usher gold through the keyboard (whether humorous or technical).

We'd get a notification when they posted. Kinda like subscribing to a thread... but a user. That might get annoying... maybe some other grouping of their posts would appear if you clicked on something... kinda like the results if you searched for "all posts by user" results & it just showed the 6 most recent paraphrased items.

Wed May 11, 2016 11:07 am

I would like to have an easier way to get to the topics I started from the homepage. As it is I have to click my watched threads or go to my profile to get to them. Watched threads show me other people's threads that I have to wade through to find my own and topics I started under 'my profile view' is too many page loads to get to them.

Wed May 11, 2016 11:15 am

tootype2crazy wrote: I would like to have an easier way to get to the topics I started from the homepage. As it is I have to click my watched threads or go to my profile to get to them. Watched threads show me other people's threads that I have to wade through to find my own and topics I started under 'my profile view' is too many page loads to get to them.

Would this do it for you?

Thu May 12, 2016 9:38 am

easy e wrote: tootype2crazy wrote: I would like to have an easier way to get to the topics I started from the homepage. As it is I have to click my watched threads or go to my profile to get to them. Watched threads show me other people's threads that I have to wade through to find my own and topics I started under 'my profile view' is too many page loads to get to them.

Would this do it for you?

Yeah something like that would be nice.

Sun May 15, 2016 9:02 am

easy e wrote: I'd like to have more functionality from the Control Panel.

Be able to select what Technical & classified forums/sections show up in my view (like, I rarely ever look at the Thing, watercooled, vanagon, etc... forums/classifieds)
Have a button called "your content" that would show all forums/sections with a checkbox.
User could select/deselect what forums appear when they log in.... keep the view tidy & relevant to each user.

Another suggestion...
Be able to select number of posts shown per page.
Some people like to click to the next page, some like a long & uninterrupted read. This may cause legacy problems, because there are references like "see page 53".... and it would lose meaning if off 'default'. This could only be totally overcome if post number were provided... and outstanding "page #" references were resolved to post numbers.... or there was just the understanding that page references correspond to "default" posts per page setting.

User hideable forum sections:
I don't think this is needed as there are not so many areas that it's difficult to navigate.
I suspect people have direct links to areas they visit most frequently.
I know I do. I have a folder in my browser with all my favorite Samba links and I open everything in that folder all at once and go through it.
It includes my favorite forum sections.

Posts per page:
This would cause an issue and I won't be changing it.
At one point I changed the default from 20 to 25 per page and I immediately noticed it messed up all the things that you describe.
I switched it back very quickly.

Sun May 15, 2016 9:08 am

Malokin Martin wrote: Three suggestions for the classifieds:

Always hide want adds unless you select it - The volume of buyers vastly outnumbers the sellers. Sellers should be the ones who have to select to view.

Always "new adds on top" - I'm tired of seeing overpriced random bits refreshed to the top of the page. It's fine that they want to keep rolling it over, but I don't want to see it every week bounced back up.

On the iPhone, there is a bug in the "wheel" selections in the classifieds search that will select out or double select a section when checked after it closes (if that makes sense). No big deal.

Hiding wanted ads by default - This is possible but could cause some issues with how the pages work as they might just be hidden from view. Is the problem all the people with vehicle wanted ads or all wanted ads?
I don't mind seeing parts wanted ads myself in case I can help someone but vehicle wanted ads I don't really care about unless I have a vehicle to sell.

Always see New ads on top by default - This is possible too.

iPhone - I don't know what you mean but I think this is an iPhone issue.
It's probably best to ask this in it's own thread or research it online.

Sun May 15, 2016 9:08 am

tootype2crazy wrote: easy e wrote: tootype2crazy wrote: I would like to have an easier way to get to the topics I started from the homepage. As it is I have to click my watched threads or go to my profile to get to them. Watched threads show me other people's threads that I have to wade through to find my own and topics I started under 'my profile view' is too many page loads to get to them.

Would this do it for you?

Yeah something like that would be nice.

This is a good idea and it is done. It's "My Topics" though as the site uses the term "Topics".