New RC 1.20 (7) changes Places search

The blog post just states that the places search will be HTML based now. The blog doesn't say if it will still be sorted by traffic or if it will return the same results as the new All search. Does anybody have any details yet? From the looks of the blog comments, it may be a while before anyone can get the new RC to actually run.

Yeah, that stuff is already in the beta (which can run on Agni too). It's the places pulldown from the "new" All search with a new front page. In the beta, groups search is moved to that too, haven't fired up the new RC yet.

The blog states that the Groups page has changed too, but I'm not really interested in that one nearly as much as I am the Places page. The Popular Places page has also reportedly been replaced by Showcase in the RC viewer now too.

Yeah, looking at the release notes it's pretty much the same feature set as the beta. People and classifieds are still using their old searches, but the old All tab is gone now. My current forum avatar is the new Ruth, so if you see a bunch of clouds following you, you aren't being griefed =)

FWIW, i kind of like the Showcase thing, but it needs updating. I noticed that the link in there to Grendel's Children was wrong, and CSI is still listed, for two examples I noticed.

That's too bad about the Grendel's Children mistake. Hopefully somebody with connections over there will see this and get them to make a landing point where the showcase sends people to redirect people to the right location. When I was there last week, they were in the process of some pretty major renovations.

Oh this is just wonderful...

I have not been able to use the all search because of their crappy version of a browser. I still can't. And now, the only search I use with any regularity is also off limits to me - places. I can't scroll, can't CLICK things for pete's sake.

What was wrong with the old search? I LIKED IT!!!! I hate the all search in general, and am unable to use anyway. I preferred being able to choose the HTML or old, and now I can't. Thanks, LL!

So much for all the discussions with the residents and all that LL Traffic Reform hoopla. 3 or 4 poorly organized free for all discussions, then no feedback, then delete it all and give the public something that completely doesn't work for many people.

OMG! Me neither! Can't scroll! On the new "All" Search!

Started off that way, stayed that way the longest time, then fixed itself about a month, and now is back to can't scroll!

I'm SCREWED.

coco

Apparently they are ratification meetings.

To ratify what they have already decided to do. Ratification = "excellent feedback."

coco

Fixed itself for me for about a day..now it's back to no scrolling, and if I click a link it never loads. Ever. I've tested this. clicked one and waited about 10 minutes before giving up.

Someone did post the tric that if you scroll (But you cant see it scroll) and then hit th back button, and then forward, it will be scrolled down, and that works, but it doesn't help me since I can't get to the fricking links anyway.

Jeska did actually point out that's what they were going to do with Places. I also pointed out that that scrolling bug really would need fixing *before* that. It's so good to know that they listen to us .

http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-5769 btw, or if you feel daring, change it to Showstopper (but don't, it doesn't really qualify as one in LL's definition, even content loss bugs don't warrant a showstopper label ).

Not that it'll do any good, but at least I got to vent .

Revert to non-HTML search for Search / Places
http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-7335

Correction: she said that only the landing page would be an html page, but that nothing else would change. They've changed their mind about it.

Just to chime in: The HTML search is nearly useless.

10 results per page! Ridiculous.

The blurb return is nearly gibberish (the blurb being
the small amount of text that appears under each
result entry).

Showcase? That would be fine if they kept Places.

Who makes these decisions?

I often extol the benefits of using Search to new folks.

But honestly, I won't be able to do that anymore if
the current Search in RC7 goes production.

I would be very happy if they could keep the All (old) Search tab.

And if wishes were horses...

- Infrared

HTML page = new search
but nothing else will change = the places tab isn't going away

She said specifically that the "landing page" would change to html, and that nothing else in the Places tab would change. From that, I understood that the traffic rankings would be the same, and only the landing page would be different.

When I asked her if they are on track for converting the Places tab to the new search results, as it says in the wiki, this is what she said:-

Jeska Linden: It says that the tab itself will be converted to html-based landing page. (or it should)
Jeska Linden: Phil - which doesn't change anything except the page that you 'land' on (which is currently empty)

She was quite clear about that.

I'm mixing that meeting up with one of her office hours months ago then .

She did talk about replacing Places with the new search then, I remember since I argued about diminished usuability back then already.

So she did say it in *a* meeting, just not that one, and just shows they planned it all months ago and we were just given a courtesy vent meeting .

Personally, I am GLAD to see them roll out the same search as on ALL tab to the places tab. I run a smal niche store....under my niche keword, I come up between 8 and 10 (as of last night) on page 1 and bottom of page 2/top of 3 on the second, less-busy store. That's in the top 30-40. On the old search, page 5, behind bars, clubs and dark future RP sims that all keyword loaded andhad high traffic...and NOTHING to do with the keyword they stuck in. Like 500 or more down.

Seems the new search, once you tweak it a bit (I was on page 5 & 6 on ALL when it first rolled out, then I changed my descriptions of plots, etc.), weights more heavily on actual relevance to the search term than just 'OH! It matches the term and has high traffic! Top of the list!' of the old one.

I am SURE some of the dark future RP sims and sex clubs are gonna be upset they aren't in the top 10 for a search on the keyword 'steampunk' like they used to be, but tough shit...but perhaps if they actually had CONTENT to match the keywords they abused, it'd be a different story. I have no real sympathy for the traffic cheats, and its NICE to have relevant search returns for a change.

Sooooo will this be the end of traffic bots?

So premium Pick-Bots will be the new wave?

It did say it in the wiki - or at least it seemed to say it - but the meeting in which she said that only the landing page will change was just a few weeks ago - we were both there.

I know what she said at the meeting, but I just took it as a confirmation of what was said at her office hour in January (keep Places but convert it to the new search) which is exactly how it turned out.

It looks like they've changed their minds about it more than once.