How to kill your business without really trying

Well you'll keep us all posted here, hopefully, Phil. Here's hoping things get ironed out.

Honestly, though, I'm assuming that the "UUID" of the parcel is its primary key in the databases. Each primary key is by necessity unique and is created by combining several variables in the parcel's tables and other secondary keys from other tables. From Kitty's description, which makes complete sense, I'm assuming that parcel size and dimension are part of the defining variables in a parcel's primary key, along with name, date purchased, owner's UUID, etc. I would think it would be a fairly simple "if-then" UUID look-up replacement in the databases. ("If this UUID changes, then look for all old instances of the UUID and replace them with new instances of the UUID."

I think that what we're hoping to see in the next few days is that the SL databases do indeed follow this procedure. If they do, then it's probably going to take a few days to complete an entire search and replace... the mind boggles... If they don't, then yeah, this issue needs a JIRA.

I'll certainly keep this thread informed about what transpires.

What Kitty brought up was basically that the previous html page for the original parcel was deleted and a new page was created for the new parcel, and that's why it's standing alone without inbound links. The existing links from people's profile pages (picks) point to a non-existant page now. It initially came back at #2 while the old page was still indexed, but dropped to ~#40 when the fresh crawl data was switched to.

We're hoping that they've taken this possibility into account, and retained some suitable data to make the associations between the existing picks and the new page, but I have to say that I'm doubtful. Which of 2 joined parcels is the primary one, for instance - and I actually joined 3. It could largely be done by text comparisons, but I doubt that they've incorporated anything like that into the system. It could be planned for by keeping a record of links to a page, but that won't be part of the Google system, and would have to have been written by LL. Again I'm doubtful. The number of SL profile pages is small enough to actually search them for Picks links to a specific page though. If they'd thought it was worthwhile, they would have kept some data about the now defunct page. I'm still doubtful. Judging by the "No Parcel" phrase in the existing Picks, I'm very doubtful that anything will change without me doing something, but we'll see.

A UUID is a universal unique ID number and, if that's what they use, then it doesn't contain any information.

Right. It's just a primary key used to identify the database entry. It doesn't contain any inherent or usable information in and of itself, unless you're going to use that key to help define another entry in another table.

For example, you might have a database of contacts, their addresses, the companies that they work for, and all the training classes that they've taken. Each one of those things that I mentioned would be a separate table. For example, the Address table would contain fields for address, city, state, country, postal code, etc. To connect this address table to a specific client, you'd use that client's primary key, which could be a randomly generated number based on his last name, first name, middle initial, and start date of his employment. That Primary Key is associated with that and only that customer. You can then hook that primary key to any other records that you might want to associate with that person. It's useful for connecting records within a database but doesn't actually contain any information. It's like your driver's license number; that's your primary key, and the state can use it to connect with the primary key of your car, which is its license plate.

Well, there is also a method to the madness of joining - the last block checked will determine what the name of the parcel is, I believe. So if you joined the new parcel incorrectly, you gave up the inherent properties of the old parcel. It may need testing, but it could be that you simply did not join the parcels in the right order.

So what is the right order? Do you click on the new parcel first, and drag across the property line into the old parcel, and join, or do you do it the other way around?

Thanks

damn, sorry to hear phil, we knew the search was pretty much a ......... but this beats that

I just redid some of my picks, and got the "no parcel" description too. What does that mean, exactly, and why do you get it? Each parcel involved has a name. Will it eventually list the correct parcel name, or will it stay "no parcel' until I do something else?

Thanks,

whenever i have broken up/joined land, i noticed that you have to join the new stuff up with the original (preferred) parcel being chosen last in order to retain the information.

Phil, I hope this works out by tomorrow.

If I put my parcel in the picks (links) of another avatar, that pick counts in my search listing? What if I add the same link 10 times to my profile? Does that help my ratings? Does my avatar have to be online in order for this pick to be counted continuously?

Ahh Phil, I'm very sorry for you. Especially because you of all people gave so much insight in the new search. Let's hope things pick up for you very very soon.

I wonder though. In about a week I'll get my first own sim (now I have land on a private island). My sales are great at the moment on my current land and my search listings are pretty good for my main keywords. What would be the best course of action, regarding search, to maintain my search listings on the new sim? I'll be using the same land names and descriptions as I have now, so in fact nothing changes except the landmark.

Does this have anything to do with your issue regarding joining land?

Phil, I to am very sorry you are having this trouble You are always so patient and full of excellent advice for others.. I have to say I did wonder where you had gone but figured you had a plan! This just sucks.

When I am inworld later I will come and update my pick, I am not sure if this will make any difference at all, but could you send out an SOS to your group and ask them to update their picks? Would it speed the process up for you?

I really hope this sorts itself for you and soon.

In your initial post Phil you say Concierge Support knows nothing about search. I suspect what they know is a policy that they are not allowed to discuss what they know to prevent people using the feedback to work out the rating system.

OK, well that really sucks, Phil - sorry to hear that.

I'm in your store now, and just added it to my Picks - so hope that bumps you up to #39

Edited to add: and it's really nice stuff too, so you got yourself a new customer at any rate!

That could also be the reason for it, Cristalle. So we have two ideas now. One is that, since the original parcel is no more, the original html page is deleted and a new one created for the new parcel, regardless of anything else. The other is that the original page remains, and which orginal page it is depends on the order that the parcels were selected for joining. People really do need to know the true cause. It would be ludicrous to keep us in the dark about it.

That's what we're waiting to find out, Princess. I'm using my circumstances to see if the original picks are updated.

From what I've seen, multiple picks to the same place only count once. I wouldn't bet a lot of money on that, but that's the impression I have. Having said that, I also think that multiple picks with different words do count. There's sound reasoning for that. Google's thinking is that a link from one page to another, which is what picks are, is a vote for the other page. If a page makes more than one vote for the other page, using the same link text, should they all be counted as votes? Probably not, since each link says the same thing about the other page. But if they use different link texts, they are each saying something different about the other page, and could be counted.

What I did some time ago was add 10 picks in my profile to the store, and 10 more in an alt's profile. I didn't notice any ranking benefit from all those extra picks, whereas I did notice ranking benefits from picks added by just a few people. Then I included a nonsense word in one of my 10 picks to the store, and it came up in search. It's really down to how Google has written the application, and their experiences with what they came across with their web engine will be incorporated into it to some extent.

No. Picks are counted because they are links to the place from the av's profile page.

No. Moving location is completely different. If you really want to maintain your rankings, you'll need to run both places for a while, until you get the rankings for the new place up with the rankings for the old place. That's what I did when I moved locations recently - I had 2 stores running until the rankings for the new one were up with the old one. The move went very smoothly, and takings were unaffected during it. It's ironic that I did all that, only to be scuppered by something like this.

Ty, Tiana. Last night I decided to wait a day or two to see what happens to the old picks, but I don't think there's any need to wait, as long as I make sure that some of the old picks stay as they are.

I don't think it's that, Mercia. A while back, I talked with a concierge help, who also didn't know anything, but there was someone in the office who did, and I got answers. Yesterday, there was nobody there who understands the details of the new search system. It's not like I was asking for the keys to the algo - LL won't have those. I was asking what happened to cause the change. One of the things that have been suggested here is the most likely cause, and there's nothing that needs to be kept secret about them. Quite the opposite.

ty Damien It's appreciated.

Does this mean I have to update my pick?
lol, I havent even gotten around to creating more than two. and one of those is for your store.

It would be greatly appreciated, Claire

it can be compared to the linking of prims. the last one you link, is the head prim. so when you join new land with land you already own by first selecting the new land and then drag the rectangle on the old land, all the settings will remain intact.

Did you ever make another change to your parcel (I'd guess a while ago) such as deeding it, splitting/joining after you already had people add you to their picks? Or do you have two stores?

Looking at your own picks, and people who have your store in their picks I come across three URLs (the first two are by far the most common - which is normal - with the first one being the most common of all):
http://world.secondlife.com/place/2accb118-5f79-0b33-ef3c-e1c5dc4f85cf
http://world.secondlife.com/place/9e6ba3a3-aff8-cabb-9c58-9d8008397a6d
http://world.secondlife.com/place/e9ca3b3b-2e2c-1eac-209d-2af7fcb85062

(With the first two non-functional)

One of them shouldn't have been there (removed now). It was the old store in a different sim. The two that are left are the post-join-parcel/store, and the pre-join-parcel/store.

I wonder if the html page remains intact too, so that all the links to it remain. People need to know. I'm going to test it on the old store's land.

I think that if you had joined it correctly, the original page would have remained and kept that page's uuid. I'll do a little testing of it myself tonight with my secondary rental center.

Phil, I just wanted to let you know that the links should update automatically.

i had put my stores link in my campers' avatars profile some time ago, and i noticed it said "no parcel" too (which meant no parcel name and no coordinates noted) after i made some changes (land joining and renaming), but i never gave it a thought and never took her back over to update. last night i checked and it was spot on to the right sim and coordinates.

(and before you all jump me about camping, it pays my tier and membership, so i am all for it! )

I've set up a test. I've divided a 6k piece into a 4k and 2k, and I've changed the name of each piece. The names are, "PRIM SAVERS old store - now closed (4k)" and "PRIM SAVERS old store - now closed (2k)". I've set the 4k to show in search, and I've added it to my Picks. I'll wait until it gets into the search system, and is listed. Then I'll join the 2 pieces, selecting the 4k last.

If anyone who wants to see the outcome for themselves, the 4k URL is:-

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Venufalat/109/97/56

Adding it to your picks will show you whether or not the pick remains valid after the joining.

That's interesting 3Ring. We're waiting to see if the picks to my place update automatically.

I always use Places, Phil. I'll only go to All or Old if my first couple of tries come up empty, and I know what I'm looking for is out there.