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For UK Marketplace users

RedTomato

RedTomato

macrumors 601
Original poster
Mar 4, 2005
4,162
446
.. London ..
Hiya fellow British MR people.

Currently I've noticed a lot of UK marketplace users put (UK) or something similar on their post titles.

This doesn't work all that well as MR search or Google search won't search for 2 letter words.

Can I suggest that we adopt a guideline of using (Brit) as that's much easier to search on?

What do you think? Arn has said he definitely does not want to split the Marketplace into a UK section, and I can understand his reasoning.

By using (Brit) in your MP title, you can have your posts still globally visible yet still findable by other UK people.

The other options are (British) which is longer to type; (England) leaves out the welsh and so on.

Comments? (also welcome from non-UK MR posters)
 
RedTomato said:
Can I suggest that we adopt a guideline of using (Brit) as that's much easier to search on?
Click to expand...


As a voluntary code, it's going to be time-consuming to enforce. On occasion, the Marketplace can take up a lot of time to moderate, especially as post reports from there are far and few between.

I appreciate the sentiment, but am unsure as to the practicality of it, especially as many longstanding Marketplace rules get often overlooked or deliberately flouted, even by regulars.
 
Blue Velvet said:
As a voluntary code, it's going to be time-consuming to enforce.
Click to expand...

That's the point of a voluntary code. The mods aren't responsible for enforcing it, and it's not enforced.

The only people who loose by not putting (brit) in their title are the posters themselves who are making their items harder to find by other UK MR members.
 
RedTomato said:
The only people who loose by not putting (brit) in their title are the posters themselves who are making their items harder to find by other UK MR members.
Click to expand...


That is, if you're searching for Brit in the first place and I'm not sure how we'd adequately signpost that as good practice.

If I'm looking for something specifically in the UK, I just tend to do a page (text) search for 'UK' on the first 3-4 pages of the forum... doesn't take long and any further back tends to be a bit pointless.
 
Blue Velvet said:
That is, if you're searching for Brit in the first place and I'm not sure how we'd adequately signpost that as good practice.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that ''UK' was ever signposted or a formal rule. It's just something that I noticed the first time I looked through the forums. I guess changing to 'brit' would propagate the same way.

If I'm looking for something specifically in the UK, I just tend to do a page (text) search for 'UK' on the first 3-4 pages of the forum... doesn't take long and any further back tends to be a bit pointless.
Click to expand...

I didn't know you could do that. Just looked, and it's rather circuitous to find that search forum page, which lands you at a rather complex form. And searching for UK in Marketplace returns an error with 'no matches found'.
 
RedTomato said:
I didn't know you could do that. Just looked, and it's rather circuitous to find that search forum page, which lands you at a rather complex form. And searching for UK in Marketplace returns an error with 'no matches found'.
Click to expand...


No, I meant a text search for 'UK' from within Safari or whichever browser you use, on the page that you're viewing. Usually Apple + F, and usually just as fast...
 
About a year ago, I wanted to offload a bunch of old Mac gear (LCII and the like) and I felt that my MP post didnt really get much UK exposure. (it was only available for pickup) Now I'm selling some more stuff very soon (BW G3 Powermac) which also is pickup only.

It's possible that in a few months, I may be selling a couple of iBooks - again, UK only.

I also like to look for laptops local to me - I don't like buying laptops without having a look first - and finding UK MP posts is always a pain.

I don't see the need for it to be a guide or to inform MP buyers of the 'brit' guideline. I'm happy to drop a single PM to sellers who put 'uk' in their titles, and then it's up to them to change it or not.

Once a few start doing it, most will copy them. Likewise, it's up to buyers to realise they can search for 'brit' - most of you worked it out that it's hard to search for UK without anyone telling you.

I'm glad people like Applespider or Evan also think this is a good idea - that kind of independent confirmation is good before I start putting 'brit' in my MP titles or PMing other UK sellers.
 
RedTomato, I can understand your reasoning for using the word "Brit" in titles but it just doesn't seem logical in my opinon. I saw the word "Brit" today in the Marketplace and that was only by accident. The vast majority of people are used to looking for "UK" or "England" and would easily miss "Brit" or not immediately think of putting it in their title, plus for me personally I always think of Britney Spears rather than Britain when I see the word "Brit"!

A far better option would be regional Marketplaces especially as the vast majority of people who trade are from the USA, Canada or the UK. Hell, I bet the vast majority of Mac Rumors visitors are from those three countries! Everyone else could be split up into "International" or something. Or if not countries how about continents?

I'm surprised Arn's against it, it would be the best solution in my opinion. Either that or have the ability to add an extra tag to Marketplace threads where you can choose your country from a drop down list and then add the ability then to filter the threads that are shown. Just a thought. :)
 
Well, I've just put Brit and UK in my MB-selling thread title. I doubt this will catch on though, its just so unnatural.
 
@ Neutral Gamer I think that might actually be a good idea, possibly with the whole of Europe, not just the UK. And then an international section for everyone else.

They could start as optional subforums.
 
We've had this discussion many times before about regional marketplaces. It's not going to happen, because Arn has nixed it for entirely good reasons.
 
Blue Velvet said:
We've had this discussion many times before about regional marketplaces. It's not going to happen, because Arn has nixed it for entirely good reasons.
Click to expand...

Could you divulge on what some of these "good reasons" are? Surely three forums for Americas, Europe and Asia+Australia isn't asking that much? Or instead of separate forums you could just filter which threads you want to see.

P.S. The thing I hate the most are those UK based people who don't even put "UK" or "England" in their titles and so I only find those threads by accident. Which is a pity cos if I'm interested in the item they're selling it's normally too late by the time I stumble upon it!
 
In summary, we have enough on our plate with one Marketplace for all sales and purchases. For now, people will have to find their own workarounds to search for region-specific sales.
 
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