Have you ever searched Ebay so much that you altered its algorithms?

[TheFrenzy]

When you PC a player, the daily Ebay searches just become a habit. Entering the first three letters of your players name and hit "search" when Ebay automatically fills in their name becomes as rote as checking Facebook or Reddit.

But have any of you, with your thousands of searches for your handful of now obscure players ever altered Ebay's algorithms?

For example: When I search for a particular PC player of mine, Ebay now shows the names of of my other PC players along with the usual related searches (team name, teammates, etc.).

[CapnKerouac]

That is one my favorite Ebay things! When I search for Jason Elam, football kicker, I enjoy knowing that my constant searching is why ebay then recommends Humberto Quintero, journeyman MLB catcher.

[deltapi1049]

When you PC a player, the daily Ebay searches just become a habit. Entering the first three letters of your players name and hit "search" when Ebay automatically fills in their name becomes as rote as checking Facebook or Reddit.

But have any of you, with your thousands of searches for your handful of now obscure players ever altered Ebay's algorithms?

For example: When I search for a particular PC player of mine, Ebay now shows the names of of my other PC players along with the usual related searches (team name, teammates, etc.).

I dont think thats you altering the algorithms, I think thats based on your cookie history and internet browsing history.

Maybe Im misunderstanding.

[ucLAkers]

I think its odd that after so many years im starting to get emails of cards that I looked at once and hit back... drop in price and I get alerted now? I havent changed my eBay settings in 5 years! Also my selling manager page got a facelift and I can barely manage to find my stuff.

[TheFrenzy]

That is one my favorite Ebay things! When I search for Jason Elam, football kicker, I enjoy knowing that my constant searching is why ebay then recommends Humberto Quintero, journeyman MLB catcher.

LOL!

http://i.imgur.com/orgF0cE.png

I dont think thats you altering the algorithms, I think thats based on your cookie history and internet browsing history.

Maybe Im misunderstanding.

Nope, not cookies in this case! You can actually alter their algorithms.

For example:

If you search "Aldrick Robinson", you will see the names of his teammates in the Related bar.

But if you search simply "Aldrick" (the search term I have used for years now), you will see a very unique group of names under Related - the names of several other players I have PC'd!

[mnvikingstwins]

That's not altering the algorithms. Ebay's no different than Amazon or Netflix having recommended items or movies based on what you've previously bought or viewed. Only thing you're potentially altering is the ordering of the learned data.

[TheFrenzy]

Exhibit A:
http://i.imgur.com/HAcv5dY.png

Exhibit B:
http://i.imgur.com/2P7xcYV.png

Craziness! Shenanigans! Mad Lads!

[TheFrenzy]

That's not altering the algorithms. Ebay's no different than Amazon or Netflix having recommended items or movies based on what you've previously bought or viewed. Only thing you're potentially altering is the ordering of the learned data.

Then why am I seeing Humberto Quinero suggested to me when I search for Jason Elam?

What's happening is these are low-interest search terms where a single searcher is executing the majority of searches and then following those up with their other low-interest PC search. Thereby teaching Ebay's system that "most people who search Jason Elam also search Huberto Quinero" and therefore it suggests that to anyone who executes the first search.

It's sort of like leaving your personal fingerprint on one of the biggest sites on the web. Pretty cool. :cool:

[Grid]

That's not altering the algorithms. Ebay's no different than Amazon or Netflix having recommended items or movies based on what you've previously bought or viewed. Only thing you're potentially altering is the ordering of the learned data.

Nope, he changed the algorithms. His constant searching for Elam and then Humberto Quintero made the ebay search engine for everyone think that most people interested in Elam also had interest in Quintero.

Ebay is not smart enough to see its 1 person searching both once a day, every day. It thinks there are 365 hits for Elam then Quintero in a year, so they are now joined.

I have never searched Elam on ebay. And here is what it shows me when I do:

Related: shannon sharpe peoria chiefs matt prater humberto quintero 1989 topps signed

Same suggestions anyone would get if they did the same. Amazon does remember you, and they will show you things you previously clicked on, but not bought. They are using more a direct approach. "Still interested in..." where ebay is trying to figure out common search strings.

[bojesphob]

I think the terminology is what's causing the confusion here. The algorithm itself isn't changing: that's the programming behind it that does this, and eBay isn't going to allow users to change the source code. The algorithm results are what's being affected, it's creating links between searches that previously didn't exist. This sort of thing is exactly how this is supposed to work.

As Grid said, the algorithm is figuring out what the most common search associations are for certain keywords. For a while when keywords are first used, there are no associations, but as you search more with those keywords then look something else up, it assumes that you are looking for the other keywords in related searches.

Although, that makes me think that somewhere in those relationships, I have thrown in some oddities by searching on aftermarket F150 parts intermixed in with my searches for Packers Prizm stuff LOL

[TheFrenzy]

I think the terminology is what's causing the confusion here. The algorithm itself isn't changing: that's the programming behind it that does this, and eBay isn't going to allow users to change the source code. The algorithm results are what's being affected, it's creating links between searches that previously didn't exist. This sort of thing is exactly how this is supposed to work.

As Grid said, the algorithm is figuring out what the most common search associations are for certain keywords. For a while when keywords are first used, there are no associations, but as you search more with those keywords then look something else up, it assumes that you are looking for the other keywords in related searches.

Although, that makes me think that somewhere in those relationships, I have thrown in some oddities by searching on aftermarket F150 parts intermixed in with my searches for Packers Prizm stuff LOL

Agreed. No one is changing the site's source code. More like, intensive PC searches overwhelm the existing algorithm to such an extent with repeated data that site-wide and for all users it now produces seemingly random "related" searches.

[mnvikingstwins]

It still isn't changing the algorithm. The machine learning algorithms are still fixed, but for obscure players/searches there could be very little data for prediction, so then you could then influence the learning model for everyone else

[TheFrenzy]

...for obscure players/searches there could be very little data for prediction, so then you could then influence the learning model for everyone else

I am in perfect agreement with this summation. I will ask that you forgive/overlook my semantical phrasing in the OP.

Now, don't you think this is cool that it shows up for everyone else and have you ever influenced Ebay's learning model in such a way?

[mnvikingstwins]

I am in perfect agreement with this summation. I will ask that you forgive/overlook my semantical phrasing in the OP.

Now, don't you think this is cool that it shows up for everyone else and have you ever influenced Ebay's learning model in such a way?

No worries, I've studied a bit of AI, but decided not to go further in studying machine learning/data mining, which was probably a mistake. It's cool for obscure guys, but also potentially bad. It's tougher without the wildcard (*) option any more as I had built up some good key strings to find misspelled auctions, but if you can stumble upon some treasure cove of finding good cards listed poorly, potentially the searches can now link to that if you follow the same pattern over and over.

Probably a messy description, so in short: obscure guy -> good search for low view good items -> back to regular searches over and over and eventually your good search isn't good any more as it gets exposed

[Grid]

I have been sitting on ebay all morning searching "Jason Elam" and then "Butt Plug" I'm trying to take over the search string from CapnKerouac.

Now whenever he searches for Elam, those shameful butt plugs will show up in his suggestions! In Yo Face!

[Vinny407]

Haha....whenever I search Jameer Nelson, ebay also recommends Darrell Armstrong (my other PC guy). I know it's basketball but it seemed relevant.

[TheFrenzy]

I have been sitting on ebay all morning searching "Jason Elam" and then "Butt Plug" I'm trying to take over the search string from CapnKerouac.

Now whenever he searches for Elam, those shameful butt plugs will show up in his suggestions! In Yo Face!

I'm just picturing some of the more insufferable Patriots fans deciding to take whomever the Jets draft and spam the searches with "World Champion New England Patriots" or something to that effect.

[quorthon13]

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Related: terrance williams 2013 psa 10 tyrone swoopes tyler wilson johnathan franklin

Wow that's fun and it works for me too(I have never searched for any of those)

[RogerGodahell]

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