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The AuctionBytes Blog has been giving a voice to online merchants since its launch in 2005. Named one of the world's top 30 blogs in 2008 by "Blogging Heroes." Weigh in with your thoughts on the joys and pitfalls of selling online.

Wed Aug 9 2017 20:55:09

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

By: Ina Steiner

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A user noticed eBay had added scrolling categories to the top of Watch Lists and wrote, "This "new feature" is annoying!! I'm not liking it at all." We're not sure when the feature was added or if the user is seeing the same experience we are seeing.

On our watch list page, directly above the listings we're watching there is a scroll with an "All Categories" box highlighted in blue, followed by other boxes, each containing the name of a category taken from the items we're watching. It's a way to filter the listings you're watching, and it doesn't take up much real estate.

Here's a screenshot that shows the category scroll box we see:

There's a link on the top right, "Which views do you like most in My eBay?" that links to a survey, but it is not specific to Watch Lists - rather, it asks users which views they do and do not like most in My eBay. You can select from among the following options:

Summary
Recently viewed items
Buy
Purchase history
Lists (including Watch List and Wish List)
Searches you follow
Sell
Other

How would you rate the eBay Watch List as a whole? Do you like it more or less than such features on other sites? And do you like the scrolling categories?

What other changes are you encountering as you use eBay as a buyer or seller?

Comments (6) | Permalink

Readers Comments

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

by: Chicago48

Thu Aug 10 04:10:45 2017

What's the diff between watch and wish list? EB continues to junk up its site. I don't want more "options", I want a smoothe looking, smoothe operating site. IMO the tech glitches some complain about is because EB keeps adding junk on top of junk.

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

by: FeelingFroggy

Thu Aug 10 05:19:47 2017

Just more garbage on the page that most of us pay no attention to anyways.

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

by: frustrated

Thu Aug 10 07:43:32 2017

All this "innovation" is the reason sales have dropped off 75% in the last week or so.

GOOD JOB EBAY!!

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

by: Vigilant Eye On eBay

Thu Aug 10 23:02:43 2017

Additional clutter to further slow down page loads.

Like most of eBay's other useless content and unsolicited advertisements, I blocked this new element through my ad blocker's custom software settings.

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

by: Rexford

Fri Aug 11 07:43:19 2017

LOL...........they force sellers to get rid of their active content to make room for eBay's scrolling junk. If sellers' active content slowed down the mobile user experience what does this do?

eBay Adds Scrolling Categories to Watch Lists

by: Snapped

Fri Aug 11 19:46:00 2017

Seem to recall a few threads back where there was some discussion related to visibility function losses due to apparent server overload. Then again, with 'glitches, gremlins and goofs' being almost a daily occurrence, it's difficult to keep up.

Via complex interactive interface processes, a given display function will pull in and array data as programmed, and that's a relatively simple process, but compiling that variant and dynamicly updating data both takes time, and is subject to byte transcription error.

A plainer way to describe all that is to consider eBay (the 'e' part) as a system of systems. And when you brainstorm a change in one of those 'subsystems', it can impact something three interfaces away in another - even as the functions in your chunk seem just dandy. Process time changes in one can choke point other functions too.

To help insure a change doesn't do that, comprehensive testing must be designed to LOOK for those potentials - OUTSIDE the 'subsystem' for which the 'brainstormer' has responsibility.

Which means when they don't, problems such as a clogged server - with attendent symptoms who knows where else - can all too easily surprise(!). Moreover, no reputable tester would unleash a live 'upgrade' without maintaining a 'most recent working' version ready to reinstate should catastrophy ensue. Funny how eBay always claims 'a few weeks' are needed to correct something working just fine a few minutes ago...before they blithely stroked some keys.

Which means they are deliberately ignoring consequence to their lab rats, or they are not competent to 'innovate' anything.

Now there's no evidence to support any specific cause and effect tie for the recent server choke and this latest (useless) eBay 'innovation' of course. But there IS a documented path of 'upgrade' = unexplained glitch episodes...and it's a long and continuing one. Blazed while the one's well paved overgrow and rot from lack of (less glamourus) maintenance.

Putting lipstick on the pig is one thing. Ignoring the potential ensuing digestive distress is quite another.

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