What I don't like about eBid...

[MagnetsAndHangers]

@Aftech
Ok, that's one thing you don't like about ebid.

How many things don't you like about ebay ?

What the heck does that have to do with it?

This was a ebid question - posted in ebid - about ebid listings.

[aftech]

I took a quick peek at your coding:



could be:



x

Thanks for taking the time. I don't write in HTML, I type normal text and sometimes I paste then format it within the editor. What you see is generated by the editor not me. Nobody wants to spend (and shouldn't) on reviewing complex HTML codes instead of marketing the items. Not all sellers are HTML experts. Editing shouldn't make this much problem and I know I'm not the only one disliking 4000 character cap (and the help page says 500000).

[cmjewels925]

Thanks for taking the time. I don't write in HTML, I type normal text and sometimes I paste then format it within the editor. What you see is generated by the editor not me. Nobody wants to spend (and shouldn't) on reviewing complex HTML codes instead of marketing the items. Not all sellers are HTML experts. Editing shouldn't make this much problem and I know I'm not the only one disliking 4000 character cap (and the help page says 500000).

I'm sorry, the problem is of your own making. Even your longest listings, if formatted correctly, should only use 8-9,000 characters (including spaces). The cap is 40,000, not 4,000.

I've just done a test. I loaded your description for 'Dell Studio 1558 Laptop PC' into Word, changed my defaults to the advanced WYSIWYG editor, copied the description from Word and pasted it into the editor (using the paste from Word option) started the listing, changed my defaults back to plain HTML and copied the code back into Word. Even with the horrendous amount of garbage Word added the total number of characters and spaces was only 23,215 (21,351 without spaces). That still gives you at least 16,785 characters to mess about with in edits.

As your listings have a similar layout, I would suggest either following the steps above to set up a 'blank' in your defaults that you can fill in for each new listing or you could pay one of the members who market their HTML skills to clean up the code for you or make you a template.

[aftech]

Thanks. Looks like the Sandy Bridge laptop listing I just put up holds. I'd like to add more description but I checked the number of characters and it's getting close...oh, well. Better than nothing at least.

[DZAMBO]

Don’t work hard…life is short….

[bykimbo]

I just can't make the editor behave in the way it has in your listing, I'm afraid. For example, your simple four point bullet list:

Toshiba A665-S5184 Notebook
12-cell lithium-ion battery
AC power cord and adapter
Documentation

In your listing the code for this is:
<ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; ">

<li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Toshiba A665-S5184 Notebook</span></li>

<li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">12-cell lithium-ion battery</span></li>

<li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">AC power cord and adapter</span></li>

<li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 30px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Documentation</span></li>

</ul>

Where all it needs is
<ul>
<li>Toshiba A665-S5184 Notebook&nbsp;</li>
<li>12-cell lithium-ion battery&nbsp;</li>
<li>AC power cord and adapter&nbsp;</li>
<li>Documentation</li>
</ul>

I managed to make it a fraction bigger by applying a font or something, but I can't see where all the extra padding is coming from at all. Could you describe exactly how you built *just that bit* of the listing - if we focus on one small example we might track down what's happening.

Incidentally, simply selecting all, then using the "remove formatting" button got rid of all of that crud code.

[astral276]

I just can't make the editor behave in the way it has in your listing, I'm afraid.

I would suggest (as I have all along) that the source is Word. When you edit HTML with word and, say for example, change red text to blue; rather than changing the existing tag to blue it adds an extra tag defining red. So it defines the text to be displayed as red and then as blue - complete with all the extra overhead. It equally has no concept of optimisation, so useless definitions where defaults or inheritance would apply are still defined in all their glory. You can see the same in the OP's eBay listings.

As you say, if you let eBid's editor strip out all the Word garbage then the character count is massively reduced. I have said that all along but the OP seems uninterested in hearing it and to persist in blaming eBid - so I gave up trying to help them.

On a quick test of creating a listing, eBid's maximum character count would appear to be around 7,000 including spaces. Though I lack the will in this case to prove it definitively.

I could complain that they should make 28 inch waistbands bigger, but I accept that the reason I can no longer fit into them is due to my own excess.

[papagran40]

Can I have my two pence worth ?.... yes I know I do not bother a lot with listings...yes I am NOT very up on computers....yes I am not a business , yes I just list for a bit of fun and to down size some of my stuff....BUT , a big BUT is....why does a listing need all the characters I think we are talking about here.....just list the stuff so a prospective buyer would read.....this looks like someone is writting a book.....I think if I saw a listing this size , I would just leave it......so as said...right or wrong , list it and forget it............simples .......papa.

[cheaver]

I have been trying to understand this thread since its inception and have to say I agree with you papa.
If I were looking for these items a simple resume with "Please email me for a comprehensive list of technical details about this item" would be sufficient for me.
Perhaps even make that request a link to the more comprehensive detail page?

[Pink_Panther]

Can I have my two pence worth ?.... yes I know I do not bother a lot with listings...yes I am NOT very up on computers....yes I am not a business , yes I just list for a bit of fun and to down size some of my stuff....BUT , a big BUT is....why does a listing need all the characters I think we are talking about here.....just list the stuff so a prospective buyer would read.....this looks like someone is writting a book.....I think if I saw a listing this size , I would just leave it......so as said...right or wrong , list it and forget it............simples .......papa.

Spoken like a true merecat! Well done comrade!