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0 pointsjoshspankit5y ago0 comments

Yes, you have points, but they break down here:

“Shirt -stripes” is unambiguous to a system, yet the first result on Amazon(.ca) is a striped shirt, and the 3rd is sweatpants.

0 comments

pbhjpbhj5y ago

As someone else said you don't know that's wrong for what Amazon are optimising. If they find people [with your background profile] who buy shirts are susceptible to buying sweatpants, they might also find that if the seed you with "sweatpants" as an idea up front that the repeated presentation of sweatpants in "people who bought X also bought Y" sections is more effective.

That's the sort of thing I'd expect Amazon to be doing?

joshspankitOP5y ago

Like, when was the last time this was considered ideal?

“Yes, I would like an unstriped dress shirt please”

“How about this striped shirt?”

“No thank you, I would like an unstriped dress shirt please”

“I have some lovely jogging pants”

“Ok, I need to be clear here, I would like a dress shirt that has no stripes”

“Can I interest you in a white undershirt? People who buy dress shirts usually buy undershirts”

....

pbhjpbhj5y ago

I think if you were visiting a personal tailor, or perhaps talking to a shop assistant, you might get something akin to that.

T: I think pink would look good on you, and it's very fashionable right now.

You: Just bring me some yellow shirts to try.

T: Oh, I got these, and brought this pink one anyway; try it!

But, of course Google isn't making fashion suggestions. But then, ... the tailor might also be just trying to shift excess stock or be on a bonus for selling that particular high-cost shirt.

2 more replies

joshspankitOP5y ago

Tbh, I feel like the underpinning “problem” is that more and more these marketplaces are optimizing for what they want to sell, and seeming to ignore blatant requests.

I’m an odd one that I already know specifically what I want to buy before I search for it, but I’m certainly not the only one (and I think everyone has done that at least once).

1 more reply

NumberCruncher5y ago

it works on google pretty well for me

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

pbhjpbhj5y ago

That's the sort of thing I'd expect Amazon to be doing?

joshspankitOP5y ago

Like, when was the last time this was considered ideal?

“Yes, I would like an unstriped dress shirt please”

“How about this striped shirt?”

“No thank you, I would like an unstriped dress shirt please”

“I have some lovely jogging pants”

“Ok, I need to be clear here, I would like a dress shirt that has no stripes”

“Can I interest you in a white undershirt? People who buy dress shirts usually buy undershirts”

....

pbhjpbhj5y ago

I think if you were visiting a personal tailor, or perhaps talking to a shop assistant, you might get something akin to that.

T: I think pink would look good on you, and it's very fashionable right now.

You: Just bring me some yellow shirts to try.

T: Oh, I got these, and brought this pink one anyway; try it!

But, of course Google isn't making fashion suggestions. But then, ... the tailor might also be just trying to shift excess stock or be on a bonus for selling that particular high-cost shirt.

2 more replies

joshspankitOP5y ago

Tbh, I feel like the underpinning “problem” is that more and more these marketplaces are optimizing for what they want to sell, and seeming to ignore blatant requests.

I’m an odd one that I already know specifically what I want to buy before I search for it, but I’m certainly not the only one (and I think everyone has done that at least once).

1 more reply

NumberCruncher5y ago

it works on google pretty well for me

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse