|
12 Mar 01 - 06:37 PM (#416100) Subject: Where do you click on a list? From: Zebedee My guess is that this post may get very few replies. I doubt that may will share my curiosity. Anyway, If (in whatever context - web search, phone book, library search etc) you get 5 or more results which seem to meet your need, do you automatically choose the first one as the best bet to investigate further? Do you choose the last? Or do you just randomly select one from somewhere in the middle? Ed (who tend's too choose the second) |
|
12 Mar 01 - 06:39 PM (#416103) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Hollowfox Why do you ask? |
|
12 Mar 01 - 06:41 PM (#416105) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Zebedee curious... why does anyone ask anything? |
|
12 Mar 01 - 06:43 PM (#416108) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: katlaughing I scan them for the most likely to offer up that for which I am looking. |
|
12 Mar 01 - 06:49 PM (#416114) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Zebedee Of course, Kat But if they are, say a list of 'plumber' phone numbers, and you have no way of knowing which is best, which do you choose then? My guess is the top one. Ed - just curious |
|
12 Mar 01 - 06:52 PM (#416118) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Jon Freeman I think I'm with kat. I scan them, read the info that the search provides and work sequentially through the ones that I think will yield the best results. Jon |
|
12 Mar 01 - 07:09 PM (#416135) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: hesperis I usually scan them and look at all of them, putting some in my favorites for more careful perusal later... But that's for websites, not plumbers. |
|
12 Mar 01 - 07:49 PM (#416160) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Amos Dependinig on the composition of your query the highest ones will often be the ones most likely to lead to what you want. They are typically graded by a percentage of match. If you are too subtle for the search engine, your real results can be anywhere, especially if you are trying to track something down that is actually one or two links removed from what you put into the engine. A |
|
12 Mar 01 - 08:37 PM (#416202) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Joe Offer Search engines - top of the list. Phone books - somewhere in the middle. I've found that inferior firms may try to drum up business by choosing names that put them at either the top or bottom of the list, and I try to avoid hucksterism. Heck, I'm forever combatting people who post things on our "links" page in a way that puts them at the top. -Joe Offer- |
|
12 Mar 01 - 08:51 PM (#416209) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Uncle_DaveO In a list such as a phone book, in a category where I really don't know the firms, I think of several things which narrow the field. Does the firm have a display ad? I'm more likely to call based on a display ad, because it (maybe) gives me more information than a mere name-address-phone-number ad. Among firms with display ads, do they give information that tells how long they've been in business? I will often but not always favor an "old established" firm. If I have a special need which not all such firms could satisfy, do they put themselves forward as doing that service? If I'm in a time bind, are they located closer to my house than most of the others? If I have an emergency, do they respond 24 hours a day if I need that? (Note that I know that an emergency after-normal-hours response is going to be expenso plus.) If I'm calling, say for an emergency in the middle of the night and get an answering machine, I'll leave my name and number, but I'll call at least one other, maybe leave name and number, and so on. Whoever returns my call first is likely to get the business in a case like that, in which case I'll call the other firm(s) with whom I left a message and wave them off. I guess I've gone somewhat beyond your original question here. Dave Oesterreich |
|
12 Mar 01 - 08:53 PM (#416210) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Ebbie As far as plumbers and others offering services are concerned, they believe that being at the top of the list is advantageous for a business, that most people will call the first number on the list. In my own case, I tend to call friends or neighbors, seeking references. At $60 bucks a pop, a plumber is a pretty heavy investment. Eb |
|
12 Mar 01 - 08:56 PM (#416214) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: GUEST Just try one or two and see what you get (usually you can go back) and then you'll pick up a bit of the sense of organization used there (and maybe nowhere else). |
|
12 Mar 01 - 09:57 PM (#416262) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Sorcha Search engines--usually the first because of the sorting Joe mentioned, but I read the synopses of the first two pages returned before I click.
Phone books, ie plumbers, etc--I look for display ads, as they usually detail specialties, I also ask for reccomendations from friends. Don't bomb out too often with either, but once in a while I do with both, Grin. |
|
12 Mar 01 - 10:04 PM (#416275) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: catspaw49 This is as bad as poor ol John Hardly's thread on a guitar by any other name.......Its really humorous to watch a thread go elsewhere because no one understands it. And I know Ed is probably saying, "Screw it.....These folks are idiots and IT AIN"T ABOUT PLUMBERS!!!!!" Guys, I think all Ed is asking is a simple test like this. Below you will see a list of American style phone numbers. Pretend they are all local so no cost is involved. Your job is to call all the numbers and when they ring, hang up....that's all, just hear it ring and hang up. Here's the list:
866-5876 That's it.......Now Ed wants to know (I think)....Which one would you select FIRST? Forget about plumbers or search engines or the fact that you have no idea why Ed asked this.......Just pick a number. 967-2351 Spaw |
|
12 Mar 01 - 10:12 PM (#416282) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Sorcha 234-6002 because of the pattern. I do patterns better than numbers. |
|
12 Mar 01 - 10:23 PM (#416288) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Jon Freeman If as spaw asked, my job was to work through all the numbers in that list, I would probably start at the top (probably; as I also like to work in sorted sequences - numerical 234 would be another starting point on that list). I guess spaw was more after selecting one of those numbers as "favourite" or best option with nothing else to go on. So, I will pick the 927 one right now. Jon |
|
12 Mar 01 - 10:41 PM (#416303) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Bill D hey, 'spaw! Where'd you get the numbers of the best red-light houses in Dayton? |
|
12 Mar 01 - 10:50 PM (#416308) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: catspaw49 Simple Bill......ANY number in Dayton will get you "fixed." On the other hand, in the Columbus area code, they all connect to "Dial a Heffer." I tried them in DC and found 6 places I could buy crack. Then I tried New York and got hold of 6 taxi drivers, none of whom spoke English. Spaw |
|
12 Mar 01 - 11:52 PM (#416333) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: GUEST It easy and cheap to get a hand calculator that outputs a long random number. Just chop it off where your phone numbers end (not same everywhere; we have to use area #s for all calls) |
|
13 Mar 01 - 12:08 AM (#416343) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Ebbie Being so literal minded is a limiting thing for me. I still don't get the question, but I choose 654-0473 because I like the way it rolls off the tongue. (but say 'O') Now. Spaw chose these numbers, right? So what question is ZebEd asking? Eb |
|
13 Mar 01 - 01:51 AM (#416386) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Deni I think it's unfair to pick the top one, because the businesses who are at the start of the list probably get the most trade. So I pick one from the bottom and then another one. That way you get plumbing firms called zydeco plumbers instead of A1. It makes a change. deni |
|
13 Mar 01 - 01:54 AM (#416388) Subject: RE: BS: Where do you click on a list? From: Sorcha Zydeco Plumbers? They bring washboards? And play "Jolie Blon"? Send me their number, OK? |