Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Ebay to crowd source search

Ebay to use crowd sourcing to test new features, starting with streamlined search

It’s always difficult for any big site to test and roll out new features. Many companies just test internally until they determine they have something good enough to roll out. But a growing trend is to let your users do the work for you. Google, for example, uses its Labs to publicly test new ideas — some of which are later implemented in Google services, while others just fall by the wayside.

Now, according to the NYT’s Bits Blog, eBay is aiming to do the same by creating a new location on its site to feature blossoming ideas: the Garden by eBay.

At the Garden, users can choose to test out new features that integrate into their typical eBay experience by opting-in, or choose to try out stand-alone features like the new Diamond Ring Designer. Users can also rate and review the new tools, which will be continually updated. Instead of using the typical “beta” terminology used in software testing, eBay divides its budding features into “Seeds” and “Plants.”

The first “seed” feature is a streamlined eBay search interface...

To Learn More Click Here
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