<VV> Parts listing, was: ALARMING OBSERVATION:? another idea?

Ian Harding harding.ian at gmail.com
Thu May 27 15:14:12 EDT 2010


Sure!  In my experience, it's best to have a completely flexible
system so people can put in as much or as little information as they
want, but let them know that more is better.  I'd like to accept just
about any spreadsheet as long as the columns have headings that can be
figured out, but also I like the idea of an email only system for
people who don't have much stuff or want to fire up a spreadsheet
program.

If craigslist had

- A programmed search function where it would send you the results of
a search on a regular basis
- Made multiple inserts/updates easier
- A semi-structured tag system

 I'd say what I'm thinking of is basically just like craigslist only
with a singleminded focus on corvair parts.

The tags would be effectively "fields" in your spreadsheet.
condition=new, location=Tacoma, wa, asking price=$50 and so on.  You
could make up your own tags too, but using the standard ones would
make filtered searches find your stuff better.

If I limit the "fields" people will want more or different ones.
That's why I think it should be a green field where if someone wants
to create a field called GGGGG for his parts, he can.  It just won't
help people find them!

I personally would like to interact with it via email.  Something like
sending a message to robot at mypartsstash.com with a subject of "For
Sale" and content something like

name=61 Corvair Heads
condition=used
price=50
quantity=2
description=Complete, no broken fins, very dirty.
gm part number=3820859

...

or some other human and machine readable format would add to the
database.  A confirmation email would come back to make sure it was
right, just like craigslist, then you're done.

If you want something, you send an email with a subject of "Wanted"and
content like

name=Oil Filter Adapter
description=90 degree oil filter adapter for Corvair with air conditioning
price=10

would notify you any time an item was listed that had a fuzzy match to
the name and or other tags you listed.  Again, the more information,
the better the matches.

It's a very simple concept but there are quite a few details to be worked out.

The more I think about it, even the loosely structured email I show
above is probably too complicated for some folks.  It would work well
for most, but I'd also like to accept plain English and have the
system try to interpret it like wolframalpha.com does.  It's actually
a pretty small problem space, most people use pretty standard language
when requesting or offering things.

Anyway, I'll be thinking about it and try to have something up and running soon.

- Ian

On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 11:21 AM, Mark Corbin <airvair at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Ian,
>
> I'm in. Would suggest something like my format. Has columns for car area,
> main catagory, and finer description. Also columns for GM group and part
> number (in case you like to reference to THE parts book) and columns for
> Clark's new/repop, NOS, and used parts #'s and their last list prices. Also
> a notes column. Makes for a good way of sorting out parts and refering them
> to illustrations and "suggested (list) prices".
>
> Care to take a look?
>
> -Mark
>
>
>> [Original Message]
>> From: Ian Harding <harding.ian at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: <VV> ALARMING OBSERVATION:? another idea?
>>
>> I've thought about this for a while.  Kind of an inventory site for
>> what you have, and a wish list for what you want, and maybe a system
>> for sending alerts when the two intersect.
>>
>> I'd be happy to code something up if enough people are interested.  I
>> have the infrastructure in place already at gmpartswiki.com.
>>
>> The trick is making it easy.  Plunking stuff in one at a time on a
>> website is a pain in the neck.  I think it would have to accept
>> uploading spreadsheets or other formats.  Also, I don't want another
>> account on some silly website, so I think a craigslist style setup
>> where your email is you account would work.  Inventory would expire
>> unless "renewed" with a simple reply to an email, from which you would
>> delete lines for things you no longer had and add lines for new items.
>>
>> What does everyone think of that?
>>
>> tl;dr corvair inventory/wishlist with email/web interface and no
>> "account" required.
>>
>
>
>


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