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Author Topic: Symbiostock search engine symbiostock.info  (Read 31050 times)

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« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2013, 16:59 »
0
That search engine is looking very good! What's your logic for best match?

Now it is simple. When you enter phrase having two or more words, first go images with that phrase as single keyword or title, then images with all words as separate keywords. Images are sorted randomly to avoid grouping results from one site (random numbers are generated when images are indexed or updated in database). And images with huge number of keywords are pushed down.

OK, I wondered why we were almost invisible on a search for 'New Zealand'! We've split that phrase to work in the site search. On the other hand, thpstockphotos has dozens in your search but only five in the same search on his own site. Looks like we'll need to have both.


Leo Blanchette

« Reply #26 on: June 21, 2013, 17:24 »
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I'm really happy about this effort AJT. Keep it up!

« Reply #27 on: June 21, 2013, 17:26 »
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That search engine is looking very good! What's your logic for best match?

Now it is simple. When you enter phrase having two or more words, first go images with that phrase as single keyword or title, then images with all words as separate keywords. Images are sorted randomly to avoid grouping results from one site (random numbers are generated when images are indexed or updated in database). And images with huge number of keywords are pushed down.

OK, I wondered why we were almost invisible on a search for 'New Zealand'! We've split that phrase to work in the site search. On the other hand, thpstockphotos has dozens in your search but only five in the same search on his own site. Looks like we'll need to have both.

Good to know!  One of my top selling images would typically be searched by a phrase so I've included variations on separate words and phrases.

travelwitness

« Reply #28 on: June 21, 2013, 18:35 »
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Surprising how you can throw quite a few search queries at it and get some decent results back from a relatively small network.
Just goes to show what's possible, nice work :-)

« Reply #29 on: June 21, 2013, 18:39 »
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Thanks so much for doing this, ajt. I tried a couple of searches and its looking good!

« Reply #30 on: June 21, 2013, 19:24 »
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Surprising how you can throw quite a few search queries at it and get some decent results back from a relatively small network.
Just goes to show what's possible, nice work :-)

Yes, I noticed the same thing with a bunch of test searches. Amazing! - Awesome job ajt!!!  :D

« Reply #31 on: June 21, 2013, 19:26 »
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I've added some more general keyword searches at http://cascoly.com/symbio/symbiostock-network.asp

You can now get a list of all your keywords, by frequency or alphabetically.  Handy for catching spelling errors

I've also added a weighted frequency - this adjusts the frequency count based on your total number of images.  when used in a search, it will give priority to higher values -- thus someone with 10 instances of keyword X and 100 images will rank higher than someone with 30 instances of keyword X and 1000 images


for more details than is healthy -- http://cascoly.com/symbiostock-related-search.asp

« Reply #32 on: June 21, 2013, 19:57 »
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You have done a lot of work, Steve! I can see a lot more images coming up when I click on the food category. It could be just Friday peak internet traffic, but it took forever to load one site, then hung up on the next site. I had to cancel just to get out of the window. I will try again later or early tomorrow and see if it's just network traffic causing a slowdown right now.

« Reply #33 on: June 21, 2013, 20:03 »
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You have done a lot of work, Steve! I can see a lot more images coming up when I click on the food category. It could be just Friday peak internet traffic, but it took forever to load one site, then hung up on the next site. I had to cancel just to get out of the window. I will try again later or early tomorrow and see if it's just network traffic causing a slowdown right now.


i'd guess it's your server -- when I run it, the results come up right away

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ 
is a handy tool to see what your actual internet speed is

« Reply #34 on: July 14, 2013, 15:52 »
+4
Images in korgh.com forced me to add rating to symbiostock.info :)
Now default rating is Yellow (I called it Moderate). So in basic search only green, yellow and unrated images are shown. If you have unrated images, which should be classified as yellow or red, please update them.

Some of you have strawberry in network, now red images won't go to your sites.

I also added advanced search. There may be bugs, so please report any weird results.
You can now search by site address or artist name, select exclusive images, orientation and rating.

travelwitness

« Reply #35 on: July 14, 2013, 18:49 »
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Looking good, filters work well, orientation works - nice job.

Does it push rated images within a portfolio to the front?

« Reply #36 on: July 15, 2013, 01:49 »
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Does it push rated images within a portfolio to the front?

No, they are only filtered, but this is good idea - it should encourage people to rate images :)

« Reply #37 on: July 15, 2013, 05:13 »
+1
Great work @ajt,

yet I wouldn't create too much 'encouraging' or 'rating' depend features, because it will start to "penalize" the content, create a place for some tricks or 'secreat knowledge' like in other microstock sites, like use 2 or 3 categories on DT or specific keywords amout makes your image go down etc... I hate it;) and it's funny

In my opinion the search engine should use only the [pure base features] from the [basic symbiostock site installation] in the front.

A good place to put all those fancy filters is in the advanced options, sure you'll make it as you like

Also I'd move the "Search item" input in adv. search UP, my first reaction was to put the keyword in the first input, it's not user friendly this way


« Reply #38 on: July 15, 2013, 05:23 »
0
Works surprisingly well and pretty quickly too - I'm impressed.

Needs a graphic designer to redo the front page, but the function and content is coming along nicely.

Great work, congratulations to all involved, an inspiring project!

travelwitness

« Reply #39 on: July 15, 2013, 05:41 »
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PLRANG - I disagree.

The search results are already democratic in that they spread search results across the contributors.
This could be improved though by putting your best foot forward.

If you search for 'Landscape' say, my images along with everyone's images are spread across the results - however it would be nice to be able to influence within those results with my best landscapes (work).

No harm in showcasing your best images - a kind of self curated search result.

AJT why not make it an option - Best Match - Newest - Contributor Curated?

Good looking / relevant search results = customers :-)

By the way AJT how exactly does the 'Best Match' work, is it a random selection from within the portfolio?

« Reply #40 on: July 15, 2013, 06:02 »
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Sure it's ok to "putting your best foot forward" on your site @travelwitness,

unless the [search engine] will not try to penalize those unrated [or supplied by the basic Symbiostock site setup] results showing now.

Everyone should have the place guaranteed and then with this place to be able to show the BEST work. Otherwise we will end up like the microstock sites which first page results come from 3 contributors.

Anyway... good thing is anyone can create the search engine

travelwitness

« Reply #41 on: July 15, 2013, 06:23 »
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I agree a spread of contributors results should remain - but within that spread the 'best images' from each contributor should be displayed if that makes sense.

For example if 'Landscape' is searched and 200 contributors have "Landscape" pictures the results could look like:

Contributor 1 Landscape pic (unrated), Contributor 2 Landscape pic (rated), Contributor 3 Landscape pic (rated), Contributor 4 Landscape pic (unrated)... etc

It would encourage the search results to look cleaner, if contributor 1 and 4 don't have their best 'Landscape' picture rated a poorer image may display, whereas contributor 3 & 4 have tagged their best image and the results are a better representation for their portfolio (and Symbiostock as a whole).

But yes absolutely you want to avoid a bunching of results from one contributor.

« Reply #42 on: July 15, 2013, 06:30 »
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But yes absolutely you want to avoid a bunching of results from one contributor.

Unless you search for Dobermann  :)

travelwitness

« Reply #43 on: July 15, 2013, 06:31 »
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But yes absolutely you want to avoid a bunching of results from one contributor.

Unless you search for Dobermann  :)

Looks like you have that market cornered :-)

« Reply #44 on: July 15, 2013, 08:30 »
0

And images with huge number of keywords are pushed down.


What is a huge number?   I try and put between 20 - 40 keywords in ( depending on the image).  Too many?  Not enough?


Ron

« Reply #45 on: July 15, 2013, 12:15 »
0
Look, I have split up all my keyword phrases so I have a huge amount of spam and a lot of keywords. I had to do that because of the choice I had to make because my images werent found at all.

 I am waiting for the search functionallity to be fixed so it finds keyword phrases. Then I need to either restore all my keywords as is and lose all newly added keywords, or dont backup and delete all split keyword phrases. I am now stuck between a pile of work and a pile of more work.

I actually regret splitting my phrases. Catch 22 as a lot of images dont show up now. Plus I am being punished for having too many keywords and spam.  :(

« Reply #46 on: July 15, 2013, 14:20 »
0
In my opinion the search engine should use only the [pure base features] from the [basic symbiostock site installation] in the front.

A good place to put all those fancy filters is in the advanced options, sure you'll make it as you like

Also I'd move the "Search item" input in adv. search UP, my first reaction was to put the keyword in the first input, it's not user friendly this way

Front search will stay as is, only with "best match" and "newest first" choice, but in future, for example, I should do something with sites with unrated images, especially, when should be marked as "red". Maybe exlude such site from search results, but this is topic for separate thread, I think.

« Reply #47 on: July 15, 2013, 14:23 »
0
In my opinion the search engine should use only the [pure base features] from the [basic symbiostock site installation] in the front.

A good place to put all those fancy filters is in the advanced options, sure you'll make it as you like

Also I'd move the "Search item" input in adv. search UP, my first reaction was to put the keyword in the first input, it's not user friendly this way

Front search will stay as is, only with "best match" and "newest first" choice, but in future, for example, I should do something with sites with unrated images, especially, when should be marked as "red". Maybe exlude such site from search results, but this is topic for separate thread, I think.

can you explain the algorithm behind best match? cheers

« Reply #48 on: July 15, 2013, 14:42 »
+1
I wrote about it in one of previous posts:

"Now it is simple. When you enter phrase having two or more words, first go images with that phrase as single keyword or title, then images with all words as separate keywords. Images are sorted randomly to avoid grouping results from one site (random numbers are generated when images are indexed or updated in database). And images with huge number of keywords are pushed down."


Ron

« Reply #49 on: July 15, 2013, 14:48 »
+1
" And images with huge number of keywords are pushed down."

Why is that, I have images with 60 keywords and that is without spam? And what is huge? 50 or 100?


 

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