Just curious, do you read them or skip past to the current ads? They remind me of E-bay[:@], and I scroll right past them, just like I do on E-bay.

No

What featured ads??

Don't even use the markeplace here anymore.
Tried it, lots, and just do not like it, at all.

What he said.

I do not read the featured ads, but I still go through the regular ads. I have however noticed this. Radio and equipment almost never has radios anymore....mostly servo's and miscellaneous items. They Aircraft section is also pretty slim. I have noticed that the numbers of ads are climbing, but it does not seem that there is near the selection there used to be. Maybe having to sort through the melting-pot of aircraft for sale instead of being able to look at warbirds and aerobatic planes exclusively has something to do with it.

I like certian aspects of the new format, but it appears to me that people have taken their planes and radios elsewhere to sell. Just MHO.

John

John,

Sort through melting pot of aircraft? Instead of being able to look at warbirds and aerobatic planes exclusively? Have you actually looked at the categories on the left when your in airplanes and clicked on warbirds? I don't think you understand how the system works. Try clicking on the categories to narrow your browse field.

Also, nobody has taken their stuff elsewhere. Our listings are exactly where we expected them to be at this stage. Some who have no credit cards, paypal or checks or simply refuse to provide information that we use to make RCU marketplace safer have gone elsewhere. Those who want to trade in a more trusted environment where the hurdle is more than just a hotmail address can enjoy our marketplace. Also we are the ONLY site that has karma feedback.

Marc (i.e. RCAdmin),

You are 100% correct regarding the menu's on the left and I have the balls to admit it. Perhaps I failed to express my thoughts properly. I did start using that section in the begining, but found it much easier to just go into airplanes because the volume was so low and it was easier since everything in Warbirds for example is (I thought) also listed in the Airplanes general category. Admittedly though, I could focus on just Warbirds if I choose.

I am not an anarchist about the new site. There are aspects that I think are nice and some that are not as nice as the old format. My observations were just that...observations. I still maintain that the selection is not as broad as it once was. I have credit cards (more than I need), as well as paypal and I may choose to use them on RCU at some point in the future. I still maintain that the selection is inadequate compared to the past and my observation about the radio equipment stands. Can you explain to me the featured ads? Some of what I see in there is product that was posted a couple of days or weeks ago as a regular ad. How does one get bumped to the top of the page as a featured ad? Is there a fee for this? Also, if it I cannot sell something in two or three weeks or whatever amount of time, what makes me think I will get it sold by going to the top of the list?

I understand your frustration with the amount of negative comments the site has been getting. Some of it is unwarranted. Some of it is legitimate. It must be tough I'm sure. But face it, now it's a business not a hobby. You said yourself that it was a big risk and that you put everything you own on the line. I never did subscribe to the theory of combining what one does with one's hobby. It's a sure way to ruin your interest in a relaxing activity. Judging by the speed at which my post was addressed, someone must really be on the lookout for negative comments which must really make it hard to enjoy this hobby...err....business. But then again, that's why we have hobbies....to relax after a long day's work. I wish you all the best in your new business. I hope the volume picks up for you and I hope this format continues to exist in some form so that customers and enthusiasts alike can continue to communicate with each other. Most of all, I hope that your investment pays off.

P.S. It occured to me that RCAdmin has always been Marc, as he always signs his messages in my experience. If the response to my message was not written by Marc, please disregard, but it kinda torqued me of a little ya know?

Have a nice day!
John

John (scale dreamer),

Yes it was me as "RCadmin". I forgot to add my name at the top of the signature! I cannot believe I missed that. I got the balls to admit that I totally overlooked that so touche

To address your response about the categories. Yes this system is different. It is built for volume. RCU is growing at current pace to add another 60,000 users to the site in the next 12 months. Some of the old guard are gone and will look for a forum only to satisfy their needs. None will ever compare to the old RCU or this one I assure you. Too much time & money involved to bring up the custom features we had. Those with an eye to the future will adapt or simply know right how to use our system. If anybody ever browses amazon.com they can use RCU. It is simple but again, different from the old selling format.

As far as the discussions. In a week the forum feature set will be just about identical. The problems some users had with posting will all be gone. We are all over this.

To address your listing volume comments. One "illusion" of forum based sites is that of history and activity. We had 3-6 months of posts that made up the numbers in our sale section. We have just 3 weeks here. When a guy posted in a forum ad it went to the top. If there were no new ads in a single day but 10 ads from the prior month got responses they would bubble to the top making it appear as if 10 items were "current" when in fact they were not. This system reduces the signal to noise ratio. Guys used to ask me over and over to get rid of the sold ads on the forum while others wanted them for reference. On RCU you can now have both. This is the case with many aspects of the requested functionality we added.

One thing a business thrives on is listening to their customers. Sometimes a customer asks for something and he doesn't even know what he is asking for or how it could be solved. Case in point is our auctions. For dirt cheap a small business or garage business can promote his products. We did a poll about allowing the "small guy" to promote his stuff here on RCU. Members wanted it. Small guys could not afford it. Our solution is to build a dirt cheap auction for members or the small guy and let them market to the community. Now guys yell "your auction is all commercial!" while in fact it is a vehicle that is efficient for the garage or basement hobbyist to sell his products effectively. In the end the solution exists but at face value there are those who ask for something and when you give them the solution they complain. Again, this was not unexpected.

While some have complained others have raved. I learned over a year ago on this site I will never make everyone happy but as we grow to 150,000 members I will make most of them happy I guarantee that. I had more negativity when I started RCU than I have seen during this changeover.

For me it is still a hobby and a business. I don't think about all the junk on the site when I'm at the sticks of my U-CAN-DO hovering it or helping some other guy out at the field. I have fun and nothing will stop me from enjoying the hobby. On the website I will continue to polish and improve it as I always have. Members can rest in the fact that I am an obsessive compulsive perfectionist. I use this site as a member myself and if something isn't "right" I know it and put it on my list. The best part about the merger is that I no longer have to do everything myself which was proving to be impossible.

I thank you for your positive words of support and I will continue to work hard to ensure RC Universe remains the greatest RC website out there so the members can enjoy it day after day for years to come.

Just sold my plane using the RCU marketplace. It did take longer to set up the ad but the result was quite professional looking. I posted it near midnight last night and had several offers when I woke up this morning, including a local offer which is what I was hoping for. Sold it much faster than I anticipated.

Well said Marc.

I will continue to adapt and hopefully learn. Good luck with everything and I still enjoy the site by and large. Six or twelve months from now, it may be moot as the volume continues.

Regards,
john

I have to admit that I wasn't too pleased with the new classified/auction format at first. It was a little cumbersome to navigate. The additional classifications weren't a great help as people tended to qualify their items for as many categories as possible.

I still think it would be nice if the planes could be easily divided between items which are NIB and items which are built already. Just a nitpick.

As for the featured ads... I skim through them once, then ignore them. That's what scrollmice are for. Whizz right to the meat