"Just a few questions"?

Went to download two models tonite. First model - downloaded as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. But the second model - a box appeared, “Just a few questions.” I did not see an “X” to close the box, didn’t see a “not now” or “maybe later,” or even a “don’t ask again.” Clikking out on the main page didn’t do anything. So I reloaded the page. Ah…it’s gone. Clikked on the model’s download button and WHAM!! Here’s that box back.

It says that setting my country allows [Trimble?] to filter content according to my location. Why does content have to be filtered for me? Why does content have to be filtered based on my location? Does this mean if I search for a German schrank, I will be presented only with those created in the US?

It also says that setting my industry helps me to find content relevant to my work. I don’t have an industry, and my work varies. When I go looking for something in the 3DWH, I know what I’m looking for. I don’t care if the model was created by someone in the US or in Timbuktu. Tonite I might be looking for a rocking chair… tomorrow, a fishing reel… next week, a saguaro.

That box even wants to know my language. Is Trimble going to filter out everything that isn’t, in my case, English?

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They might filter out tonite toomorro :innocent:

I find the question annoying too and I don’t know what the answers would be useful for. I don’t want filtered content based on location or industry. I want the same results as anyone else using the same search term. I don’t want any silent localization but transparency of what is going on. I want to be able to do a project in another industry for once without having problems searching, or move to a new location, or tell a friend or college that the, say, third result for a specific search term is a good model for them.

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YIKES… I never considered that!!

I bet @psaal knows what’s going on.

Sorry folks, I see that “Filter” was a poor choice of word. Our intention is for these profile attributes to help us suggest new content you might be interested in. They will in no way “filter” what you can find or see on 3D Warehouse.

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Hmmm…YouTube is constantly “suggesting” videos they “think” I might be interested in. Thing is…their suggestions often push the things I am interested in, things that should be presented to me based on my viewing history, way down the page, and in some cases right off the page.

Occasionaly I cruise around in the 3DWH just to see what’s out there. I’ve been known to clik on someone’s collection, and spot something in that collection that looks interesting and then go looking at the work created by that particular Warehouser. I may land on that Warehouser’s page and find that I don’t like the majority of their models. I don’t want similar content then being thrown at me as suggestions just because I happened to trip into their warehouse.

If we’re gonna play this “you might be interested…” game, then perhaps something like what is found on the Google search page could be implemented - one button for “3DWH Search” and another button “I’m Feeling Lucky,” or “Gimme All the New Stuff,” or “Surprise Me!”

I’m not an architect or designer and working on jobs with time limits and deadlines, BUT…if I’m looking for something in particular, I don’t wanna wade thru “suggestions,” especially if those suggestions may simply be bloating my search results and may not apply.

Professional users complain as it is now about all the junk, trash and worthless models in the 3DWH. Sometimes I like to check out the most recent models uploaded (new content)…just outta curiosity. It’s nothing to either be inundated with mass uploads by a checkmark-bearing Warehouser or models that just don’t seem to be worth much of anything for anyone or any reason. Sort of another reason I don’t think I want Trimbles suggestions depending on why I’m in the Warehouse at any given time.

But these models intended to “suggest new content” Trimble thinks I might be interested in will surely add to the number of models returned in a search. I’m pretty sure a lot of users of the 3DWH try to cinch their searches down to have returned as many models as possible that hopefully will be the most relevant to what they want. Seems the addition of suggested new content to those searches would be counteractive.

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Well, it’s become somewhat painfully obvious that this box is not going to go away and I can’t download ANYthing unless I go along with this. I sorta considered just resorting to trying to create everything I want, myself. But, while I’ve improved greatly in SU, I’m in no way perfect. There are many more things I could learn and/or become more proficient in, and until then, there are some things it’s just easier for me to download if for no other reason than there is always someone out there who can create what I want with a smaller file size than what I am able to do.

@psaal has indicated that “filter” was probably a poor choice of words, but page one of “just a few questions” still advises us that setting country and industry lets the system “filter content according to” location. And now that I look at the second page of this box which wrangles a user into choosing certain interests to help me find content I care about, I again have to ask how this will affect the results of my searches. It also brings to mind another suggestion - include a button “Everything” or “Anything” or “All of the Above.”

I gotta be honest here…my first thought when I saw this “just a few questions” box appear on 21 December was that things were being set up for running ads in the warehouse. I guess that’s not the case though since no one has posted complaining about ads - yet - but I can’t for the life of me think of any way this thing will be helpful…especially since we can’t even opt out of this new “feature.”

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Well, it’s been about 3 months now since that “Just a few questions” (JAFQs) feature popped up. As indicated in my last post, I finally relented and completed the questionnaire so that I could d/l models from the Warehouse.

Now, perhaps it’s just coincidence, as this feature is/was allegedly so that Trimble can “improve” our search experiences :face_with_raised_eyebrow:, but since it’s implementation:
- view count on models I’ve uploaded since then has DRASTICALLY decreased
- download count on models I’ve uploaded since then in no way compares to download rates of models prior to this and another* new feature
- inclusion into the collections of other Warehousers since this new feature was rolled out has come to a screaching halt. I realize that what makes a model collection-worthy is subjective, but it just seems strange that not even one of my models uploaded since the new feature has been included in any collection

Prior to this new feature, there was *another change to the 3DWH - “Help others find your model” (HOFYM). I had a few questions about that because the first time I uploaded under that new feature, there were a few issues, but no one had any answers. I had asked in so many words how one’s score is increased/decreased and how that mysterious score placed one’s model in searches.

So betwixt the two, they sure seemed to have put a damper on something. Can’t help but wonder if my models just aren’t coming up in peoples’ searches (because of "JAFQs) or if my models aren’t being returned in searches because of some quirk of that “HOFYM.”

I think we all like to show off our work or we wouldn’t be uploading to the Warehouse. But what’s the sense in uploading models if they are in some way being supressed? Or so it seems…

@psaal I totally agree with sketchruppr ANY filtering, even the suggestion is inappropriate. Too many algorithms think i might need something i don’t. We even have our teammember log out from pinterest, google or trimble (why having to login anyway for a 3dw model is the main question?) to have the opportunity to really find what they are looking for, bacause the algorithms ruin the results. ADblockers have been invented for the very same reason.
So would trimble PLEASE cut the c r a p and stop this nonsense? And making this silly popup non-away-clickable is a kind of dictatorship i think most users are really pissed off about.
Improving things is ok. But then start with the host of requests which hover around for sketchup and layout for ages and don’t bother us with ‘networked’ things where trimble seems to waste a lot of time on lately.

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If there is filtering, make it a transparent user option for the search itself. I’d love to get kitchen appliances with standard Scandinavian/European measurements, but only when I explicitly make that choice. If I’m designing a US themed project next week I no longer want that filtering.

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