Discussion Forum: Messages by brickerking (1875)
Redisplay Messages: Compact | Brief | All | Full      Show Messages: All | Without Replies

 Author: brickerking View Messages Posted By brickerking
 Posted: Feb 17, 2021 11:10
 Subject: Re: Adjusting Colour Names such as Bluish Grey?
 Viewed: 36 times
 Topic: Suggestions
View Message
View
Cancel Message
Cancel
Reply to Message
Reply
BrickLink
ID Card

brickerking (1875)

Location:  Canada, Alberta
Member Since Contact Type Status
Mar 21, 2016 Contact Member Seller
Buying Privileges - OKSelling Privileges - OK
Store: Bricker King
In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
  In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
  In Suggestions, gogogovro writes:
  In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
  Well as someone who buys and sells accross multiple platforms I can tell you
it creates immense confusion not just for me but no doubt my customers also.
To start with should I label my own stocks/inventory as per Legos Colour Names
(Medium Stone Grey) or Bricklinks (Light Bluish Grey) and then how should
I list them for sale on other sites like ebay? should I just play it safe and
call it (Light Grey) and hope that an inexpereinced parent buying for kids can
make sense of it all or should I be concerned that an expereinced buyer is going
to quiz me on the fact that I've sold them Light Bluish grey instead of the
described Light Grey? Either way it seems I already have three different reference
names in use for the same colour depending on where I'm buying or where I'm
selling, who I'm picking for or how I'm labelling my inverntory!? Not
confusing enough?

I think this paragraph helps us understand more of why you are requesting this
colour name change. I assume you want more uniformity in colour names that will
spread to other platforms that you sell lego on like eBay. Frankly, I don't
think that's a valid reason to be pushing this change on BL. BL colour designations

  
  were designed for reselling, not LEGO brand continuity. If you are using eBay,
then you are selling to the wild west since they are obviously not lego specific.
People will buy grey megabloks as much as grey lego on eBay, so why should that
concern BL users or the way BL labels colours?

Because I have Bricklink users that shop with me on all three platforms be that
ebay, BL or BO and is that so surprising? Either way it does'nt surprise
me that a minor point I make gets inflated on the forum as this huge Single reason
I'm seeking to have sensible colour names. If you read my other posts in
this thread then you may start to understand my reasoning more clearly?

Just to add you cant start here:-

https://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=1253376

OK if you say so.

Sorry, perhaps I aimed my reply a little too personally. It's great to have
a discussion about these things. What I mean is that, in general, I don't
think we need to think about LEGO brand continuity in our colour change discussion.
Yes, BL is part of LEGO, but at arms length. I think that's a good thing.
BL has an established cataloging system that was built with the goal of reselling
and maybe collecting in mind. I understand you are trying to make a change here
to cater to new users who might get confused with the naming of gray bricks.
I submit to you that you will run into a learning curve in any hobby. No matter
what you call the colour, there will be confusion just because of the fact that
there are two different kinds of gray colours that are very similar. I mean seriously,
I have use a special light to tell them apart. However, buyers want LG bricks
just as much as LBG bricks to complete an old set or just for variety. Both colours
are in demand.

I don't think changing the name would solve the problem. Education might
be the better way to go. If BL had more of a user friendly blog section they
could educate the community on certain aspects of the LEGO hobby like the difference
between LG and LBG. That would be a great marketing strategy, but I think they
have their hands full right now and the foreseeable future with... taxes.
 Author: brickerking View Messages Posted By brickerking
 Posted: Feb 17, 2021 10:33
 Subject: Re: Adjusting Colour Names such as Bluish Grey?
 Viewed: 31 times
 Topic: Suggestions
View Message
View
Cancel Message
Cancel
Reply to Message
Reply
BrickLink
ID Card

brickerking (1875)

Location:  Canada, Alberta
Member Since Contact Type Status
Mar 21, 2016 Contact Member Seller
Buying Privileges - OKSelling Privileges - OK
Store: Bricker King
In Suggestions, infinibrix writes:
  Well as someone who buys and sells accross multiple platforms I can tell you
it creates immense confusion not just for me but no doubt my customers also.
To start with should I label my own stocks/inventory as per Legos Colour Names
(Medium Stone Grey) or Bricklinks (Light Bluish Grey) and then how should
I list them for sale on other sites like ebay? should I just play it safe and
call it (Light Grey) and hope that an inexpereinced parent buying for kids can
make sense of it all or should I be concerned that an expereinced buyer is going
to quiz me on the fact that I've sold them Light Bluish grey instead of the
described Light Grey? Either way it seems I already have three different reference
names in use for the same colour depending on where I'm buying or where I'm
selling, who I'm picking for or how I'm labelling my inverntory!? Not
confusing enough?

I think this paragraph helps us understand more of why you are requesting this
colour name change. I assume you want more uniformity in colour names that will
spread to other platforms that you sell lego on like eBay. Frankly, I don't
think that's a valid reason to be pushing this change on BL. BL colour designations
were designed for reselling, not LEGO brand continuity. If you are using eBay,
then you are selling to the wild west since they are obviously not lego specific.
People will buy grey megabloks as much as grey lego on eBay, so why should that
concern BL users or the way BL labels colours?
 Author: brickerking View Messages Posted By brickerking
 Posted: Feb 17, 2021 08:13
 Subject: Re: Adjusting Colour Names such as Bluish Grey?
 Viewed: 42 times
 Topic: Suggestions
View Message
View
Cancel Message
Cancel
Reply to Message
Reply
BrickLink
ID Card

brickerking (1875)

Location:  Canada, Alberta
Member Since Contact Type Status
Mar 21, 2016 Contact Member Seller
Buying Privileges - OKSelling Privileges - OK
Store: Bricker King
In Suggestions, jennnifer writes:
  I am not trying to stir up bad feelings or cause trouble, but the reality
is that if we change our names to suit some users, we are causing problems for
others. It's like BrickLink's XP wanted to dumb down our catalog structure
so that newbies have less trouble. What they ended up with was a mess! There's
a balance and I think much of what we have built here is good for most of us
and occasionally confusing for new people.

I think the OP should also consider the irony in Jennifer not thinking this is
a good idea, having been involved in the last change AND having th store name
“OLD GREY BRICKS”.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
 Author: brickerking View Messages Posted By brickerking
 Posted: Feb 16, 2021 16:14
 Subject: Re: Adjusting Colour Names such as Bluish Grey?
 Viewed: 46 times
 Topic: Suggestions
View Message
View
Cancel Message
Cancel
Reply to Message
Reply
BrickLink
ID Card

brickerking (1875)

Location:  Canada, Alberta
Member Since Contact Type Status
Mar 21, 2016 Contact Member Seller
Buying Privileges - OKSelling Privileges - OK
Store: Bricker King
In Suggestions, Admin_Russell writes:
  And speaking of numbers, I'm thinking the first step in harmonization would
be to replace the BrickLink color numbers with official LEGO numbers. What do
people think of THAT idea. When we speak to internal folks, they tend to use
the numbers instead of the names, so there is value in those numbers.

LEGO colour designations and numbers were designed for manufacturing (I assume),
not collection or reselling. Bricklink designations and coding were designed
(I assume) for the collector or reseller. These are two different systems which
may not (and maybe should not) be compatable. I don't think we have to force
a square peg into a round hole.

To the OP, I also don't think light bluish gray is the biggest stumbling
block for new users. Yes, it may be a small learning curve, but certainly not
the first area I would work on to make the site more user friendly. And... it
doesn't bother me as a seller anymore.
 Author: brickerking View Messages Posted By brickerking
 Posted: Jan 15, 2021 15:26
 Subject: Re: Change Part Dimensions to Metric
 Viewed: 23 times
 Topic: Suggestions
View Message
View
Cancel Message
Cancel
Reply to Message
Reply
BrickLink
ID Card

brickerking (1875)

Location:  Canada, Alberta
Member Since Contact Type Status
Mar 21, 2016 Contact Member Seller
Buying Privileges - OKSelling Privileges - OK
Store: Bricker King
In Suggestions, yorbrick writes:
  In Suggestions, gogogovro writes:
  In Suggestions, yorbrick writes:
  
  It's a moot point now, since this is actually being implemented, but my point
is that when adding part sizes, doing that by stud and brick height is not easy
in most cases or practical compared to standard measurements. ie. sticking a
ruler next to a part and measuring it's height. The conversion to studs and
brick heights should be on the server side, not the human input side.

It is just as easy to stick a brick next to a part and count the studs as it
is to put a ruler next to a part and measure it.

Given that only one measurement of size should be used where possible for a particular
function, and how easy it is to determine the size of the majority of bricks,
plates, and other parts by just looking at them, then the studs as the visual
dimensions should (and will be) retained. The system scale and packing scale
are two different things. Of course, there are other scales in use too. DUPLO
is also measured in studs but this time DUPLO studs. So a DUPLO 2x2 brick is
still 2x2x1 in studs, the same as a system 2x2 brick. The difference is that
the user is expected to know that DUPLO studs are different to system studs.

Yes, I agree, placing a piece across studs is pretty easy, although not very
accurate. It is better to start off accurate and then round up or down to stud
length on the server side. However, brick height is not that easy, even on the
human side. Now you're getting into very inaccurate measurements and guesstimating
when dealing with partial brick height. Height is especially easier with standard
measurements.

I find measuring parts in brick height quite easy, use a pile of bricks with
three plates on the top. Measurements are then accurate to 1/3 a brick height
which is good enough for most parts as that is the accuracy that they are quoted
to.

For non-brick parts two measurements are sometimes quoted as needed, but the
cm dimensions don't go into the dimensions field but into the name. For example:

 
Part No: 522  Name: Minifigure Cape Cloth, Standard - Traditional Starched Fabric - 4.0cm Height
* 
522 Minifigure Cape Cloth, Standard - Traditional Starched Fabric - 4.0cm Height
Parts: Minifigure, Body Wear
 
Part No: 522c  Name: Minifigure Cape Cloth, Standard - Traditional Starched Fabric - 3.9cm Height
* 
522c Minifigure Cape Cloth, Standard - Traditional Starched Fabric - 3.9cm Height
Parts: Minifigure, Body Wear

Telling these two apart if you only have one of them is difficult, even with
a ruler.

 
Part No: x77ac75  Name: String, Cord Thin    75cm
* 
x77ac75 String, Cord Thin 75cm
Parts: String & Net
 
Part No: 5102c38  Name: Hose, Pneumatic 4mm D.  38L / 30.4cm
* 
5102c38 Hose, Pneumatic 4mm D. 38L / 30.4cm
Parts: Hose, Pneumatic 4mm D.

It makes sense to have them in the name here because the size is often very different
to the packaging dimensions, and also sometimes you need to know a length in
studs or in cm depending on what you are doing with it.

You seem very opposed to the idea of using international standards of measurement
for user input or just playing devil's advocate. I'm not sure why, but
I'm sure that anything I say will not convince you otherwise. So let's
leave
it at that.

Next Page: 5 More | 10 More | 25 More | 50 More | 100 More