Sorting lending opps by popularity

[Guest]

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[miGIRLS]

I agree, and just use my browser bar button I made for New to Old, and often use Loan Amount to sort. I think the default should be Random. Least popular will stay there a lot longer with Popular being the default. I vote for Random.

KLA

[AccountAbility]

We might get an official answer before it goes away-- but then again based on the sentiment here, maybe not.  I have viewed a profile three or four times (between going to the partner page, comparing it with others, etc) with no apparent effect in the popularity contest, but when I funded a loan it immediately went up in popularity.  So that is my theory on where it comes from.
But I too think it is a poor default choice.  I use new to old so I don't miss any new loans (scanning through them until I see loans I saw before).  But I also use the loan size to see which small ones I can fully fund, and with the newer default of sorting by region, I will go to selected regions.  (although why Samoa is listed as Asia is beyond me.)

So does popularity of sort preference here affect the way Kiva defaults?

[BenElberger]

Hey Guys,

Popularity is a complex equation that factors in page views, loans to businesses, recency of the business, etc.

In terms of random, we actually had some issues with that as truly randomized business sorting is not the easiest to code.  We hope to be there soon.

Thanks!
Ben

[RichardF]

Ben, "Popularity" - Why?!   

[Laurie]

Or even... why DEFAULT to "popularity"? 

It seems like such an odd designation, and even odder that it is the default. 

If anything, I'd rather see a default that highlights the borrowers who are finding funding slow going, not those who are funding most easily.  Personally, when I change the sorting order - which I always do immediately - I sort most often by New to Old, so I can see those I have not seen previously.

Safe travels,
Laurie
Writing today from Hood River, Oregon