Please bring back the basket timer

[Guest]

.

[abc]

Someone in chat last night suggested that I put this request out here
for others who miss the visible timer that used to be on the basket.
I hope this is the appropriate place to do that.

I asked the nice folks at contactus@kiva.org about it, and this was the
response I got:

"...We decided to remove this feature as it was a confusing feature for most lenders and tended to cause more questions than it answered. Our basket timeout hasn’t changed – you still have two hours until your basket times out – the message is just hidden...."

I know I am not the only one who thinks that they made an error here.

If enough folks write them in our kind and gentle Kiva Friendly way,
maybe they will re-think that decision. They have proven to be responsive to
(and, we hope, appreciative of) KF input.

Ann
who needs help knowing what time it is, and is dying to find out how much time she has left.

p.s. And Scott, I did also mention to them, in a nice way of course, that their claim of
2 hours was hogwash for some of us. I did not name names, so your secret is... well,
it's out in this thread now, isn't it?

[Peter S]

 the message is just hidden....

That's a surprisingly generous clue for anyone who has ever wondered what View >> [Page]Source is about in browser menus. I'm not going to comment on the unintentionally quite revealing thing I noticed there, apart from the basket expiry time.

Oops, as a friend of mine would say...


 

[saabnet]

Oops, as a friend of mine would say...

Well, that would confirm my fairly consistent one hour basket drop. I just added a loan to my basket and it doesn't *wink* *wink* say that it will drop out exactly one hour later, not two.

-Scott

[abc]

That's a surprisingly generous clue for anyone who has ever wondered what View >> [Page]Source is about in browser menus. I'm not going to comment on the unintentionally quite revealing thing I noticed there, apart from the basket expiry time.

Oops, as a friend of mine would say...


 

Oh now Peter, you just know that some of us are smart enough to wonder what you're talking about but too dense to figure it out without a lot of help. I'm looking at the page source thingy and it's all geek to me.


Edit:   Ohhhh. Do you mean this?

"...Hidden as per Premal's impassioned request... "
Well, bummer. Wonder what about the timer bothered her???
And do I really have to look at that damn page every time I want to see my timer status now?
I don't think so...

[saabnet]

Edit:   Ohhhh. Do you mean this?

Ann, did I ever say that you ARE the BEST! Well, you ARE!

-Scott

[abc]

Yeah, well, Scott, when I refreshed the page, I see that my basket time seems
now to have been changed to One Hour. So at least my little effort made a
difference in this big world. Rats. I'm going to go stand in the corner.
I'm taking a beer with me, though.

[RichardF]

"...We decided to remove this feature as it was a confusing feature for most lenders and tended to cause more questions than it answered. Our basket timeout hasn’t changed – you still have two hours until your basket times out – the message is just hidden...."

I pulled out my Kiva E-mail Message Translator and interpret this note to mean the following:

Just pull the trigger and be done with it!  

[abc]

Richard, do you think that is another way of someone telling us,

"Shut up and loan!"?

[RichardF]

 

[Peter S]

 Wonder what about the timer bothered her???

Ann, I'm afraid it's back to Kiva 101 for you:

http://www.kiva.org/about/people#Premal


http://www.kiva.org/lender/premal

 

[abc]

Oops. Sorry.

I wonder what got HIM so impassioned about a helpful little tool like the timer.

[Christopher]

I too had been missing the basket time, really glad it was only hidden - 'cause that means it can be unhidden! 

For those with a passion for tweaking websites using Greasemonkey or similar. 

http://cjw.me.uk/kiva/2008/08/please-bring-back-the-basket-timer/ contains a little script that will do the business and show the basket time.

[saabnet]

I too had been missing the basket time, really glad it was only hidden - 'cause that means it can be unhidden! 

For those with a passion for tweaking websites using Greasemonkey or similar. 

Wonderful script, totally works for me (again, shows 1 hour timer):



-Scott

[wthepoo]

Just a thought... I think it's "helpful" or "important" to inform new lenders that there is such a thing as a timeout (unlike with many e-shops where things can remain in my basket for weeks, months or years - occasionally happened to me with Amazon) and preferably how long (minimum) they have for browsing.

Maybe what was confusing for many - and was the reason for "Premal's impassioned request" - was the time quoted, that it changed every time they checked their basket and that it was quoted in some obscure time zone "PDT" (sorry, guys, just pulling your leg - but it really does not mean much to me). That's one reason why it was never of much help to me and why I am not really missing it.

How about a compromise along these lines: "We're holding these loans just for you. Please checkout within one hour [two hours...]. After that time, these loans may be automatically released again for others to fund."?

Take care,
Wolfgang.

[Eli]

Thank you Christopher!  Love the basket!  Yep, it is a one hour basket.  Although I question that with so many basket dumps lately.

Now I just wish Kiva would allow you to set your personal time zone so it isn't always P.S.T.

[mejane]

OK.....OK....... Peter!!! I know that OOOPSS is me.........
Now tell me what the rest of the last 2 pages meant!
Typo Jane

[AccountAbility]

I personally think the basket timer is very important. 

But why does it have to have clock time in ANY time zone?  Why can't it just say "Your basket will empty in ___ minutes (so others can join in on this loan)."
...or some such.

Dan

[abc]

Oh yeah, right Dan.
Confuse us with the easy answer!

Again, I would urge anyone who would like the timer to be easier to deal with
to politely express that opinion to the wonderful people at contactus@kiva.org


Ann
who hopes she does not slip and sprain something messing around
with this greasemonkey business of Christopher's.

[Terry*]

Christopher,

I tried your script as well and it works great.  Thank you for bringing back the basket timer!  What was passionate Premal thinking?

Terry

[abc]

Yippee! It worked! Thank you Christopher.

Now, how to word a follow-up message to Kiva,
letting them know that we fixed the trouble
ourselves, but that we are the lucky ones,
and we still want it fixed for everyone.

Nah, I'll wait a bit. I still think they should
get messages asking them to fix this somehow.
I like the idea of an actual time vs. time of day PDT.
Would that be so wrong??

Thanks again, sir.