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Limit the visibility of restricted items on eBay.

Approach / Explanation

This inquiry requires you to create a system for eBay that filters out products prohibited from being sold on the platform. Your system should effectively identify and prevent these items from being listed. Here are several factors to consider: Identifying restricted products : In what ways will your system determine that a specific product should not be listed? This could involve categorizing the products, using keyword detection, or employing image recognition techniques. Implementation of the filter : After identifying a restricted product, how will your system stop it from being listed? This might entail flagging the product for manual review or automatically blocking the listing altogether. Updating the system : As laws and regulations regarding what can be sold evolve, your system should be designed to include a process for updating the list of restricted products.

Suggested Answer

In light of this, we can create a system that employs keyword detection and classification to pinpoint restricted products. When a seller tries to list an item, the system will analyze the supplied title and description for any keywords linked to restricted products. For example, if the item is a weapon, terms such as 'gun', 'rifle', and 'sword' could activate the system. Additionally, sellers are obligated to categorize their products, and if they choose a restricted category such as 'firearms', the system will block the listing. Once a restricted product is detected, an automatic email will be sent to the seller informing them that the listing could not be completed because the item is on the restricted list. The system should also flag this situation for manual review in case it is a false positive. To adapt to changes in regulations, there should be a feature allowing administrators to update the restricted keywords and categories as needed, ensuring the system stays current over time.

Alternative Answer

Alongside keyword detection, our system is capable of performing image recognition through machine learning algorithms. When a product image is uploaded, the system cross-references it with a database of prohibited items. For instance, if an image of a handgun is uploaded, the system will identify it and block the listing. Sellers will then receive a notification regarding the restriction and the reason their product could not be listed. Similar to the previous system, this one requires ongoing updates to the database of restricted items, which includes adding new images and improving the algorithm to minimize false positives and negatives. Lastly, we cannot depend solely on image recognition since it may not always be reliable, and some sellers might attempt to bypass it by not submitting images. Thus, it should work in conjunction with keyword detection and categorization methods to create a more effective system.

Question Details

Difficulty & Category

Medium
system design

Product

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