Search Function

[logan01]

Over the past several months, I have read negative posts regarding the search function of this forum. I agree; the search function is terrible. Many times I have searched the adtunes side of the function to no avail. I would then search the pages manually and find the topic I wanted. Additionally, if the correct link does appear in the return list, clicking on it may (most of the time) return you to the current page (page 1) instead of the page or topic to where you think you're going.. Anyway, enough moaning and groaning from me; the search function needs an overhaul.

 

[givemfitz]

It always has gone to page one but the word or words you used as criteria will be highlighted in yellow. A little scrolling finds them pretty quickly unless the thread is reallllllll long.

I've heard many complaints and I don't get it. It's always worked fine for me. There are a few tricks though. Narrowing or widening the search as far as categories or time span are both helpful and the search word must be at least 4 characters. If it isn't you can add an underline like this. RCA_ or _RCA

 

[dascoot]

And in case anyone still doesn't know it, you can't search for keywords. You can search for ONE keyword, or an exact phrase. And like Fitz said, change your results to go back further than 90 days.

 

[givemfitz]

Good point

 

[logan01]

Those are all good points, however, they don't apply to the problems I have experienced. Here's another one. As a test, I searched the words hip hop earnhardt. I limited the search to the television commercials only category. Got the hits along with all the other hits from "popular music", etc. It ignored the limiter of searching only the category I had chosen.

 

[dascoot]

Then I guess I don't understand what you're doing. I just tried duplicating what you did and got zero results. The reason for that, like I said before, is that you can't search for keywords. You can search for ONE keyword, like Earnhardt. Or you can search for an exact phrase, like hip hop. If you put in "hip hop earnhardt" it's gonna search through the entire site until it finds a post where the exact phrase "hip hop earnhardt" appears, and the only result you're gonna get is THIS thread where we keep saying "hip hop earnhardt".

Are you using the Google function? I don't know about anyone else but I've never had any luck with that, just stick with the built-in search function, it works every time.

 

[givemfitz]

Not only that but spelling counts. In the thread you were looking for,as I suspected, Earnhardt is missing the "d". People misspell it all the time. Neophites <_<

So anyway.....I ran a search using dale and limited it to tv commercial music and got it in two seconds. Once you understand how it thinks, if you can call it that, then it's real easy to be smarter than the machine.

EDIT - OK....I can only assume I've found the right thread since the words hip hop aren't even in it. Search definitely won't find words that aren't there.

 

[logan01]

I both understand and have a better appreciation of what you folks say regarding the very limited capabilities of the search function. I see no reason why it cannot be modified to accept key words, partial spellings, etc.

 

[dascoot]

The admin people have no control over that, as far as I know. It's the function that came with the forum template.

 

[givemfitz]

The bottom line is that even with its few limits it works very well indeed in its way. One must simply learn what that way is. It isn't like Google and probably never will be.

One last piece of advice. Always remember that less is more. Hip hop Earnhardt got nothing but dale did.

 

[jca]

First, I apologize for the frustrations you have had with searching the forums.

The search function has been a long standing weakness of the site. It's been discussed many times in the past, and using it is definitely more of an art than a science. A few notes:

• The Google Search option was added to the Search page as a way to include the other pages of the site (such as the weblog) in a search for those visiting/searching the site for the first time who don't visit via the front page.

• The search is limited to 4 characters or more as a trade-off for faster searching. However, the "underscore" work-around does work, and is described on the Search Error page if you search below the minimum characters.

• Since adding the "Search this forum" form at the top of every Forum Topic page recently, the number of duplicate posts has decreased noticeably (even as the number of visitors to the site has increased) -- so it does work in some respects, but obviously is far from perfect. If you'd like to search like the admins (and power users?) do, use a single keyword in that form at the top (or bottom) of the message topic listing in the relevant forum.

• The search would be overhauled when/if the site gets it's overdue redesign. Since that's a long-standing broken promise, I won't make any predictions on a time frame. Unfortunately, many different circumstances have delayed that work for some time now.

 

[logan01]

Thanks jca. Having worked for the government for ever and a day, I just go a bit crazy when I see room for improvement and you get a response which is basically a "tough, live with it" attitude. As for the search of hip hop earnhardt, one of the responses in this thread was the individual had no hits; I had several, to include, areas outside the limitations I had placed. Well like you said, hopefully in the near future we will see some upgrades with the search function; until then........... :wacko:

 

[dascoot]

Like I already said.. I was using the forum's search function. If you use the Google one, it doesn't matter what adjustments you make to the search criteria, it will give you every result that Google finds. If you want to narrow your search to one specific forum, use the built in search function.

 

[givemfitz]

:duh: Ohhhhhhhhh. Is that what he's doing? I couldn't figure out how he was getting multiple responses to a phrase that as yet didn't exist anywhere on the site until this thread. You have to enter your word or phrase in the site search box for a site search. The Google search box is just that. A shortcut to Google.

 

[dascoot]

Well it also has the option to search Adtunes, but really all that basically does is just do a google search for:

hip hop earnhardt adtunes

 

[logan01]

There appears to be some confusion; perhaps it's me. I never use the google option; only the adtunes search function.

 

[dascoot]

No. Look. Ok.. I'll take a screen shot and show you. Hold on.

 

[dascoot]

Here.

 

[logan01]

Nice. Screen shoot my last search. Adtunes only; same results. I noticed on the screen shot that the adtunes only button was highlighted. Is that just for appearance or should a person assume when they select that option that the search will be limited to the confines of adtunes?

 

[givemfitz]

I'm not sure I understand the question. The adtunes only button limits Google to answers from this site only but it has nothing to do with an insite search. Where Melissa entered the words hip hop earnhardt will give you an insite search only.