forum search function is utter crap

[jug]

i sometimes tell people to use the search when they post a question that i've already answered 375 times, but i can understand why people give up searching and PM or email me for help- they cant find my previous post with the info they need because the search tells lies.

if i search for posts by jug containing several words the search results bring up pretty much every post i've ever made even if they dont contain the words.

WTF?!

 

[Captain Mike]

i always trhought this.


i just try and narrow it down as much as possible by selecting me as someone who posted in it or started a thread and what section it is in.

thats the best i can do

 

[ben]

I'm currently experimenting with the "full text" search option vb has. Allows you to search for natural expressions as well as boolean.

Not enabled yet as I need to measure the extra load it puts on the sql box.

But watch this space!

 

[jug]

wouldnt it make sense for search results to contain all of the search terms?

if i search for [one two three] i dont want to get results than only contain one, they must have one and two and three.

the other annoying thing is even if you search for posts and show results as posts, the search still works on the entire thread.

 

[Captain Mike]

i also find it chucks up new/active threads at the top and i cant see any connection with them and my search criteria

 

[Rockbottom]

wouldnt it make sense for search results to contain all of the search terms?

if i search for [one two three] i dont want to get results than only contain one, they must have one and two and three.

To do that you need to enter "+one +two +three" into the search box.

 

[jug]

To do that you need to enter "+one +two +three" into the search box.

you are ******* joking!! :bang:

 

[ben]

Same as google .....

 

[jug]

nope still dont work, i get results that contain NONE of the words.

 

[jug]

i just found a method that works much better, use google instead

 

[Captain Mike]

i just found a method that works much better, use google instead

expand on that.

do u just add fiatforum to the end of your search criteria?

 

[ben]

I'm running the other search type on my login - which words / phrases you using and I'll post up the results I get.

 

[jug]

lets do an exmaple from this thread and compare results.

we'll use the words; method that works much better
username is jug
results are posts
search entire forum


j1ppers- yes add fiatforum.com as the domain. then you can even search by "phrase". add a username and google will cut out results that they didnt post in.

 

[jug]

ok my search is good, the first 2 results both contain all the words and are both from this thread
https://www.fiatforum.com/search.php?searchid=2551544

after that none of the results contain all of the words, or even most of them. the 3rd results contains 2 of the words, the 4th result contains 1 word.

there is a total of 542 results.

now i'll try the + method

 

[Xen]

I have to agree about the search. You can trawl through pages and pages of results before finding one that even remotely relates to what your looking for.

 

[jug]

ok adding + before each word gives me the exact same result, so that doesnt work.

putting & between each word is also same result.

putting it as a phrase "method that works much better" gives same result.

how the hell do i force all words to be included in all results?
how do i search for a phrase?

 

[Xen]

i dont think it supports any wildcard tbh, never seem to work for me

 

[Captain Mike]

I have to say if i was searching for something new i wouldnt find it but if i am searching for something i i have seen before i can normally find it it juststakes a while.

 

[ben]

lets do an exmaple from this thread and compare results.

we'll use the words; method that works much better
username is jug
results are posts
search entire forum


j1ppers- yes add fiatforum.com as the domain. then you can even search by "phrase". add a username and google will cut out results that they didnt post in.

Results are:
https://www.fiatforum.com/leisure-l....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/leisure-l....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/leisure-l....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/bravo-tec....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/non-fiat/122865-new-oil-jack.html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/computing....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/marea-tec....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better
https://www.fiatforum.com/bravo-bra....html?highlight=method+that+works+much+better

Total of 20 results found.

How my connection is too slow here to open each of those, but how did it do?

 

[jug]

your results are far better. how do i run this "other search type"?