Better search function on the forums?

[mimayin]

I don't know if its just me but i think the search function on the forums is quite lacking and could be why so many questions are asked repeatedly over and over again.

 

For example searching for "ICS MP5 gearbox" returns all posts with "mp5" in them, as well as all posts with "ICS" or "gearbox" in them.. the result is tons of stuff that isn't relevant. Searching for "ICS+MP5+gearbox" yields the same poor result. This should definitely be addressed as im sure it would help newbies like myself find info much quicker.

 

I am a fairly knowledgeable php/mysql coder and would be happy to modify the code to enable this functionality, if the owners of the site would like it..

[joeking27]

theres a little box marked search titles only. And +ICS +MP5 gives lots of results for ICS MP5s.

[elrey]

What you really want is "+ICS +MP5 +gearbox", with spaces. And using "Thread titles only" helps as well.

[Arnie]

As I have said many times before, the search box works perfectly. It does EXACTLY what you tell it to.

 

It searchs for the terms you asked for in either AND or OR format, and then returns them.

 

There's nothing wrong with it and it works fine. You can't expect the search facility to rank posts and understand what you're looking for.. or cater for that fact that a term you're searching for may be mentioned in a topic/thread that you didn't expect

[privatecowboy]

You have a search function Arnie , my god I would never have known

[R22Master]

Indeed. Clicking the "Advanced Usage Help" link immediately below the text you want to search for, gives you details on how to use the search feature.

 

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...ch&CODE=explain

 

When I first started using this forum-engine, I found the search function a little clunky, but practicing a few times means I can now find what I want without a problem.

[Prometheus]

Yeah, its not that hard. I've noticed that the little box "Title Only: solves my problem almost 80% of the time.

 

The other 20% is ether Spelling/wording, not typing in the right title, etc.

 

 

 

Just use the functions, before you search, have a read through of all the functions on the search menu. That should solve your problem.

 

 

 

~P

[Ghost_Rider]

It's really funny when someon goes "I've searched, please don't flame" and its BLATANTLY *fruitcage*-ING OBVIOUS they haven't because five seconds work provides a useful link.

[Sledge]

It all comes back to the problem that some people can't be bothered. They want to treat the forums as their personal search engine, and have us do all the work. And people ask why there's so much flaming...

 

[Mouse]

I gotta agree with sledge there, the flaming's because people become annoyed when newbies (not all, obviously, or we'd have no decent new members) make no effort to search for themselves or read the rules or the sticky that was supposed to end "What am bestest gnu" threads...

 

The only thing I can think of in defense is that how to use the search engine isn't posted enough. For example the + thing, which I happened to know from our searches, however many others don't. They only find out after they post the annoying thread and after they get a flaming...

 

Still, it seems to be mentioned all the time now. So I guess it's just plain lazyness and incompetence

 

Edit: correction: not so much not posted enough, but not posted or written at a point where they'll see it. I mean, newbies come in and they don't see how to use the search and they type in what they want and they're overwhelmed with the results and so make little effort. If they knew how to search properly that'd narrow the results. Although, I'm sure it's posted in the search sticky and I bet a vast majority don't bother to read that thread or some even search at all. However, as much as I'd love to say it's not my fault they do that, if I want it to stop, I can't really do that. Then again, would it be arnies without some newbie flaming?

Edited September 4, 2005 by Mouse

[Shao14]

As I have said many times before, the search box works perfectly. It does EXACTLY what you tell it to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I beg to differ, Arnie.

 

When I searched for "three +point +sling" in the search engine,

I would expect at least this

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...hl=point++sling

and this

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...hl=point++sling

to show up,

 

but no, this is what happened when I searched "three +point +sling"

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...Bpoint+%2Bsling

 

Something's broken if you ask me. Those above links used to show up in the search, but not anymore.

[Arnie]

The search term cache probably needs to be flushed and updated manually. The database is getting rather large these days, so it's possible a few keys didn't make it or got currupted somewhere.

[Prometheus]

I tried that exact same search of " three + point + sling " and got an error message.

 

This error message:

 

[Shao14]

I tried that exact same search of " three + point + sling " and got an error message.

 

This error message:

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can't put space between the "+" sign and the word after it.

[Prometheus]

blah

 

let me go try yours again then...

 

 

 

****EDIT****

 

 

Ok, this was the top article= http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...ree+point+sling

 

Pretty much exactly what I looked for. Shao, this is going to sound bad, but did you try doing the "Search Post titles only" thing? Thats what I did.

 

 

 

~P

Edited October 25, 2005 by Prometheus

[Shao14]

blah

 

let me go try yours again then...

****EDIT****

Ok, this was the top article= http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/forums/inde...ree+point+sling

 

Pretty much exactly what I looked for. Shao, this is going to sound bad, but did you try doing the "Search Post titles only" thing? Thats what I did.

~P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I don't know if you clicked on my link above, but that was pretty much the ONLY thread showed up, and see that link I put in there? I had to dig around a bit more to find it, so I can reply that thread. I posted in here for precise the reason that it took me a bit more to find the info I needed to reply that thread.

[Prometheus]

Hmm. Yes something must be broken or something. I've noticed I can't find things sometimes when I search. I thought it was just me though. No one else seemed to have the problem...

 

Maybe it was my generous use of spaces. I don't know

 

 

~P

[Shao14]

Yes, especially when you know that you have responded in a thread.

 

What I ended up doing to dig up the old "Three point sling' threads was to search for "point +sling" and filter by my name "shao14" because I know I posted in those old threads. If I don't filter by my name, "point +sling" will return dozens of pages.

 

Is it possible just to use google's search engine for this site? Doesn't google provide an API for using their search engine?

[davedawg123]

Google search engines are great. You might be able to use google as an alternative method for searching topics at Arnie's (not really, but for just laughs):

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22three+po...ficial&filter=0

Look Shao, you are the 4th link down!

 

Anyhow, what exactly is the difference between doing a search for:

 

"three point sling"

"+three +point +sling"

+three +point +sling

 

Is it that the third option will find any such item with the words but not necessarily in that order?

 

I think the search works pretty well, when the actual topic title is related to subject discussed. I think there should be more enforcement on that as vague topic titles tend to kill the usefulness of the search engine.

[Shao14]

Google search engines are great. You might be able to use google as an alternative method for searching topics at Arnie's (not really, but for just laughs):

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22three+po...ficial&filter=0

Look Shao, you are the 4th link down!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hehe, but you put my name in the search field as well, if you take out my name, it's not so easy anymore. You can't expect people always filter everything with my name.

[Sledge]

This is maybe a little off topic, but I think people need to remember that someone new to airsoft may not yet know enough to do a proper search. For instance, if I want info on a full metal, cheap Beretta, I know to search terms like "Beretta" "HFC" "KJW" etc. Someone new isn't going to know what they're looking for, so there's no point flaming him for not being born with the encyclopedia of airsoft knowledge we all possess.

 

Also, could we maybe be a little harsher on people saying "You should have searched" but who don't provide links to things they found searching? For instance, the other day, someone got flamed for asking how many brands of AEG MP5K there were. Now, there's no thread discussing this prior to this one that I'm aware of. And I can't imagine how even a Google search would turn up this information, unless you were prepared to look through every airsoft website. So why was this an unreasonable question to ask? It takes, what, a minute, to post "There is one brand of MP5K AEG in production, the TM, and there have been one or two others in the past. These are no longer made, so you would be best to focus on the TM." Compare that to the time taken to search every airsoft website.

 

Edited October 26, 2005 by Sledge

[Desolation mkII]

You make a valid point sledge, I have seen people flamed and told to search for similar things. When I have searched for that item nothing has cone up. Unfortunately people are still unable to kick this knejerk reaction (excuse the pun) of ''search you noob'' everytime someone asks a noobish question.

Edited October 27, 2005 by Desolation mkII

[Shao14]

Also, could we maybe be a little harsher on people saying "You should have searched" but who don't provide links to things they found searching?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, we should. I would now start giving out neg points to those who flame a newbie to search but without providing the links themselves.

[Ghost_Rider]

Yes, we should.  I would now start giving out neg points to those who flame a newbie to search but without providing the links themselves.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I already do this.

[Shao14]

I already do this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hah, guess they'll get another one from now on.