Improve the search function

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The-BNA

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thebna
When searching, results just take you to the first page. If the thread has a lot of pages it's impossible to find where in the thread the subject you're looking for is being discussed.

I've seen some members ask questions because they couldn't find the subject, which has been frowned upon by others, and replied to with a link to a 100 pages long thread. Obviously that takes a really long time to read through.

So I suggest the search has the option of taking you to the first response with they key words in it.

Thanks for a great community :)
 
You have the option for it to bring up posts only. Just choose the option that says 'show posts'.
 
I was thinking the same thing last night.

But i also have another suggestion. What about, when you make a thread, you have an option to type in the keywords to the point of the thread eg., this thread would have:
Search Function, Find etc etc. Im saying this because my searches often bring back irrelevent searched threads.
 
The-BNA
When searching, results just take you to the first page. If the thread has a lot of pages it's impossible to find where in the thread the subject you're looking for is being discussed.

I've seen some members ask questions because they couldn't find the subject, which has been frowned upon by others, and replied to with a link to a 100 pages long thread. Obviously that takes a really long time to read through.
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Then you use the advanced search and limit the results to posts, not threads.

And if you still can't find anything, use google's advanced search, and limit the results to gtplanet.net

As with any search function, it'll only find what you're looking for if you know how to search.
 
daan
And if you still can't find anything, use google's advanced search, and limit the results to gtplanet.net

As with any search function, it'll only find what you're looking for if you know how to search.
Click to expand...

This shows just how poor the search box is. If a Super Moderator has to go elsewhere to find info contained in the site they moderate, then what hope have newbies got? I've been here a little over a year and have found more info I was looking for by browsing likely threads, or by accident than I have by using the search function.

Turbo Lag
But i also have another suggestion. What about, when you make a thread, you have an option to type in the keywords to the point of the thread eg., this thread would have:
Search Function, Find etc etc. Im saying this because my searches often bring back irrelevent searched threads.
Click to expand...

This would be handy, though ensuring your thread has a relevant title would help too. Only problem is getting a good balance of keywords into the title. "Possible improvements to the search function to help newbies find things faster" would be a bit much as a title.

The-BNA
I've seen some members ask questions because they couldn't find the subject, which has been frowned upon by others, and replied to with a link to a 100 pages long thread. Obviously that takes a really long time to read through.
Click to expand...

There does seem to be a tendancy to jump on newbies for failing to search. Thats fine if they blatently haven't bothered even to look at the sticky threads, but sometimes they seem to be attacked for falling victim to the failings in the search function. Thats not good.
 
Car-less
This shows just how poor the search box is. If a Super Moderator has to go elsewhere to find info contained in the site they moderate, then what hope have newbies got? I've been here a little over a year and have found more info I was looking for by browsing likely threads, or by accident than I have by using the search function.
Click to expand...
I only ever use that to search for 3 letter words that the standard vB search doesn't include. "Ruf" for example, will not be included in a vB search, and I don't believe there's anything Jordan can do about that.

I don't have any problems finding longer words simply by using the advanced search here. The advanced search is perfectly adequate if you know how to use its features, by limiting it to search titles only, or by limiting it to a certain forum, or a date, and getting it to display posts instead of threads.

Feel free to challenge me to find a thread here using only our advanced search.
 
The search function does require you to get used to it. But as Daan has said, using the advanced search function and narrowing down the search areas usually helps out a lot. Because if you search something about a certain car in GT4 but don't limit it to the GT4 section then yes its going to be hard to find what you want.
 
daan
Feel free to challenge me to find a thread here using only our advanced search.
Click to expand...

Ok. Assuming you cannot view my recently viewed pages...

I'm currently working on a "Scientific study of engine wear in GT4", and am wondering what work has already been done on the subject. I know that someone has done such a study before and has posted about it as I did accidentally stumble upon their results when searching for something totally unrelated. Let me know how long it takes you to find them.
 
Car-less
Ok. Assuming you cannot view my recently viewed pages...

I'm currently working on a "Scientific study of engine wear in GT4", and am wondering what work has already been done on the subject. I know that someone has done such a study before and has posted about it as I did accidentally stumble upon their results when searching for something totally unrelated. Let me know how long it takes you to find them.
Click to expand...

This one? It does state it's not scientific though

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1849087&postcount=33

Clock was at 18:14 when I started.
 
daan
I only ever use that to search for 3 letter words that the standard vB search doesn't include. "Ruf" for example, will not be included in a vB search.
Click to expand...
As i'm a newbie and have tried the advanced search, without the desired results, I don't know what a vB search is, but when searching how to "change bit size" for photo's so I could load them (kb size too big), I got pages upon pages with the word "bit" highlighted in yellow. Now I realize if I had said "change kilobits size" or something different I may of had different results so i tried it and had about the same results. Now as I said I'm a newbie and may be spelling Kb's wrong, entering the words incorrectly, etc. I'm guessing there is information on these pages that isn't put together technically that it is hard to get what you want, but this is no encyclopedia. I agree that after a couple hours of searching I figured it was useless and frustrating. I did give up and found another way. I went to Image Shack to get the pictures loaded. I made it work and got the pictures loaded. If it had not worked my next idea was to start asking in the many different threads where I thought it would be a good subject. I don't think many people would deny helping as I think this is a great group of people. I would agree that people probably don't use the search correctly.
 
Car-less
I already had the first two bookmarked, but the third is new to me - thanks.

Still no sign of those graphs I saw though!
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I give, I tried searching many times and many different word combos but I couldn't find any graphs.
 
Car-less
I already had the first two bookmarked, but the third is new to me - thanks.

Still no sign of those graphs I saw though!
Click to expand...
Been at my dinner, so haven't been searching. Just like to point out that any search requires pertinent keywords to appear in the post, and if a search using terms like Scientific, Engine wear, etc., and restricting the search to the GT4 boards doesn't find the post, then improving the search function isn't going to make any difference as the poster didn't use those terms so it won't be found anyway.
[/copout]

01gtp
As i'm a newbie and have tried the advanced search, without the desired results, I don't know what a vB search is, but when searching how to "change bit size" for photo's so I could load them (kb size too big), I got pages upon pages with the word "bit" highlighted in yellow. Now I realize if I had said "change kilobits size" or something different I may of had different results so i tried it and had about the same results. Now as I said I'm a newbie and may be spelling Kb's wrong, entering the words incorrectly, etc. I'm guessing there is information on these pages that isn't put together technically that it is hard to get what you want, but this is no encyclopedia.
Click to expand...
You need to use the correct terms to get the result you require. You needed to search on how to resize images, not how to change the bit size. As this is a computer game/car forum, a post like that may not exist here.

EDIT: vB stands for vBulletin, the software that GTP uses. As far as I know, it's their search facility and we are limited by the search features they supply us with
 
Loon
I give, I tried searching many times and many different word combos but I couldn't find any graphs.
Click to expand...

daan
Been at my dinner, so haven't been searching. Just like to point out that any search requires pertinent keywords to appear in the post, and if a search using terms like Scientific, Engine wear, etc., and restricting the search to the GT4 boards doesn't find the post, then improving the search function isn't going to make any difference as the poster didn't use those terms so it won't be found anyway.
Click to expand...

I also had to shoot off to eat, thus the delay.
If you had searched for "Power Loss Study" then you might have found this thread that I originally found whilst searching for "1000 miles pit strategy".

The first part of my original post was meant tongue in cheek, leading on to the important matters...

Car-less
This would be handy, though ensuring your thread has a relevant title would help too. Only problem is getting a good balance of keywords into the title. "Possible improvements to the search function to help newbies find things faster" would be a bit much as a title.

There does seem to be a tendancy to jump on newbies for failing to search. Thats fine if they blatently haven't bothered even to look at the sticky threads, but sometimes they seem to be attacked for falling victim to the failings in the search function. Thats not good.
Click to expand...

If two long standing members couldn't find what I was looking for, then what chance would a newbie have, and how fair is it to jump on them for failing?

EDIT: you didn't happen to be watching what I was viewing as I composed this reply?
 
Car-less
If two long standing members couldn't find what I was looking for, then what chance would a newbie have, and how fair is it to jump on them for failing?
Click to expand...
Look up. I did find it.

I also do the search to see how hard it is to find. If I have difficulty, or can't find a thread, then I don't jump on them. In fact, I have been known to defend new members when other members jump on them and tell them to search.

Car-less
EDIT: you didn't happen to be watching what I was viewing as I composed this reply?
Click to expand...
My mod powers are wide and varied, but don't include the ability to see what folk are typing. :D
 
daan
My mod powers are wide and varied, but don't include the ability to see what folk are typing. :D
Click to expand...

Ah, but my regular - not even Premium powers allow me to go into your public profile, and see that you are;
"Replying to Thread Improve the search function @ 7:39 PM", then
"Searching Forums @ 7:41 PM"

while Loon is "Viewing Thread The Enduro Test I - Loss of Power @ 7:42 PM"
 
Haven't you been in this thread the entire time though? So it would say you were in here. Unless Daan went to the bottom of the index and regularly checked what you were doing then I'm sure he found it on his own.
 
Car-less
Ah, but my regular - not even Premium powers allow me to go into your public profile, and see that you are;
"Replying to Thread Improve the search function @ 7:39 PM", then
"Searching Forums @ 7:41 PM"

while Loon is "Viewing Thread The Enduro Test I - Loss of Power @ 7:42 PM"
Click to expand...
But I posted the answer at 7:25pm, 11 minutes before you did.
 
Loon
Haven't you been in this thread the entire time though? So it would say you were in here. Unless Daan went to the bottom of the index and regularly checked what you were doing then I'm sure he found it on his own.
Click to expand...

I had to open a couple of other windows to get the urls for the links in my post. I'm sure it would report that I was viewing the other thread when I opened it to cut and paste the url.

I suspect that he did find it himself though, and given time I'm sure you could have too. Anyway, it's been fun trying to outwit the pair of you, but I have more data to go and collect for my thread to be.

[return to topic]
The search function is less than perfect, and it's not always fair to jump on people for being unable to use it properly. That said, the posts you might be searching for are also less than perfect making things worse.

My only suggestion; to rename the 'child forums' bit as I thought all of GTP was child friendly. I know that it is actually referring to sub-forums, but if English speakers can be confused by that, then how confusing would it be for people who only speak English as a second or even third language?

EDIT:

daan
But I posted the answer at 7:25pm, 11 minutes before you did.
Click to expand...

But I often spend a very long time composing posts.
 
Car-less
I had to open a couple of other windows to get the urls for the links in my post. I'm sure it would report that I was viewing the other thread when I opened it to cut and paste the url.

I suspect that he did find it himself though, and given time I'm sure you could have too. Anyway, it's been fun trying to outwit the pair of you, but I have more data to go and collect for my thread to be.
Click to expand...
I see what you mean now, but I can guarantee you that I did find it myself. I was too busy searching than to go and look to see what thead you were viewing.
 
Car-less
I suspect that he did find it himself though, and given time I'm sure you could have too. Anyway, it's been fun trying to outwit the pair of you...
Click to expand...
Well you did provide us with an excellent example.👍
 
I'll be first to agree that search engine provided in vBulletin (or message board software) is downright anemic. Ours is especially bad because I must offload the work of searches to what is known as MySQL's 'Fulltext' search feature due to the size of our database (because it won't slow down the site for everyone when someone tries to make a search, unlike what would happen if we used the default vBulletin search). I won't get into the technicalities, but Fulltext searching is nothing more than text matching, and there is nothing that I can do about improving its quality and - and it still contributes to a lot of the load on our server.

The best solution is to assign the job of searching to someone else, like Google, whose "Custom Search" is much more accurate and precise. That's exactly what I am doing with GTP9, the new version of our site, and I have modified the search boxes around the new style to use it. There is actually no reason that you guys can't go ahead and check out the new search, which can be found right here. Check it out and I think you'll find it to be much faster and more accurate. Oh, and before anyone panics, don't worry - you will still be able to use our "advanced search" in GTP9.
 
It is now. I am surprised the base URL does not apply to links in vB tags...never noticed that before.
 
Thanks to daan and Jordan
As I am only starting my way through the gtplanet I try to understand how these forums work, I also try to learn some basic terminology to help with the misunderstandings. I can see you guys are always trying to improve the gtplanet.

Kenny
 
I made a pretty detailed instruction book on how to find specific things with the vB search function in another forum a while ago. In specific demonstrative searches explained what I was looking for, which ways I took and why, also including screenshots. That'd probably help ... anyone interested?
 
Car-less
This shows just how poor the search box is. If a Super Moderator has to go elsewhere to find info contained in the site they moderate, then what hope have newbies got? I've been here a little over a year and have found more info I was looking for by browsing likely threads, or by accident than I have by using the search function.
Click to expand...

I agree. I've been here over 2 years now (:scared:) and ive used the search function probably less than 10 times. I don't think the advanced search is terribly bad though if you do it right. Although about a week ago i tried to do an advanced search to find something in a specific thread, like "isn't Porsche Italian" in the "Have you seen anything good today" thread, which i said in a thread about 18 months ago. No matter what i changed in the advanced search box, i could not find the post.

Car-less
This would be handy, though ensuring your thread has a relevant title would help too. Only problem is getting a good balance of keywords into the title. "Possible improvements to the search function to help newbies find things faster" would be a bit much as a title.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure exactly how the search function could be made to get better results, but i agree with you on the thread title.

Car-less
There does seem to be a tendancy to jump on newbies for failing to search. Thats fine if they blatently haven't bothered even to look at the sticky threads, but sometimes they seem to be attacked for falling victim to the failings in the search function. Thats not good.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you. I remember when i first joined, i think it was 9 out of my first 10 threads were locked because i didn't search. True i didn't search, but even if i did probably 5 out of those would not come up with the right results.
 

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