Search function fails so hard

[hagun]

The search function is extremely lacking. Case in point: a topic is named 'Odin tips?' Type that in the search field and you get everything but the topic you are looking for. Why does the search function seem to be so dumb? Am I using it incorrectly? Please enlighten me.

[Day]

Have you tried the advanced search?

You can select to search entire posts or titles only.

You can also select which forum you want to search.

You can also select a date range.

This should yield better results in your queries.

Good luck and have a nice day.

[Jaybar]

Even in advanced search you can come up empty handed. Sometimes a topic you are looking for won't have the name in the title, and when that happens you are pretty much screwed. The way the search function works is that it won't search for strings, rather it will collect and report ANY word you typed in the search box (unless you only needed to find one word, but in your case you were looking for Odin Tips).

[The Stig]

Use google, type in BG or Bluegartr in front or at the end, followed by stuff you wish to search. Works like a charm for me so far.

[Day]

Well it doesn't have a brain.

You can't complain that it finds everything you searched for really. It would be nice if you could do a whole phrase but honestly you can use the date range and forum to search to narrow things down pretty easily.

Also if you type in Odin Tips the thread you are looking for is on the first page of results.

[Jaybar]

FFXI stuff is easier to search for than General stuff :z I always used to narrow it down to Advanced or Newbie advice. For General (especially before the subforums) it was a pain in the ass to find some things. I like the google idea, though.

[Dimmauk]

Just make a topic called Odin Tips, then wait for people to reply with their experiences, then at some point someone will post a link to the thread you are looking for. LOL

[Day]

Or he could just scroll down 10 lines and click on the thread from his search :X

[Seraph]

From what I have seen, the BG search engine always uses 'OR' logic when searching its parameters instead of using 'AND' logic. There might be a way to get around that, but I personally find it extremely annoying. I have had to resort to google a few times to actually find a post I was looking when I don't know who posted it.

[rithridan]

Yeah, I've tried looking for that thread with a collection of JP faces smileys. Whatever way I tried I couldn't narrow my search down enough to find the thread. Mainly because I couldn't find a way to have the search terms follow and AND logic instead of an OR.

[Jaybar]

Also, I just did a search for Advanced and Standard discussion using Odin Tips by title only: zero hits on what the OP was looking for. Most of the threads were either about the server, .dats and "tips" for just about any other subject.

[Day]

Advanced Search, Odin Tips, Seach by title, return threads only.

Don't even select forums. It's the second thread.

[Jaybar]

Forgot that forum existed.

[oldoldman]

OR you could just go to Event strategies forum and find http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/48226...s-chamber.html as the 4th thread.

[Day]

There was a lot of things he could of done. The worst of which was this thread.

[The Stig]

It depends on how persistent you are. Thank God the cool down for searches is extremely low here, other boards are up to 60 seconds and you just want to scream FUCK YOU to the screen after a failed search.

[Sonomaa]

if we didnt have search enabled, forums would be 50% faster, true story

the morale is, search fucks shit up, its nice to have but its never going to be perfect because of how much power it rapes from the system

[Katlan]

Just make a topic called Odin Tips, then wait for people to reply with their experiences, then at some point someone will post a link to the thread you are looking for. LOL

this tip is pro though.. can't count how many times i've seen it done lol

[The Stig]

Sonomaa, how about adding them "powered by Google" searches on the top of the forum or have it replace the search function built into this forum? Never tried having a "powered by Google" search personally but from my understand we just kinda let Google run an initial "search" on the forum which will "library" up the pages, so it can be returned as search results?

[Sonomaa]

Sonomaa, how about adding them "powered by Google" searches on the top of the forum or have it replace the search function built into this forum? Never tried having a "powered by Google" search personally but from my understand we just kinda let Google run an initial "search" on the forum which will "library" up the pages, so it can be returned as search results?

the problem we found with that when we tested it (as I recall) is that it was terribly inaccurate, like didnt work worth shit at all (it also parsed the spam forum, which... yeah)