Help With Searching Board

[rjbinney]

I try to be a good do-bee.

Before I post a "Help Me!" topic on the boards, I always try to search and make sure someone hasn't already answered it...

But lately, I have been coming up blank. I thought maybe I was asking too-specific search criteria, but even as broad as possible - nothing.

I use the "Search" function in the upper left corner of the screen:


And no matter what I put in, bupkis.



So, Computer Hope Dot Com Forum, is it you, or is it me?

[soybean]

Hey, rj, I believe it's the forum.  I get no results either, regardless of what search word or phrase I enter. 

Edit: Actually, your best bet is probably to use Google and enter a "bolean operator" in your search phrase to focus your Google search on Computer Hope.  For example, searching on make slow computer go faster AND computerhope.com will bring up results from Computer Hope.  The use of AND, in upper case letters, is an example of using a Bolean Operator.  For more info on this, see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/help/clio/boolean_operators.html

[Geek-9pm]

It works for me. Or it used to. Wait, it still does
Just now I put 'hard drive failure' in the box. no quotes, and hit the search button.
I got this:
http://www.computerhope.com/search2.htm?cx=partner-pub-3999293766533555%3Aelr5q296e0z&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=hard%20drive%20failure

First two are from the forum, the rest are from Google.
Does that seem right?

[soybean]

Geek, are you using the 'Search for' box shown in rjbinney's images? 

I just discovered something.  The 'Search for' box shown in rjbinney's images does not work but the 'Search' box in the upper right corner of the screen does work.  So, again, Geek, which search box did you use for your search? 

[Geek-9pm]

I don't understand his image. That is not what I see.
While inside a forum I msee a place with the word 'search' see attachment below



[recovering disk space, attachment deleted by admin]

[soybean]

I don't understand how you cannot understand his image.  It shows the normal titles at the top of the forum page for members when logged in.  See my image below:



[recovering disk space, attachment deleted by admin]

[patio]

I just tested the Old Forum Search at the bottom of the page...that one's definitely broken...

[patio]

BTW Geeks view is if the Forum Header is expanded some may not see that....there's a small white arrow upper right corner of every page that toggles that particular view...

[soybean]

BTW Geeks view is if the Forum Header is expanded some may not see that....there's a small white arrow upper right corner of every page that toggles that particular view...

You know, I had never noticed that small white arrow.  It's a subtle little rascal. 

[patio]

      

[BC_Programmer]

Edit: Actually, your best bet is probably to use Google and enter a "bolean operator" in your search phrase to focus your Google search on Computer Hope.  For example, searching on make slow computer go faster AND computerhope.com will bring up results from Computer Hope.  The use of AND, in upper case letters, is an example of using a Bolean Operator.  For more info on this, see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/help/clio/boolean_operators.html

Google actually has a facility to restrict a search to a single domain-

Code: [Select]

site:computerhope.com hard drive
would search computerhope.com for hard drive. I use it frequently for searching within forums and other message boards.

[rjbinney]

Right, there's also that Search box in the upper right corner, but that's more of a "Google" search. The link below "Forum only search" takes you to the same "Search" screen I had posted images of.

And, to Geek's point, no, that doesn't "work". A forum search shouldn't turn up every reference to the search criterion that's on the entire domain, it should present an organized list of links to individual threads, including which subforum they're in.

[BC_Programmer]

If nothing else, I'd guess it was disabled. The integrated forum search is not particularly performance-friendly.

[rjbinney]

OK, maybe it is me. I am about to post an issue about something else entirely.

(Spoiler alert! It's about using Java on a Surface Pro 4!)

And I discovered that using forum search (either clicking "Forum only search" under the little white box, or clicking the "Search" link in the upper left of the screen) gives me nada. Is it me? (By the way, I sufficiently broadened my search criteria. Unless, really and truly, the word "printer" does not appear in any post anywhere on the CH forum...!)

[patio]

The Forum search function has not been updated/worked on for some time...

[rjbinney]

Just bumping this.

Maybe it's just me - but when I have a question (here, MrExcel.com, etc.) I like to do a quick Search and make sure that it hasn't been answered already. (Even more importantly, that *I* haven't asked it already!!!!)

[BC_Programmer]

From what I recall, The built-in SMF Forum search is disabled because it seriously degrades server performance.

an alternative is to use google with site:computerhope.com/forum, eg:

Code: [Select]

site:computerhope.com/forum renaming files

[rjbinney]

Yeah that's what I do - although I'd left out the "/forum" bit. That will definitely help.

Alternately, I will keep posting questions that Geek answered in 2011.

[patio]

He loves that BTW...

[Geek-9pm]

Here is my image. Is there another place?

Do not erase, the link is to my own web space.
That works for me with just simple search.

[BC_Programmer]

Is there another place?

You mean like say the "Forum only search" that literally a few pixels away from where you are pointing in that image?

[Geek-9pm]

You mean like say the "Forum only search" that literally a few pixels away from where you are pointing in that image?

No, not forum only. That don't work good.
Just search.
Here is a full size image. (Color reduced to lower bandwidth.)

(For a larger image, do a right click and select view image. The image is not on this forum, but is on another site. It might be slow to load. Or maybe gone if tghe site is down.)

Inside this thread, I go to the top of the thread until I see the stuff at the top of the page. The in enter something in the box and click on search. I do not use the search forum only. It does not work well at all.
But the plain search works good. I don't know why.

[rjbinney]

...aaaaaaaaaaaaand 'Scene'.