Forum seach feature

[GOF and Bacall]

Any chance that the search feature will ever be anything more than a bad joke?

[+ADTCacheur]

It's awesome: go to google, type in your search and then add site:forums.Groundspeak.com

 

It will search for what you need very effectively!

[GOF and Bacall]

I am aware of using Google's site search capabilities. That doesn't change the situation. There is a feature here that works very poorly. Perhaps if it worked better folks, particularly those new to the site who haven't been told about using Google, could actually find something with it.

[Keystone]

The announced long-term solution is to migrate to the new forum software. So, I wouldn't expect to see time devoted to improving the existing third party software installation.

 

The search limitations were imposed as part of the measures which dealt with slow page loads and timeouts. You could have an awesome search engine that could query for three-letter words, but then not be able to load the page to read the thread that you found.

[+Telecacher]

You could have an awesome search engine that could query for three-letter words, but then not be able to load the page to read the thread that you found.

 

Or you (Groundspeak) could invest a couple bucks and improve server hardware to handle the load, like so many other websites are able to do. The "new software" won't be any easier on the servers either.

[Keystone]

1. I am not Groundspeak. I am a volunteer trying to provide helpful and accurate answers.

 

2. It's not a hardware problem. Have you any idea of the amount invested in servers and related hardware by Groundspeak over the past few years?

[+Telecacher]

1. I am not Groundspeak. I am a volunteer trying to provide helpful and accurate answers.

 

2. It's not a hardware problem. Have you any idea of the amount invested in servers and related hardware by Groundspeak over the past few years?

 

Not enough, apparently?

 

It's not just the forum search, either. We are limited on Pocket Queries also, to lessen the load on the servers. Maybe new to Geocaching, but I been around the internet enough to know, slowness is absolutely a hardware issue.

[jholly]

Maybe new to Geocaching, but I been around the internet enough to know, slowness is absolutely a hardware issue.

 

Maybe, Maybe not.

[GOF and Bacall]

The announced long-term solution is to migrate to the new forum software. So, I wouldn't expect to see time devoted to improving the existing third party software installation.

 

The search limitations were imposed as part of the measures which dealt with slow page loads and timeouts. You could have an awesome search engine that could query for three-letter words, but then not be able to load the page to read the thread that you found.

 

And on the subject of new software I certainly hope nobody was holding their breath waiting for that. But in the mean time is there a way to add certain phrases in addition to the minimum five letter words? It may help to add popular search requests such as "name change".

[+Allanon]

It may help to add popular search requests such as "name change".

There's also reading the FAQ...

Edited May 23, 2010 by Allanon

[GOF and Bacall]

Thank you. That is another option, but not an answer to the question. Is it possible to set things up so that some common phrases return results instead of errors?

[+t4e]

Maybe new to Geocaching, but I been around the internet enough to know, slowness is absolutely a hardware issue.

 

if you've been around the internet so much you should know that the forum search function is not a perfect tool in any forum software, so get used to it

yes the slowness is hardware related, the search is a different story, first is the capability of the function than comes the restrictions the forum owner assigns than comes the hardware issue

 

depending on what they plan to switch to the only forum software i know that has a decent working search function is vBulletin, cross your fingers that they'll switch to that

Edited May 24, 2010 by t4e

[+thedeadpirate]

You could have an awesome search engine that could query for three-letter words, but then not be able to load the page to read the thread that you found.

We have that now; minus the awesome search engine.

 

 

*** This was a tongue in cheek way of pointing out that the forums already have a lot of hiccups even with the search feature severely limited.

[+dakboy]

It's not just the forum search, either. We are limited on Pocket Queries also, to lessen the load on the servers. Maybe new to Geocaching, but I been around the internet enough to know, slowness is absolutely a hardware issue.

Throwing more hardware at poorly-performing software only the right answer when you've fixed any and all performance bottlenecks in the software and existing hardware configuration.

 

And even then, it's a lot more than just "put in a faster processor" or "add another box to the farm" if you really want to make an improvement.

Edited May 24, 2010 by dakboy

[+StarBrand]

It's not just the forum search, either. We are limited on Pocket Queries also, to lessen the load on the servers. Maybe new to Geocaching, but I been around the internet enough to know, slowness is absolutely a hardware issue.

Throwing more hardware at poorly-performing software only the right answer when you've fixed any and all performance bottlenecks in the software and existing hardware configuration.

 

And even then, it's a lot more than just "put in a faster processor" or "add another box to the farm" if you really want to make an improvement.

amen!