Search function broken?

Alinestra Covelia · October 28, 2002, 18:03

I'm pretty sure I used to be able to search for threads and/or posters in the search function here.

Now whenever I input anything it always returns a "No findings" verdict. Am I doing something wrong, or is there a gremlin at work here?

loinburger · October 28, 2002, 18:23

Might want to post this on the Apolyton/Community forum.

I think that the search function may have changed in that the names on the sidebar are no longer included in the search. F'rinstance, when I search for the keyword "loinburger" I turn up 24 threads (only those in which "loinburger" appears in the actual text of the threads somewhere), whereas if I search for the username "loinburger" I turn up 1539 threads (yikes). IIRC this has not always been the case (keyword used to include the usernames as well), and that 24 number seems awfully low too.

Skanky Burns · October 28, 2002, 20:40

I think searchwords that are 3 or less characters automatically return a "No Findings" verdict. Too much server load.

Urban Ranger · October 29, 2002, 02:33

I have always assumed that usernames are not considered keywords unless they are in the actual text.

ixnay · October 29, 2002, 02:41

Wild card searches are disabled, as are words less than 3 letters. If you search for your username, it will return everything where your name appeared in the message, and it mostly returns instances of people quoting you.

MarkG · October 29, 2002, 04:17

if you want to search for posts of a username, you should put the username in the "Search By User Name" field

loinburger · October 29, 2002, 10:25

Quote:

Originally posted by MarkG
if you want to search for posts of a username, you should put the username in the "Search By User Name" field

The trouble is that the username search doesn't allow booleans, which is why I used to use the keyword search when looking for an old debate or whatever (since I could never remember the title of the thread, only the usernames of the people who participated in it).

Urban Ranger · October 29, 2002, 12:31

The search seems to be broken all right. Just now I was looking for an old thread in the OTF about Microsoft Outlook, so I used "Microsoft Outlook" as search terms. It told me it found nothing.

Unless, of course, the ferrets ate the thread.

Locutus · October 29, 2002, 12:51

I think OT posts aren't indexed. When I search for 'Champions League' in the OT I only find two results, both from today. When I search for posts made by me in the OT, I find at least 6 Champions League threads (from the past 2-3 months).

Kassiopeia · October 29, 2002, 13:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Locutus
I think OT posts aren't indexed.

Agreed. No matter how I tried, I couldn't find the thread about the Finnish mall bombing by Rasbelin.

Dauphin · October 29, 2002, 13:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
the Finnish mall bombing by Rasbelin.

Kassiopeia · October 29, 2002, 13:37

*almost slaps forehead*

*slaps SD instead*

Rasbelin · October 29, 2002, 14:31

How come am I alive then?

Did someone resurrect me? Kassiopeia?

/me slaps both Sag and Kass with a large trout.

Rasbelin · October 29, 2002, 14:49

At least I could find the shopping centre thread with the forum search.

http://apolyton.net/forums/search.ph...der=descending

Frozzy · October 30, 2002, 03:42

Did they ever prove it was the clown in the end?

Rasbelin · October 30, 2002, 04:24

Well, you got the answer. Nope.

Just read the first page coverage of the thread and you'll find the answer there. The name of the bomber is there too.

MarkG · October 30, 2002, 06:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Locutus
I think OT posts aren't indexed.

as part of our efforts to reduce server load, the search index was cleared
the last 4000 threads were re-indexed and the rest will be re-indexed as well, but that will not include OT threads. meanwhile the minimum word length has been increased to 4(from 3)

the OT threads that had posts since last week and any new ones from now on will be indexed

Switch · October 30, 2002, 09:21

Oh, so in that case could someone point me in the direction of the thread where somebody was complaining about the instability of Mandrake please? A friend of mine (who is a linux 'guru,' if you will) wants to see it.

Rasbelin · October 30, 2002, 09:23

Why not e.g. PM me for help? I'm a such good mall bomber.

Anyway, this is getting more OT soon. I'll look up that thread later.

Alinestra Covelia · November 2, 2002, 15:06

I have been searching for past works of SMAC fiction by certain authors and had to go manually through the threads in order to find them.

I also tried searching for THIS thread and no responses were returned.

No matter what I type in, the search function returns no results. What gives?

Urban Ranger · November 12, 2002, 13:15

I cannot find anything in the OTF by searching. Is the function completely broken?

Skanky Burns · November 12, 2002, 19:19

How far back is in the OT is what you are searching for?
Only fairly recent threads are indexed, hence searchable.

Urban Ranger · November 12, 2002, 22:51

Can't be that old. It's the "Brain Teaser Thread."

Urban Ranger · November 12, 2002, 22:57

Okay, just as an experiment, I located the thread by hand and bump it to the first page.

Search still cannot find it. Go figure.

Skanky Burns · November 13, 2002, 01:50

Maybe it's still not indexed.
I was searching for one of the anime threads, but search only turned up the newest one. I searched for posts by Wraith, and that turned up a few of the anime threads.

As you said, go figure.

Frozzy · November 13, 2002, 02:28

EDIT: Tautology