[MERGED] New Search Engine

I have to say you had just fixed your search problem but now this new one absolutly sucks. plus all my watched treads are gone so i cant fine my sale items posts.

Please fix this soon.

We clearly had not fixed the search problems, just because it was re-enabled and the google one off doesn't mean anything has been fixed. We are working on solutions, trying new things out, feedback is appreciated but if it can't be anything more constructive than it "sucks" please don't post (and Saider not just directed at you, at least I see some new information in your post there with the 'watched' threads). Harsh yes, but I will not read through 20 posts of "it sucks" trying to comb through what problems people are having and what features are missing they would like to see returned.

We are here, ready to make changes and see what we can do. So give us what's working for you and what's not.

Here's what I see:

Basic search is improved. It doesn't just return the thread title but gives you where it's found in the thread. Helping you find that information faster.

Advanced search is the problem. There are currently ways to find your own posts and others. Either selecting your name in the Who's Online and going to your User Profile. Or using the Memberlist to search for someone's name and going to their User Profile that way. Both ways are not something that someone is going to think of right away and are not straightforward.

I don't know about 'watched threads' yet as no one gave more information so I'll look at this.

Possible solution is to keep the new search for basic, and to re-enable the advanced search. Could be the best of both worlds here.

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

Im not sure if "find all posts by..." is back up and running, but this is what i am getting.
and my subscribed threads are still there, but they were there before recent search changes


if you need people to act as guinea pigs with things you need to try out, just pm me. id be happy to help

I've got a user account for my own abuse which I test these things with sometimes I'm just slow though.

I just might Wrath of Dragons

search was running fine for weeks. the first time sense i have been on here i was commenting on the new search. And sorry i am blunt no better way of describing it.

When I search the forum for keywords or posts by specific users it wont display anything.

Also when I select a users name and choose to view all posts strarted by that indivual, it tells me I dont have permission!

ok, looking at the search that we now have (not "all posts by.." but the standard search) i searched a few things and found that it doesnt search the posters username, but does search the title and post.

for a temp fix on the "find posts by..."(just an idea, i dont know web programming at all)
could you do a forced signature, that puts the posters username as a sig automatically?

I'm getting the same message:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

GIVE US PERMISSION!!!

A few suggestions, not sure if they can be impemented though. I'm assuming that most searches are for users to find their own threads. On that note:

1. Totally disable search. It seems to be nothing but a huge resource hog. Working, seachless forums are preferable to the alternative. "I can search! But there's nothing to find, the database has crashed again."

2. Set everyone to automatically subscribe to threads they start. Put a page that everyone gets, once the first time they login after this is instuted, describling in big crayola styled letters how to find their threads, and how to subscibe to other threads. Make them click a yes I understand button before proceeding to the forums. If they don't get it after that, well......

If it would help, have all subscriptions deleted after 30 days or so. Maybe 14, many threads are long dead by then.

3. Would pruning year old (or more) threads help at all? I know a few VB forums that do that in order to compact the database. I assume that takes load off the server, especially on keyword searches. I can't see a scenario where needing a thread for 13 months ago is needed. Anything critical can be sticked, perhaps in a hidden archive section.

Some good ideas Hockster, thank you. I don't know about completely disabling search but the others I'll talk through with and see what we can implement and do.