Biggest PITA about Steelsoldiers...

[808pants]

The forums would be immensely more useful if the "Search" function worked like most others do, i.e. if it were something that resembles a standard Boolean search. Unless I have overlooked a key "search" feature set, right now, users like me are going to get identical results from any of the following search queries:

"oil change"
oil+change
oil change​

In all of the above cases, the search engine makes the wrong decision and even shows what it's doing as follows:

"Search: Keyword(s): oil, change."
​

That is, any of these searches will bring up ALL posts that have EITHER the word "oil" or the word "change" in them - to the tune of "Showing results 1 to 25 of 1000," and "pages 1-40." Thus, the search for more than one term is essentially useless, other than for threads one recalls to have had certain unique words used in them. (The examples above were from within "5-ton" forums only.)

So my only apparent option, since I can't search for more than one term joined by an AND, then, is to post a new thread to ask a question about something I KNOW has been covered. Thus, I and others will tend to pollute the forum with "new" posts about oft-repeated topics. Those posts often send regular users off to find posts they remember and find using other specific memories ("I remember a post about this - let me look for it and get back to you..."), which is obviously not the best use of anyone's time, since the point of this or any forum isn't to use human brains to store/retrieve search information.

This need to fix this is so obvious that it seems I must have missed a search feature somewhere, and if I did, please tell me where...

--Dave

 

[Josh]

Also putting a title that describes the thread is also goo thing.


But I do agree with the search can be a PITA some times.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Interesting. Some folks have horrible results, others can find the rusty needles in the haystacks.

I'm sorry, that would be something handled by the admins.

 

[mktopside]

I agree with this post. The search function sucks. I have basically resigned myself to just searching for thread titles to avoid the 50 pages of results.

Now, I don't really mind doing this, but on a site that has so many "dupe police" and "read the TM police" the search should be easier to use.

 

[73m819]

Interesting. Some folks have horrible results, others can find the rusty needles in the haystacks.

I am one of those, I just get a message that says "i'm so confused, cant find a match, try again"

 

[doghead]

I agree with this post. The search function sucks. I have basically resigned myself to just searching for thread titles to avoid the 50 pages of results.

Now, I don't really mind doing this, but on a site that has so many "dupe
police" and "read the TM police" the search should be easier to use.

Don't forget the "read the 50 threads, you might learn something" police....

And the "title your threads properly" police...

Your lucky you haven't met the "newbs bitch too much" police yet!

 

[Recovry4x4]

The dupe police came along for the very reasons you posted, too many hits. Have you seen some of the ridiculous titles folks use on a thread. For those of who are computer literate, try searching through Google. Most of the well worded searches you use will prodeuce mostly Steel Soldiers hits. I'd also like to add that a person with decent knowledge of the TMs has better luck with the search engine as he knows the proper nomenclature

 

[ODdave]

Don't forget the "read the 50 threads, you might learn something" police....

And the "title your threads properly" police...

Your lucky you haven't met the "newbs bitch too much" police yet!

That was funny, I must complain that the site is awfully adicting though.......lol

 

[wbdodgeiv]

I think the syntax needs to be oil AND change. If it makes you feel any better when I searched for oil change and oil AND change, this thread was first

 

[quarkz]

You can always Google search and be sure to add steel soldiers into the search field.
Google is proof that steel soldiers is the definitive MV site.
Most of the time the 1st or 2nd search result from my MV Google searches show up with a Steel Soldiers in the address.
Strange part is when they are my own posts.

I do like the box that pops up now when you are starting a new thread and asks if any of the threads in the box are going to be duplicated by my new thread.

 

[808pants]

I think the syntax needs to be oil AND change. If it makes you feel any better when I searched for oil change and oil AND change, this thread was first

Eureka - you found it, wbdodgeiv! (who KNEW?) I just tested using this syntax, and indeed, got 120 results spanning 5 pages - a lot more manageable result than 1000 over 40 pages, which has to be a maxout and not even a real result anyway.

Could webmaster maybe place the required Boolean search syntax next to that search box, for the benefit of the apparent majority of users that don't/won't know them? I assume OR and NOT would also work in the same manner?

 

[papercu]

"read the TM police"

And WHAT is wrong in reading the TM first? You may just find what you need and not have to figure out the "search". Wayne

 

[exbrown]

The best way I have found to use Google to search for the phrase (oil change) on Steel Soldiers is like this:

"oil change" site:steelsoldiers.com

Put the phrase in quotes to tell Google to find the exact match.
Then put site:steelsoldiers.com to tell Google to only search this site.

Hope this helps.

 

[91W350]

I just went to Google and typed in M35a2 oil change.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/19491-oil-change-deuce-when.html

That thread was third on the results list. I normally find that is the quickest way to get results for what I am looking for here. Glen