please help me [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

thor2006

2013-05-30, 05:37 PM

1.Can I search the forums for certain posts/threads?
I don't see anywhere the search button.
Please help.
2. Is there a new people forum? It is compulsutory for new people to post there?

Malak'ai

2013-05-30, 05:47 PM

Originally Post by Douglas:
This is an unfortunate consequence of the fact that the forum search feature is disabled. It was disabled for performance reasons, and re-enabling it would require multiple days of forum down time to rebuild the various tables and indices it uses. No one, including the mods and administration here, wants it off, but we're stuck for the time being.

I think this says it all far better than I could myself.

Jimorian

2013-05-30, 05:56 PM

Also, there is a "Hello and Welcome New Posters" (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249974) thread in Friendly Banter. It's not compulsory to post there, but it's always a good idea to make your presence known so you can ease into posting on other topics.

What it highly recommended is a perusing of the Forum Rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/announcement.php?a=1), so that you (or if you're asking for somebody else) don't accidentally run afoul of Ape... er I mean Forum Law. For example, there are strict prohibitions about some topics like politics and religion.

Saposhiente

2013-05-30, 09:44 PM

To search the forums, go to Google and search
site:giantitp.com <your search here>

ChristianSt

2013-05-31, 04:51 AM

Adding to point 2:
One point of the forum rules is, that all users/posters are treated equally, regardless of post count, registering date or whatever. So all of this forum is new people forum and old people forum at the same time :smallwink:

TechnOkami

2013-05-31, 05:42 AM

To search the forums, go to Google and search
site:giantitp.com <your search here>

So, if this is the case, couldn't the search function be simply replaced with this and use Google as the main search method for the forum?

Just curious/suggestive.

AttilaTheGeek

2013-05-31, 06:36 AM

No, because, for example, if I were to go to google and type in "site:giantitp.com/forums AttilaTheGeek", then it would return every thread where the phrase "AttilaTheGeek" was written. That's not too far off the mark, but the person who first explained it to me was named Story, for whom it would be completely ineffective.

KillianHawkeye

2013-05-31, 06:36 AM

So, if this is the case, couldn't the search function be simply replaced with this and use Google as the main search method for the forum?

Just curious/suggestive.

It certainly wouldn't be as simple as you seem to think it is.

Castaras

2013-05-31, 07:06 AM

So, if this is the case, couldn't the search function be simply replaced with this and use Google as the main search method for the forum?

Just curious/suggestive.

Programming it would be a right bugger to deal with as far as I know.

Avilan the Grey

2013-05-31, 07:21 AM

Programming it would be a right bugger to deal with as far as I know.

I am no genius, but doesn't a ton of sites already have exactly this? The seach function window even says "powered by google" on several online magazines, newspapers and forums. And this is exactly what it does, it links to a google search of the site with the search.

Since it all looks so standardized am even guessing there is a pre-made code for it, probably at Google (probably costs money, though).

Jormengand

2013-05-31, 07:58 AM

No, because, for example, if I were to go to google and type in "site:giantitp.com/forums AttilaTheGeek", then it would return every thread where the phrase "AttilaTheGeek" was written. That's not too far off the mark, but the person who first explained it to me was named Story, for whom it would be completely ineffective.

Also, using this for me keeps on bringing up MasterofFates (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=64274)' posts due to his signature. Anyway, the point is that the current search engine is down and there's currently not a lot the admins can do about it.

137beth

2013-05-31, 11:40 AM

No, because, for example, if I were to go to google and type in "site:giantitp.com/forums AttilaTheGeek", then it would return every thread where the phrase "AttilaTheGeek" was written. That's not too far off the mark, but the person who first explained it to me was named Story, for whom it would be completely ineffective.

You could try making "Story" case-sensitive...

KillianHawkeye

2013-06-01, 05:06 PM

Also, using this for me keeps on bringing up MasterofFates (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?u=64274)' posts due to his signature. Anyway, the point is that the current search engine is down and there's currently not a lot the admins can do about it.

Simply add the search term "-MasterofFates" (without quotes) to exclude any result containing his posts.

Here are some other cool things you can do with Google search. (https://www.google.com/insidesearch/tipstricks/all.html)

137beth

2013-06-01, 08:04 PM

Could someone please add the Google explanation to an FAQ or the official explanation for why there is no working search function? This keeps coming up every two days or so. I think it qualifies for at least a stickied thread.

Killer Angel

2013-06-02, 03:46 AM

Could someone please add the Google explanation to an FAQ or the official explanation for why there is no working search function? This keeps coming up every two days or so. I think it qualifies for at least a stickied thread.

When in this same page, you already have 2 or 3 threads about "finding posts" and "search button not working", I doubt a stickied thread will resolve the issue.

KillianHawkeye

2013-06-02, 06:10 AM

Could someone please add the Google explanation to an FAQ or the official explanation for why there is no working search function? This keeps coming up every two days or so. I think it qualifies for at least a stickied thread.

If somebody wants to learn how to use Google, Google has its own pages explaining that. :smallannoyed:

Jormengand

2013-06-02, 04:25 PM

Simply add the search term "-MasterofFates" (without quotes) to exclude any result containing his posts.

Here are some other cool things you can do with Google search. (https://www.google.com/insidesearch/tipstricks/all.html)

Yes, I thought of that. It still doesn't help if we're in the same thread.

Roland St. Jude

2013-06-02, 08:45 PM

Sheriff: I think the OP's questions have been adequately answered.

When in this same page, you already have 2 or 3 threads about "finding posts" and "search button not working", I doubt a stickied thread will resolve the issue.This is quite true. We've minimized stickies because they don't get read. So they inconvenience everybody with little tangible benefit.