Often a thread has about hundreds of pages, and many questions are plades double or more.
So it would be great to visit or download the complete thread at once and we could use the browsers search function.
The forums build-in search function is not very helpful in this cases.
It has been discussed in another thread recently. You can read this starting at this post:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1976627&p=78253006
The search function works well on my end (in-thread search using search plus, standard search, advanced search from within a forum, etc.), I never had really any real difficulties to find info on the website.
Related
Hi,
Are there still issues with searching this forum with search terms less than 3 characters as existed before?
I have tried doing the following search in the advanced search:
8GB SD
Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.
I have a hard time believing that is the case.
This isnt the first time the search is making life difficult. Is there also a way of defaulting the search to ALL TERMS?
thanks
I find searching using Google advanced search is the best way to find info on this forum.
Just type in what you're looking for in the advanced search page and get it to look in this forum.
Hope you understand how I've worded it. Its not as difficult as I make it appear.
Hope this is of use.
To tell you the truth... the whole search function leaves a lot to be desired.
The stalwarts of this forum are constantly critesizing the newbies for not using the search function but the hits it returns are as good as useless. I try repeated variations of my searches and cannot find a single relevant post within the first 20.
Maybe moderators should mention the Goolge option as bieng the best way to find info.
Thanks for your confirmation guys... I was hoping the answer wasn't going to involve google search and that the internal search mechanism would be better.
Cheers!
Have a look at the form here:
http://support.catalyst2.com/index.php?_m=tickets&_a=submit
1. Submit the first page with any option (doesn't matter).
2. Type a few words like "email settings".
3. Notice the suggestions which pop up at the bottom, allowing to you find the solution without even having to actually submit your query, thus cutting down on questions which could easily be answered by the questioner themselves with a little research.
I'm not saying it will be easy, and it may very well reduce the site to a crawl, but you could have a pre-fetch on the articles held in the Wiki which would provide common solutions to a lot of threads which pop up with simple questions.
What might this require?
1. An up-to-date, correct, and well-referenced Wiki
2. Presumably a lot of server horsepower!
What will this prevent?
1. Easily answered questions like "Where can I find links to all the WM6 ROMs?
What will this not prevent?
1. Idiots who don't even read suggestions as they type their question
2. Recently solved problems in threads that get swamped by meaningless posts
3. Posts like "Thanks <insert name>, downloading now..."
Looks Good, BUT...
Looks good, but if you can't get a noob to search the forum using the provided search tools or to even correctly (correctly, being the operative word) google the site, we won't be able to get them to use this form...
Now, I do believe that you are on to something... IMHO, the search function should also include a link to google with the advanced search part already populated for searching in xda-devs... I know that there have been threads with the google links already posted, but they aren't stickies anywhere...
You are on the right track... Maybe all of the more knowledgeable members that are bother by this noob thing (like myself, since I am still a noob...) can simply add a link to the google search function in their sig, it will make it easier for newcomers to the site to locate the information they require...
Sorry, I didn't make myself clear -
The Create a thread, or Reply to thread, message box would have this feature implemented - so even as the person was typing in their mundane question, it would provide a link to the answer right in front of them which they would hopefully click before actually posting their question.
I think the search function on this forum is partly to blame, as any search under about 5 letters simply doesn't work. To make it better there are a few options:
1. Make it search Google by default
2. Make it default to replying with Posts rather than Threads (as some threads are hundreds of posts long)
3. Make it search both the Wiki and the Forum (solved with Google)
IMHO, the search function should also include a link to google with the advanced search part already populated for searching in xda-devs... I know that there have been threads with the google links already posted, but they aren't stickies anywhere...
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There is a google sticky alread. It just so happens to be 3 threads above this one
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=304582
1. Make it search Google by default
2. Make it default to replying with Posts rather than Threads (as some threads are hundreds of posts long)
3. Make it search both the Wiki and the Forum (solved with Google)
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Click to collapse
I think you have a valid point Oli. I haev seen many posts with ppl voicing concerns about the search function, and I would tend to agree that it would help if it could be re-structured. Especially with the rate that this site is growing, some search function upgrading would be a good suggestion. However, just like finding any other type of info on the net, its all about your search skills. After spending enough time using the search tools, you find tricks and techniques to narrow your results. Im happy to see this thread, and hopfully the mods will combine their powers to find a way to simplify finding info here.
I am glad that there are ppl here that realize there is an issue with the search function... I also agree that there should not be a lot of stickies, but the BEST place for it, would be in the Search FAQ.... Have any of your read it... It is not that good and as a noob, doesn't show me the best way to implement it... It just says to use the search function... If I were top dog, I might change it a little, just to alleviate some of the darn stupid posts... maybe have it come up as a precursor to registering... Not that everyone will read it, but they will see it...
Just my .02 again... I'm gonna have to get some credit around here... these two pennies are gonna start to add up...
Would the plug-in for other models would work on Trinity?
yes and there are numerous threads in this forum about it already
Please please please please please look before posting new questions.
Our forum is becoming less and less useable - with multiple threads for each topic of discussion.
If you look, search (the site's search feature is not great - do an advanced google search and include only posts from http://forum.xda-developers.com) you WILL find what you want.
nealed said:
Please please please please please look before posting new questions.
Our forum is becoming less and less useable - with multiple threads for each topic of discussion.
If you look, search (the site's search feature is not great - do an advanced google search and include only posts from http://forum.xda-developers.com) you WILL find what you want.
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Click to collapse
But I think it will be less useable too, because there isn't a verified download section for each device.
You mess up your device in no time if you just try what you find.
Anyway, I searched and I found http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=316107&highlight=kaiser+home
Hopefully the thread starter will do it the next time too.
I think it would have been more helpful giving a simple direct answer to the first question than wasting more space giving generic advice about search engines. I don't think any of the responses added anything to the knowledge base (just like this email I guess).
I have to say that people reapeat questions, but, I have never seen a more complicated forum to search something and things are very bad organized. The function 'search' DOES NOT WORK.
pepito2003 said:
I have to say that people reapeat questions, but, I have never seen a more complicated forum to search something and things are very bad organized. The function 'search' DOES NOT WORK.
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Everyone agrees with you that why Nealedsaid to use google search, like this:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=+site:http://forum.xda-developers.com&hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all
Or like it is in my signature.
Just add as a favorite or bookmark (depend on the browser )
Very simple and it works.
Hello there,
i've a request, or suggestion:
could you separate all the "NEW COOK, NEW MOD, NEW ROM" and all that kind of posts into a separate new forum called something like "artemis kitchen"?
because when it comes to use the search function, for example for "sms notification" 95% of the results are that kind of posts, which aren't talking about the problem I search, but just listing their features.
it's like searching technic information on google and getting as result the amazon.com webpage selling books which listed their index there.
if we could separate this posts somewhere else, users could filter their search option to exlude that forums from their search, thus getting much more accurate search results.
cheers
hmmm...
bump?
When searching either in a thread or in general it should return users names so you can find a specific post from them. For instance I posted some information in a thread and when I went to find it I couldn't. So I had to search through 93 pages of stuff for nothing. If I had the ability to search my own username or someone elses I can find the thread fast and get the info I need. This is a simple selection of check the block or what have you for the website manager. As well this needs to extend to the apps as well.
Errrrr...you can search by username. it's on the right side of the search interface: http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?
or you can go to your profile page, click on the statistics tab, the you can search for all your posts or all threads started by you.
I get that. But it should inherently be built in with the general search so if you are in the thread it will return the results of user names. It only makes sense and its an easy check the box option for the web site builder.