Precentral Search

[Shineon]

I love this website! I am here all day long while I'm at work and then visit the site all night long from my Sprint Pre. Until I try to search for something....then it's all downhill.
I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what, but it really seems to be totally random if what I am looking for actually comes up or not. And when it does come up, I still have to search through my search in order to find it.
I see all of the post's asking/telling people that they should have searched first before starting a new thread or posting in the wrong thread and I sincerely feel their pain.
I'm not really sure what they need to do or can do to make this a little more user friendly, but I feel something needs to be done so we don't have multiple posts/threads of the same thing going on and make it very easy to find the answers we are looking for. I know all of us (or most of us) just want to help or find an answer to a question we know we have seen before.
If other members feel the same way, maybe we can start a poll or something....

Go PrePixiTeam! (I'm such a dork)

[JED-WEB-OS]

You are correct – the search engine on pre|central is terrible. I can never find anything, even with the advanced search. The results are no ware close to what I am looking for and most of them are way off topic. Even the search in the apps is confusing because it returns key words any ware in the body text.
I also agree that the moderators who criticize people for not using the search before starting a thread should simply relocate the thread or post. I think the search engine could be improved by allowing more granularity in selecting the search conditions and rank key words in titles first before body text.

[GuyFromNam]

Do a site search on Google:
"find stuff" site:forums.precentral.net


Google

[Spader]

vBulletin forum searches are notorious for being pretty much worthless.

I always use Google to search the forums by typing "whatever I'm searching for" site:forums.precentral.net

Works a little better for me personally.

Edit: Dang... too slow.

[RUSH]

Typing it through Google is all good, but we really need a better search engine for Precentral.net...The search will give you everything else except what you're looking for.

Hope this will be improve in the new WebosCentral.net

Cheers!

[Shineon]

It just seems redundant to have to go to a different website to search the website I'm looking to do a search on.....or something. If it's really that bad with vBulletin forum searches, maybe they should put a Google search bar on Precentral to search with? I have no clue honestly, I just know that it is not really working for me and seems like "too much work" searching your searches.

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by Spader

vBulletin forum searches are notorious for being pretty much worthless.

I always use Google to search the forums by typing "whatever I'm searching for" site:forums.precentral.net

Works a little better for me personally.

Edit: Dang... too slow.

LoL you talk too much ....

the reason why google search works better is bec its spidering the most talked about topics first than the rest. so most likely youll get relevant results most of the time.. the precentral site searches for the keywords you tryped throughout the entire forums database, and since the forum is plagued by "Hey Moron Search First" and people continuously opting NOT too
(sometimes i can understand bec you want an answer now, but sometimes the thread youre looking for is right in front of you... ive always taken the wordss "Search First" to mean first check todays newest posts, than if nothing check the appropriate forum and if all else fails you can Search , by now you shuold have your answer and if Not than post a New thread)
you just clutter the forum with another useless thread... so now when someone Actually Searches they pull up Tons of unanswered threads etc... basically P|C Needs more mods so the can merge topics , move threads etc... because 2 Mods per forum, sometimes isnt enough
well i do think that its a mix of people


wow maybe I talk too much

[Shineon]

Originally Posted by sketch42

LoL you talk too much ....

the reason why google search works better is bec its spidering the most talked about topics first than the rest. so most likely youll get relevant results most of the time.. the precentral site searches for the keywords you tryped throughout the entire forums database, and since the forum is plagued by "Hey Moron Search First" and people continuously opting NOT too
(sometimes i can understand bec you want an answer now, but sometimes the thread youre looking for is right in front of you... ive always taken the wordss "Search First" to mean first check todays newest posts, than if nothing check the appropriate forum and if all else fails you can Search , by now you shuold have your answer and if Not than post a New thread)
you just clutter the forum with another useless thread... so now when someone Actually Searches they pull up Tons of unanswered threads etc... basically P|C Needs more mods so the can merge topics , move threads etc... because 2 Mods per forum, sometimes isnt enough
well i do think that its a mix of people


wow maybe I talk too much

This is a forum, talk as much as you please
Are Mod's hired or are they just members of the forum? It might be more feasible to change the search criteria or something than hiring new Mod's. I feel it should definitely be looked into on Precentral's part.
P.S I love this site...

[Cantaffordit]

Originally Posted by Shineon

I love this website! I am here all day long while I'm at work and then visit the site all night long from my Sprint Pre. Until I try to search for something....then it's all downhill.
I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what, but it really seems to be totally random if what I am looking for actually comes up or not. And when it does come up, I still have to search through my search in order to find it.
I see all of the post's asking/telling people that they should have searched first before starting a new thread or posting in the wrong thread and I sincerely feel their pain.
I'm not really sure what they need to do or can do to make this a little more user friendly, but I feel something needs to be done so we don't have multiple posts/threads of the same thing going on and make it very easy to find the answers we are looking for. I know all of us (or most of us) just want to help or find an answer to a question we know we have seen before.
If other members feel the same way, maybe we can start a poll or something....

Go PrePixiTeam! (I'm such a dork)

That's why I get frustrated by vague thread titles (like 'Help' or 'Quick Question') and duplicate threads on the same topic. It's impossible to keep the same answers in 20 different versions of the same thread topic, and impossible to dig into 2 pages of threads that might have the answer.

My wish has always been that:

1. There needs to be a button that marks a thread "answered" so future readers know they are actaully looking at the correct answer or solution (and no more posts can be added to confuse the matter) - the Palm.com forums do this.

2. Once threads have been around awhile, the thread titles should be changed from "help me" or "hmmm, this isn't good..." to stuff like "Info about cheap sources for batteries and touchstone" or "lot's of good info on how to migrate to a replacement pre if your screen is dead"...

that would make it easier to search on thread title only, and help you determine which threads are worth drilling in to. in turn, that would make it less of a temptation to start another thread... and the circle of life continues.

That's my two cents

[Shineon]

Originally Posted by Cantaffordit

That's why I get frustrated by vague thread titles (like 'Help' of 'Quick Question') and duplicate threads on the same topic. It's impossible to keep the same answers in 20 different versions of the same thread topic.

My wish has always been that:

1. There needs to be a button that marks a thread "answered" so future readers know they are actaully looking at the correct answer or solution - the Palm.com forums do this.

2. Once threads have been around awhile, the thread titles should be changed from "help me" or "hmmm, this isn't good..." to stuff like "Info about cheap sources for batteries and touchstone" or "lot's of good info on how to migrate to a replacement pre if your screen is dead"...

that would make it easier to search on thread title only, and help you determine which threads are worth drilling in to. in turn, that would make it less of a temptation to start another thread... and the circle of life continues.

That's my two cents

I totally agree with number one and I think that could clear up some things for number 2. If I could just type in "Battery Issue" and have every post with "battery issue" in the title, and then see that there is an actual answer in the post without having to go through 10-100 pages, how much would that rock?!

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by Shineon

This is a forum, talk as much as you please
Are Mod's hired or are they just members of the forum? It might be more feasible to change the search criteria or something than hiring new Mod's. I feel it should definitely be looked into on Precentral's part.
P.S I love this site...

mods are reg forum members donating their time

[Shineon]

Originally Posted by sketch42

mods are reg forum members donating their time

Right on, had a feeling that might be the case. But wouldn't "changing" the way the search works eliminate the need for more Mods and probably make some people a bit happier?
This is totally just a suggestion and if you or anyone else knows of a simpler/easier way to search, or i I'm simply doing it wrong, please, PLEASE let me know!

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by Cantaffordit

That's why I get frustrated by vague thread titles (like 'Help' of 'Quick Question') and duplicate threads on the same topic. It's impossible to keep the same answers in 20 different versions of the same thread topic.

My wish has always been that:

1. There needs to be a button that marks a thread "answered" so future readers know they are actaully looking at the correct answer or solution - the Palm.com forums do this.

2. Once threads have been around awhile, the thread titles should be changed from "help me" or "hmmm, this isn't good..." to stuff like "Info about cheap sources for batteries and touchstone" or "lot's of good info on how to migrate to a replacement pre if your screen is dead"...

that would make it easier to search on thread title only, and help you determine which threads are worth drilling in to. in turn, that would make it less of a temptation to start another thread... and the circle of life continues.

That's my two cents

all this reverts to more mods per forum ( at least 4 Active Mods per forum) when i had HofoUFN.com (before it was stolen from under me... ) i had 3-4 Mods per forum..

The mods are users who love the site and in particular the forum section they are modding, but the same mod should be a moderator in 5 forums... that just styretches them thin.. every mod needs to be in at maximum 3 forums and have 3 - 4Mods per forum... they should merge, delete and move threads as necessary, and change thread titles as needed...

I know its a big job for someone donating their time, thats why you need 3 - 4 of them.

the lack of options in the thread titles (marking as solved etc...) is because P|C and P|C affiliate sites need to implement the code to do so into the forums...

all these could be solved very easily, with more mods and additional code... i say we have a Mod election !

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by Shineon

Right on, had a feeling that might be the case. But wouldn't "changing" the way the search works eliminate the need for more Mods and probably make some people a bit happier?
This is totally just a suggestion and if you or anyone else knows of a simpler/easier way to search, or i I'm simply doing it wrong, please, PLEASE let me know!

the way the search works is built into the code of vBulletin, and there are limited ways to optimize the searches of the database even with code... i created a few hacks way back to do such a thing but again theres a limit as you are dealing with a database size that grows bigger and bigger every day, with every new thread and post.. when you issue a search query by keyword the site goes through all the forums you seleceted looking for those keywords... the search by tags , as i understand it , was supposed to relieve some of the stress of these bad searches, however the Tag system is sooooo broken now that its worse.

the problem is allowing anyone to add a tag to a thread after its been created. If the thread creator where to be forced to add tags to his thread at creation this would solve alot. combine that with the taking away users tag privelges and ability to add a solved title to the thread by mods and OP... and you have a better system IMHO...

just my sketch .42 cents

[netwrkr9]

What seems to work better for me is to click "Search" then scroll down to "Advanced search" and then enter in a keyword and then click "Search titles only" and then click "Search now"

[sketch42]

Originally Posted by netwrkr9

What seems to work better for me is to click "Search" then scroll down to "Advanced search" and then enter in a keyword and then click "Search titles only" and then click "Search now"

that would be great for everyone, if everyone titled their threads properly

[Shineon]

I just want to be able to type in a keyword and find that keyword in all of the titles/posts out there. I've tried the advanced option and seemed to have the same kind of luck. I might have to try that again and see how it works for me.

Sketch42, I'm all about more Mod's, unfortunately I would not be able to do it myself. Should we start another title/post and ask for more Mod's?

[sketch42]

i wouldnt really make a new thread for more mods , since its not upto us.. i would use the contact form on the front page http://www.precentral.net/contact and link to this thread..

[Cantaffordit]

Originally Posted by Shineon

I totally agree with number one and I think that could clear up some things for number 2. If I could just type in "Battery Issue" and have every post with "battery issue" in the title, and then see that there is an actual answer in the post without having to go through 10-100 pages, how much would that rock?!

Yep, the problem is that the "best" battery thread might have a title like "question here, please help" or "palm, if you don't fix this..." and you don't know if the thread has useful info or not. But, that's my pet peave and it gets me in to trouble on a regular basis.

[Cantaffordit]

Originally Posted by Shineon

I just want to be able to type in a keyword and find that keyword in all of the titles/posts out there. I've tried the advanced option and seemed to have the same kind of luck. I might have to try that again and see how it works for me.

Sketch42, I'm all about more Mod's, unfortunately I would not be able to do it myself. Should we start another title/post and ask for more Mod's?

They just recruited 5 new mods from here:

http://forums.precentral.net/treocen...-accepted.html

PLEASE don't start another thread about mods...