N2OInferno

If someone wants to sticky this or put it somewhere else more important, by all means do so.

I read in a topic earlier about how a user was having an issue searching for oil change, so I figured I'd make this thread to help inform the masses about some rules when using a search engine. I am not trying to come across as condescending. Knowledge is power, and the better you can search the more efficient you'll make yourself! The truth is, quite honestly, that most poeple don't know how to properly search. Using the search engine might help them and often does, but they're not getting the best results for what they want. These rules I'm going to mention can be applied to Google, Altavista, Yahoo, or just about any enigne. Anyway, on with the post!!

If you search oil change, it does come up with the error stating that:
But.. I CAN search for oil change. You need to use proper syntax. Don't type the words oil and change, type in "oil change" using the quotes. It searches for that particular string as opposed for searching for just the words "oil" and "change." The first search, if allowed, could bring up a topic that has nothing to do with oil changes but has those words randomly inserted in it.

So let's put this to use! I want 22 inch wheels on my Genesis Coupe ().
22 won't take if I type that into the search engine alone, but I need answers and if I start a new thread everyone will laugh at me and I'll get flamed and doomed to be a noob forever. I want my answers, but I'm not quite prepared to be laughed at by having 22s, so I'm open to 17s, 18s, or 19s. What do I do?
Search: wheels "22 inch" "17 inch" "18 inch" "19 inch"
And your results are
NOTHING! (at the time of this writing!)
edit: after this was posted, doing this specific search will pull up this thread.

This time, our search was too specific, and there is no thread that mentions 22 inch wheels and also mentions 17 inch, 18 inch, and 19 inch wheels.

At this point, you can be more vague, and if that doesn't work make a new thread. If someone gives you issues, tell them you did a thorough search, and if they can't get over themselves then they must think the internet is srs bizness.

Couple other things I'd like to mention here that may or may not work on vBulletin but work in other search engines:
+ forces a word to be found in the search. If I Google livestock +cows, every search will be related to livestock, and have the word "cows" in it.
- filters a word from a search. If I google livestock -cows, every search will be related to livestock, and will NOT mention the word "cows" in it.

This is an intensive overview of Google's seach operands. Google Search syntax dissected - Night Dreaming (by Sudar)
It's a great site for anyone that wants to get a bit more efficient in their searching when out on the internet.

That's all.

__________________
- "If you are flammable and have legs, then you are never blocking a fire exit. You can write that down and put a dash in front of it, and put my name at the bottom."
Mitch Hedberg

Kai

This deserves a sticky A++

__________________
Hahn: The red EVOs yours.
Sean: What do you mean?
Hahn: You represent me now. What you think I let you roll in a Hyundai?

Kai

lol..
had to do it, took me 2 seconds

__________________
Hahn: The red EVOs yours.
Sean: What do you mean?
Hahn: You represent me now. What you think I let you roll in a Hyundai?

N2OInferno

haha.. that's actually a good idea. Never even thought about it, but yeah it'll pull up this thread now when you search for that.. gonna go edit the first post.

__________________
- "If you are flammable and have legs, then you are never blocking a fire exit. You can write that down and put a dash in front of it, and put my name at the bottom."
Mitch Hedberg

kristin

That is just dumb.

vBulletin needs to hire a usability team.. one should not need instructions to do something as simple as search

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N2OInferno

Working in the computer industry (or did, lol), I get that a lot when people don't know how to use something. So I'll answer the same way. No. It's not dumb, really. Computers are dumb machines. They can't do anything on their own without prompt. Therefore, they are only as knowledgeable as the person operating them. If the user doesn't know the correct syntax, the computer doesn't know how to handle the situation in a precise manner. If you didn't know how use the ignition to start a car, it wouldn't know how to start.

It's not vBulletin.. ALL search engines perform this way. When people know how to search correctly it makes life a lot easier. It's a good thing vBulletin has filters IMO. Look what happens when I search for "the" at Google.

Sooo.. People can continue saying it's dumb and do nothing.. Or they can learn to properly use the software.

__________________
- "If you are flammable and have legs, then you are never blocking a fire exit. You can write that down and put a dash in front of it, and put my name at the bottom."
Mitch Hedberg

FlesHBoX

I will interject that there are search engines that would not "have this problem" and they all suck for any real searching. Lotus Notes comes to mind, the search engine is literally like being punished!

The problem with allowing so few characters is that your search becomes so ambiguous that the hits returned are pretty much useless. It would be like asking for 1/3 of the posts on the site, only without any organization, only ordered by the post date.

There are Natural language search engines, most of which really suck badly. Our Knowledge Base system where I work uses a natural language search engine and it is almost impossible to find some of the articles because those who wrote them have no clue how to write for the engine.

I happen to be intimately familiar with that one, as I am a reviewer for our knowledge base, after it was discovered that I was the best author in our group, lol. Unfortunately, that means that I no longer write articles

__________________
..: J e s s e :..
Easy like Hyundai morning.

N2OInferno

Annnnnnnd you forgot a period before your smiley. I WIN AGAIN!

__________________
- "If you are flammable and have legs, then you are never blocking a fire exit. You can write that down and put a dash in front of it, and put my name at the bottom."
Mitch Hedberg

FlesHBoX

The smiley IS my period

__________________
..: J e s s e :..
Easy like Hyundai morning.