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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ why don't we allow 3 letter searches?

Posted by: bradtho Sep 7 2011, 08:30 AM

I can't find a way to email the server admin, so posting instead. Why can't we search for 3 letter words? I like to combine search terms and often can't refine the search due to the inabilty to use 3 letter words (+bore +1.7). Or this weekend I wanted to look up a past thread on the throttle position switch, but can't search for TPS (and no one ever fully spells out throttle position switch!).

am I missing something or can we enable this?

Posted by: smontanaro Sep 7 2011, 10:20 AM

I've never found a forum system with a decent search facility. Instead, http://lmgtfy.com/?q=site%3A914world.com+TPS. :-)

Skip

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 7 2011, 11:08 AM

QUOTE(bradtho @ Sep 7 2011, 07:30 AM)

why don't we allow 3 letter searches?

Currently, the site uses the MySql full text indexing for the searches and unfortunately that has build-in restrictions that are not easily overcome.

I have been thinking about redoing the search completely, but that is a LOT of work as it is a build-in part of the IPB forum software.

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Posted by: r_towle Sep 7 2011, 11:10 AM

Have you tried Google?
In the search bar put in your search phrase.
Then after that put site:www.914world.com

See if that works.

Posted by: Rand Sep 7 2011, 11:16 AM

Could just paste this code into the search page....

CODE

<div id="cse" style="width: 100%;">Loading</div>
<script src="http://www.google.com/jsapi" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
  google.load('search', '1', {language : 'en'});
  google.setOnLoadCallback(function() {
    var customSearchControl = new google.search.CustomSearchControl('013769333545032935419:pwbcgpgf1ma');
    customSearchControl.setResultSetSize(google.search.Search.FILTERED_CSE_RESULTSET);
    customSearchControl.draw('cse');
  }, true);
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://www.google.com/cse/style/look/default.css" type="text/css" />

Works like this: http://4nets.com/914world_search.htm
Note, this would also include results from /roadglue.

Posted by: Series9 Sep 7 2011, 11:28 AM

QUOTE(r_towle @ Sep 7 2011, 01:10 PM)

Have you tried Google?
In the search bar put in your search phrase.
Then after that put site:www.914world.com

See if that works.

That's exactly what I do. Google finds stuff on this site way better than the built-in search engine.

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 7 2011, 12:01 PM

QUOTE(Series9 @ Sep 7 2011, 10:28 AM)

Google finds stuff on this site way better than the built-in search engine.

As long as the content was indexed by Google. Usually not a big deal, but there is a good chance that Google does not have all the posts in their index.

Either way, fixing our search is on my todo list, but as i said above, it is a rather large undertaking.

Posted by: r_towle Sep 7 2011, 12:03 PM

You do plenty as it is....
Google works quite fine and I can find all sorts of wierd old threads and three letter searches with it.

You have plenty to do....go drive your damn car, finish the limo, enjoy life.

Rich

Posted by: McMark Sep 7 2011, 01:16 PM

Also, be warned that links from Google will often automatically change how threads appear on your computer. About every two weeks we seem to get a new post panicking about 'The new layout of the site', and it turns out they've just been searching through Google.

I used Google sometimes too, though.

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 7 2011, 02:49 PM

QUOTE(McMark @ Sep 7 2011, 12:16 PM)

I used Google sometimes too, though.

For some reason, Google likes to index our pages in "outline" mode and it'll screw up your thread display if you click on a Google link ...

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Posted by: smontanaro Sep 7 2011, 03:27 PM

I wonder why viewing a thread in outline mode sets that as the default after that.

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S

Posted by: SirAndy Sep 7 2011, 07:34 PM

QUOTE(smontanaro @ Sep 7 2011, 02:27 PM)

I wonder why viewing a thread in outline mode sets that as the default after that.

Because changing the viewing mode is done by passing a url parameter to the page. If Google indexes in outline mode, the url you click on will have that url parameter. Thus making it the default until you change it back.

Posted by: computers4kids Sep 7 2011, 08:57 PM

You can use google to search this site...really?