Using The Search Function On The Forum

At the top of the page on the right side is a search box, @Hal Pollner . You type in a keyword, and the name of the person who posted, and the search will find the thread for you.
Here is a picture that shows how to do the search, and the link for Lon’s harmonica thread.

http://www.seniorsonly.club/threads...ca-and-i-played-professionally-im-deaf.16130/

 

Hal, look in your messages. It is by your name at the top of the page, and there is a little envelope. Click that envelope and that will open your private messages.
I sent you the name and the link there.
We can not advertise for another forum on this one, so I sent it to you privately.

 

The most consistent issue I've had on this forum is with the Search feature. I nearly always get a No Results Found message the first time I execute a search (either a general one or a Titles Only one.) At first I thought it was case-sensitive, because when I changed the case I would get results. But based upon some of the results I received, that made no sense to me. So when I get No Results Found, I execute the exact same search again (sometimes by selecting the word as saved by the system) and then it yields results. It's a "try it again" thing, not a "case" thing. I guess it's possible this is a browser issue. EVERYTHING might be a browser issue these days.

I only throw this out there for folks to be aware of, and to run their searches a second time exactly as they did the first time if the first shot yields no results. If you want, I can capture and post examples next time it happens. I don't know what you would do about it, other than maybe re-index the files.

 

I was able to duplicate the issue with the Search function:

My Initial Search Attempt


Yielded No Results


I Ran The Search Again From The System-Saved Word
So It Is Exactly The Same Search


And Now I Get Results
​

As I've already stated, I used to play with upper case/lower case on the search word and thought that was the issue, but then I realized that it made no sense for Titles, so I tried just running the same search a second time. This does not happen all the time. In fact, after I just documented this, I ran a Search on "lunch" in Titles and got results the first time. It might only happen when I run the first Search after a fresh browser restart.

So this is not really a "problem" to be fixed, but I wanted to put it out there in case others get No Results on a Search, they may want to try running it again, just to be sure.

I've had different Search issues when searching the contents of posts (I don't want to get specific until I can verify it.) If I document them, I'll put them here just for general knowledge.

 

It happens to me quite a bit, Craig. And it's not just the first Search I do on a fresh browser start as I thought. It happens many times during a browser session. It's just something for folks to be aware of. Do not accept the "No Results Found" result of your first search on given words. Execute it a second time.

I'm also having consistency issues with getting results on searching on a singular (people) when the title contains plurals (peoples). I've not captured specifics. Again, people need to try their search more than once, and they need to try singular and plural versions.

This is only noticeable when searching on Titles Only. I always get results when doing a more general search, but have no idea if there are results missing due to the volume such a result typically yields.

My "power user" gut tells me this might be an indexing issue. I'm sure those with more direct experience can chime in.

 

The main reason that I get this kind of non-answer for a search , is because of auto-correct, and I was not paying attention. I have typed in the word that I want to search for on the forum, but after I typed it, auto-correct changed it to something else, just as I pushed the search button.
Now, what I do , is type the search word, look and make sure it is the right word, and then type a space, to see if auto-correct is going to change the word.
If that happens, it sometimes takes me 2-3 tries before I can get past this and it will actually search for the word that I actually typed in.

 

I agree that forks need to watch their spelling, auto-correct, etc., but I think the system issue is different, Yvonne.

You likely know that when you search on a word (even if it's been auto-corrected), the system retains it for you to search on again. As I said in my post with pics, my second search attempt always uses the exact word I initially searched on because I select it from the system...I don't retype it. And had auto-correct changed it (my browser does not have auto-correct), the changed word would be the one the system saves.

I just searched on the made-up word "syztet." I put a space after it and the system did not correct...that made-up word got searched on, and that made-up word got saved by the system.

I've duplicated this many times. There may be other data points to this. It seems that after I do that second Search (and successfully get results) that if my very next action on the Forum is to do another Search, the Search executes properly the first time. But if after doing that second [successful] Search I engage in other Forum actions like opening threads, posting comments, etc. and then do a Search, the Search fails the first time and I have to execute it a second time.

If there are things you would like me to try to get more info, just let me know. I could go through a bunch of tests and scenarios, but if we decide to just live with it, I won't bother.

 

It does happen. I get that sometimes too, but I get the answer on my second search. Every day the database gets larger, and that could be the problem, so it might be that I'll have to archive older threads at some point, but I hate to do that.

 

I wonder if a reindex might help.

 

Give us some details and we can search for you. Unique words are best.