Vigil Vindex 64 Posted February 16, 2013 There is a wealth of useful information hidden away here on the forums. Yet whenever I see people making new threads to ask questions that have already been answered people always snidely remark "use the search". I have used the search feature, and I don't think it is working as well as it should. For example a search, from the top right site search, for "forum search" returns basically everything not related to forum search, yet when I created this thread, to the right of the title there is a button to "Check If Already Posted", this search returns 5 hits all with "forum search" in the title. I know there are options to manually specify "search in titles" etc, yet the top right search bar for the whole forums defaults to a keyword search that never seems to return the hits I am wanting. The 5 other threads are old threads, and since its frowned upon here to dig up old threads I thought I would make a new one to try and get some discussion going on how to improve accessibility to the information here on the forums. I think even if it is just a matter of changing the default search settings or trying something like a user sourced tagging system would be a good improvement over what is currently available. Preemptive apologies if this is either, in the wrong section, is already answered in another thread, or otherwise deemed as a useless spam thread as happens with a lot of threads. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W0lle 1050 Posted February 16, 2013 The 5 other threads are old threads, and since its frowned upon here to dig up old threads I thought I would make a new one to try and get some discussion going on how to improve accessibility to the information here on the forums. And you just created (pointless) result number 6. Using old threads is not a problem when something constructive is added to them. Creating even more pointless threads is an even bigger problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissileMoose 10 Posted February 16, 2013 If you're not happy with the current search functions of vBulletin, paste "site:forums.bistudio.com" into Google followed by your search terms. You'll get better results with the worlds largest and most advanced search engine than any built-in forum solution. :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iceman77 18 Posted February 16, 2013 Yeah the search function could be better. Sometimes, I think it's just not possible that what I just searched for, returns absolutely no results. Something like camera rotation. Like, out of the last 12 years no ones ever made a thread regarding how to make a camera pan or rotate? I find things like this hard to believe, yet no results turn up. Also it's pointless to not search by title. Else, you get the entire forums returned :) . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom Six 25 Posted February 17, 2013 I don't use the BIS forums search function. I simply just google what I'm looking for and I find it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vigil Vindex 64 Posted February 17, 2013 And you just created (pointless) result number 6. Using old threads is not a problem when something constructive is added to them. Creating even more pointless threads is an even bigger problem. ^^ This is what I mean by snide. Is my post really pointless? I am trying to make a suggestion to try and help this community and my thread is being called pointless, by a moderator. Hardly an inviting or constructive atmosphere is it? Using old threads is a problem, I got a warning my first day here for posting in an old thread, and the post, in the opinion of a moderator, was again pointless. Back on the topic, rather than calling peoples ideas pointless, if Google is a better solution then it is easy to integrate Google search right into this site. The point, yes my post does have a point, was that there needs to be something better to enable content discovery here on the forums themselves, not just passing the buck onto Google, or indeed vBulletin, there are plenty of options available. If too many threads is a problem for a forum web site, then it must be doing something wrong, because that is what forum software like vBulletin is custom built for. PS. Pointless result number 6, that you will never find using the site search... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicholas 5 Posted February 17, 2013 (edited) I don't use the BIS forums search function. I simply just google what I'm looking for and I find it. I also use Google to search for things on forums. All you have to do is type site:forums.bistudio.com (Or any other website) then type what your searching for. Google will pull up results from all pages that it has crawled on forums.bistudio.com. Edited February 17, 2013 by Nicholas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vigil Vindex 64 Posted February 18, 2013 I also use Google to search for things on forums. If everyone uses Google, then why not integrate it here on the site if the forum search is not worth using or supporting? Any half competent web developer can do it: http://www.google.com/cse/ If Google is the answer then have it here on the site, telling people to use Google is effectively telling them to go elsewhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kualus 1 Posted February 18, 2013 ^^ This is what I mean by snide. Is my post really pointless? I am trying to make a suggestion to try and help this community and my thread is being called pointless, by a moderator. Hardly an inviting or constructive atmosphere is it? Using old threads is a problem...Valid point. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
froggyluv 2136 Posted February 18, 2013 Agree that the Search is not very precise at all and it's really understandable why newer people just find posting a new thread as a more viable solution. Us old heads know better and use google Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slatts 1978 Posted February 18, 2013 Use the advanced search rather then the little one in the corner maybe? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwarden 1125 Posted February 18, 2013 simple search http://forums.bistudio.com/search.php?search_type=1 advanced search http://forums.bistudio.com/search.php?do=process + you have the Search Thread to seek "within thread" in the right menu bar + you have the Search Forum to seek "within forum" in the right menu bar so 4 ways how do search in the BIForum (hell maybe more) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vigil Vindex 64 Posted February 18, 2013 Come on guys, I know there are advanced options, but the default place to search for non-technical people is usually the bar at the top right. Posting links to better options here in this thread doesn't cut it if those options aren't exposed and highlighted to new users at the get go. Am not saying doing a successful search is impossible, what I am saying is that the primary site search, the only one that has universal position throughout the site, the bar at the top right, doesn't work half as good as it should. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
