Are you having problems with the Fodors Forum because the search and post a new message sections have disappeared from your screen?
Apr 8th, 2007, 04:49 AM
#21
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Alabama, Road Runner cable, Dell desktop, MSN home page, Windowxp. I thought it was just me. After ewading this post. I checked my wireless notebook, I was able to see the whole page but not at my desktop Strange.
Apr 8th, 2007, 05:14 AM
#22
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Yes, that was it. Thanks. I guess I should have been wearing my glasses! That method will do in a pinch but using Fodors Search is definitely more convenient.
If we all yell loud enough do you think they will fix it?
If we all yell loud enough do you think they will fix it?
Apr 8th, 2007, 07:35 AM
#23
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Fodor's is "definitely more convenient?" I don't think so.
1. I have Google default as my home page. So all I have to do is to switch to it (Alt-Tab) or open a new window (Ctrl-N) and there it is.
2. The Google results provide a few lines of the target page containing the search criteria. This frequently makes it much easier to isolate a specific post.
3. Google is faster. Much faster.
4. Google Advanced Search provides Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. Fodor's only provides AND by default.
5. Google allows filtering by date range.
1. I have Google default as my home page. So all I have to do is to switch to it (Alt-Tab) or open a new window (Ctrl-N) and there it is.
2. The Google results provide a few lines of the target page containing the search criteria. This frequently makes it much easier to isolate a specific post.
3. Google is faster. Much faster.
4. Google Advanced Search provides Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT. Fodor's only provides AND by default.
5. Google allows filtering by date range.
Apr 8th, 2007, 09:32 AM
#24
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So maybe I am still doing something wrong? Don't you have to flip in and out of google to get the next post? I had google in one screen and fodors in another but it still didn't seem as good as having all related posts down the side.
Apr 8th, 2007, 10:19 AM
#25
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What you say is correct in a literal sense, but Fodor's search turns up so much extraneous garbage that flipping back to Google doesn't seem to me too great a price to pay for the power it gives you.
To each his own.
To each his own.
Apr 8th, 2007, 11:01 AM
#26
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Perhaps the real issue is all the extra garbage you get on Google too. I mean if you enter the name of a specific hotel or restaurant on Fodor's and it comes up (the big IF) you will genrally find specific comments about it. Enter a hotel or restaurant name on Google and you will find dozens of hits, but you may have to go through a dozen to find anything worthwhile. Many of those links will simply take you to a booking site that has no information on the hotel. Or a restaurant name may simply be one of a whole list for a particular city without any comments at all about any of them.
Meanwhile my favorite is looking at the left on Google. Enter the name of any hotel or restaurant and you'll find links to finding it on ebay or Amazon.com. I don't think so !!!
Granted, however, google is far superior for finding many kinds of information.
Meanwhile my favorite is looking at the left on Google. Enter the name of any hotel or restaurant and you'll find links to finding it on ebay or Amazon.com. I don't think so !!!
Granted, however, google is far superior for finding many kinds of information.
Apr 8th, 2007, 12:15 PM
#27
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Sorry, there I go being an actor again and thinking "stage left". I meant "look at the right side" on Google for those Ebay and other odd things that really have nothing to do with what you put in search.
Apr 8th, 2007, 01:05 PM
#28
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I think you missed a key item: besides the search criteria, you type <b>site:fodors.com</b> and Google only searches this server's documents.
And you can filter out the extraneous garbage easier by looking at the synopsis Google presents with each hit than opening each tedious post.
And you can filter out the extraneous garbage easier by looking at the synopsis Google presents with each hit than opening each tedious post.
Apr 8th, 2007, 07:04 PM
#29
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OK. So I tried that -- twice. I entered Pirate Queen with site:fodors.com on google, and I entered Pirate Queen on Fodors in the US forum.
I got a number of hits including information about a discount code by using the Fodors site, that never appeared on the google site.
Then I repeated with "banoffee pie". On google (specifing fodors.com) the most recent hit I could get on Google was nearly a year old, but on the Fodors search, I got three other threads newer than that, including the one that started yesterday.
Whatever works for you -- but I sure don't see how Google is better for searching Fodors than sticking with Fodors.
I got a number of hits including information about a discount code by using the Fodors site, that never appeared on the google site.
Then I repeated with "banoffee pie". On google (specifing fodors.com) the most recent hit I could get on Google was nearly a year old, but on the Fodors search, I got three other threads newer than that, including the one that started yesterday.
Whatever works for you -- but I sure don't see how Google is better for searching Fodors than sticking with Fodors.
Apr 9th, 2007, 05:36 AM
#30
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When you type <b>pirate queen</b> on Fodor's, you get every thread that has both words in it, whether they're adjacent, separated, or in different posts. Fodor's search uses an implicit <b>AND</b>. On Google, the default operator is <b>OR</b>, and the first threads are where the words are closest together. For best results, search <b>"pirate queen"</b> and <b>"banoffee pie"</b> (with the quotation marks, which forces both engines to search for a string).
I am not surprised that Google hasn't indexed the entire World Wide Web since yesterday. The fact that Fodor's has indexed one site I find unremarkable.
The reason that Google is preferable is outlined above: AND, OR, NOT, and date criteria.
I am not surprised that Google hasn't indexed the entire World Wide Web since yesterday. The fact that Fodor's has indexed one site I find unremarkable.
The reason that Google is preferable is outlined above: AND, OR, NOT, and date criteria.
Apr 9th, 2007, 05:42 AM
#32
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It used to be that it seemed weeks before newer threads would come up on the Fodors search, but as mentioned above, often they will now appear the same day they are started!
I'm not aware of the problems mentioned in the title of the original post above, but I'm sure not having any problems with the search function here at all -- in fact is seems to work really great for me and I use it often.
I'm not aware of the problems mentioned in the title of the original post above, but I'm sure not having any problems with the search function here at all -- in fact is seems to work really great for me and I use it often.
Apr 9th, 2007, 05:47 AM
#33
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"I know it is not the browser because Fodors Talk is ok on IE at work but not at home. "
But are you using the same version of IE? I have a very old version on one of my computers, which cannot access some sites with fancy pix or animation.
My son-in-law who designs web sites subscribes to a service that will run his pages through a test of various versiona of common browsers automatically, to analyze and report any issues quickly.
But are you using the same version of IE? I have a very old version on one of my computers, which cannot access some sites with fancy pix or animation.
My son-in-law who designs web sites subscribes to a service that will run his pages through a test of various versiona of common browsers automatically, to analyze and report any issues quickly.
Apr 9th, 2007, 06:55 AM
#34
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If anything I have a newer version at home where it doesn't work. I made my husband sit and try to get it to work but he couldn't find any setting on our computer that would be causing the problem.
Wish your son-in-law could figure this out. Do you think he could take a look at it?
Wish your son-in-law could figure this out. Do you think he could take a look at it?
Apr 9th, 2007, 08:39 AM
#35
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With an uncommon word like "banoffee" there is no need to add the "pie". There's not going to be any Fodors posts with that word that AREN'T about the pie. I just now searched Google with |banofee site:fodors.com| and got all the most recent posts about banoffee pie.
With "Pirate Queen", these are both common words that have loads of alternate meanings, so in that case it is essential to use |"pirate queen" site:fodors.com|.
The "switching back and forth" isn't any more difficult than using your back button (or Alt-leftarrow).
Whatever problems you people are having with the Fodors site is unlikely to have anything to do with your internet service provider, who just send you the bits, or your operating system (unless it's Vista, in which case nothing is impossible). It's surely something to do with your browser or its plugins (Flash, perhaps). If you are sure you have all your system updates, I would first try forcibly reloading the page (Ctrl-F5), and then try reinstalling Flash, or better yet, installing Firefox, an alternate browser that complies with standards instead of deliberately breaking them.
With "Pirate Queen", these are both common words that have loads of alternate meanings, so in that case it is essential to use |"pirate queen" site:fodors.com|.
The "switching back and forth" isn't any more difficult than using your back button (or Alt-leftarrow).
Whatever problems you people are having with the Fodors site is unlikely to have anything to do with your internet service provider, who just send you the bits, or your operating system (unless it's Vista, in which case nothing is impossible). It's surely something to do with your browser or its plugins (Flash, perhaps). If you are sure you have all your system updates, I would first try forcibly reloading the page (Ctrl-F5), and then try reinstalling Flash, or better yet, installing Firefox, an alternate browser that complies with standards instead of deliberately breaking them.
Apr 9th, 2007, 08:54 AM
#36
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Interesting, but your google must work differently than my google. I just entered what you did, and nowhere on Google did I find the post that appeared two days ago about the place in Covent Garden that serves it. That was the post I had in mind, when I decided to google or search Fodors for it.
Apr 9th, 2007, 08:57 AM
#37
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So I guess my rule might be: use Google first, and Fodor's last. Unless you're looking for a recent post with "banoffee" in it, in which case...
(As I said, I'm sure Google is trying hard to index the entire web every day, but I'm afraid they may fall short of your expectations.)
(As I said, I'm sure Google is trying hard to index the entire web every day, but I'm afraid they may fall short of your expectations.)
Apr 9th, 2007, 09:02 AM
#38
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I know you wanted problems/ISPs to narrow it down, so all I can say is I've had no such problems of either kind at work or home. I have a multitide of browsers (IE and Firefox), as well as AOL versus a private work line.
I really have not had a single problem.
I don't find the Fodors search tool that bad, if you use it properly. A lot of people just don't know how to search very well and throw in all kinds of unnecessary words and info (eg, the above-mentioned pie issue) as well as searching for specific phrases that are completely unnecessary, and with prepositions. The key to searching is the minimal words necessary to get what you want, and the words that most likely get you a unique or very limited train of thought. One shouldn't search on specific hotel names in a certain order as lots of people may not call them that, for example (ie, the Hotel du Jour versus Jour Hotel).
I really have not had a single problem.
I don't find the Fodors search tool that bad, if you use it properly. A lot of people just don't know how to search very well and throw in all kinds of unnecessary words and info (eg, the above-mentioned pie issue) as well as searching for specific phrases that are completely unnecessary, and with prepositions. The key to searching is the minimal words necessary to get what you want, and the words that most likely get you a unique or very limited train of thought. One shouldn't search on specific hotel names in a certain order as lots of people may not call them that, for example (ie, the Hotel du Jour versus Jour Hotel).
Apr 9th, 2007, 09:36 AM
#39
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I just Googled the entire web with <b>banoffee -pie</b> and got 24,000 hits (for you googlenoobies: the minus sign means "without"
. If you were searching for "banoffee" (unqualified), you would get 24,000 more references than you need. So you probably picked a suboptimal example.
But I know what you mean. Composing a search that will get you what you want without a lot of extraneous garbage is an art - which few have mastered.
. If you were searching for "banoffee" (unqualified), you would get 24,000 more references than you need. So you probably picked a suboptimal example.But I know what you mean. Composing a search that will get you what you want without a lot of extraneous garbage is an art - which few have mastered.
