Search problems
 

Is there something up with the search function on this board? I saw a post the other day that I decided I could help by responding to, but just searched it and it didn't come up. I know it was a recent post about Hotel Les Muscadins in Mougins, but nothing earlier than 2006 comes up when I search. When that happened, I entered in a few key words from one of my July posts, and nothing came up there either.

Two different kinds of answers:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35040365

Best wishes,

Rex

Thanks, Rex. In my defense, I searched using the word "search" before I posted my message, and the string that you posted did not come up. BTW, my search problems include things posted more than a week ago, so there's something else going on.

Thanks.

No need to defend yourself. Read my post again. The search function is broken - - for anything posted in the last 5 or 6 weeks - - until they get the indexing fixed.

Requests to look into it seem to be falling on deaf ears.

Emailed (once again) to [email protected]

Suggest that others do too.

Politely request the courtesy of a reply.

Thanks so much. I'll send an email off right away. Ann

Sent the email to the Fodors editors but haven't heard back from anyone. And the search function's still not working.

I did get a reply, finally. Acknowledged that a solution needs to come from "tech", not from "editors". Indicated that it would be worked on...

Still not fixed...

Still not fixed. Over seven weeks now. What gives, Fodors?

Mailed again to [email protected]

I find it best to search via google. Put the key words in, it helps if you can remember one of the poster's names and put their name in

BTW Give it a rest IJ. Get a life.

Perhaps the hotel name was misspelled and now you can't find it by using the correct spelling? Try searching on "Mougins" and maybe you can find it in one of those?

Was it this thread?

"Where to Stay in South of France" (last post: 5/8/2007)
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34994667

I routinely use google to search fodors using the following format

"hotel mougins site:fodors.com" will force google to only search on fodors.com website.

I was having the same problem a few weeks ago. As a test, I copied exact text from a year-old post (hotel and street name) then pasted it into the search box. The search did not find that thread.

Go to Google and click Advanced search. Put your search words in, scroll down to "Only return results from the site or domain"...enter www.fodors.com. Google will find your thread for you.

I just emailed Fodors also. I think everyone should, to keep up the pressure. This has gone on too long

Thanks to all for helpful information about searching on Google. But it sure would be more convenient if Fodor's could fix their own search function. Let's all email again.

I agree, FBC & thanks, JeanneB for the detailed google instructions.

It appears not to be fixed in terms of indexing recent posts -- I checked something from very early August and it wouldn't pull it up, even with a very unique search word. Maybe they haven't indexed things since June, which is really too long, but I remember originally Fodors never indexed posts on here that frequently, and they only did that in batch runs every 6 weeks or so, as I recall.

Other search problems some people have on Fodors are usually (not always, I agree) because they don't search properly. People search on way too many complicated phrases and text when it is unnecessary and won't find things appropriately, even when it works properly. I don't think it has ever worked on an extremely long phrase of text as someone tried, and most search engines won't. A search should be limited to one or two very unique words, if possible, or add one word that you think may be limiting, but may not really help much (like adding the word hotel to Mougins in this search isn't going to improve things much, so may not be worth the trouble -- most threads have the word hotel in them, and there can't be that many posts about Mougins to begin with, so I wouldn't do that myself).

It definitely shows posts from 2007, though, if you just search on the word muscadins, you find ones that began in May 2007.

We apologize for the search problems as of late; the search is certainly always perfect but it does appear that indexing is not occuring properly in some cases in the Forums. I have passed along your inquiries here (and those emails that you have sent) to our tech team; I'll do my best to post an update no later than the end of the week.

Thanks for your patience.