what is wrong with the search function lately?
 

Hi all <BR> <BR>is it just me, or is the search function useless lately? <BR> <BR>I try to see if my recent queries have gotten any traffic (without scrolling through the 100s of new posts since I posted mine...) by typing in a word I KNOW I used... and it does not come up, period. <BR> <BR>sometimes I even type in just my name because I know I asked a question 2 days ago & I always sign my name... and it just does not come up. <BR> <BR>thoughts? <BR> <BR>another FYI - I will type in France and festival... you would think TONS of stuff would come up - NOTHING. it says "nothing found"???!!! <BR> <BR>help? what am I doing wrong.. <BR> <BR>on another note - when you select the 'subject' - do you actually choose the correct country, or, do you just hit 'general interest, region wide'? I am lazy, I always hit general interest... <BR> <BR>thanks <BR> <BR>Beth

I've used it a little in the last few days with (apparently) no problem. I did search on "Beth" and found at least 50 threads, although not this one. <BR> <BR>I try to use single word searches. My experience suggests that Fodor's search doesn't treat "France festival" as a request for threads with the words France and festival ... it treats it as a request for a thread with the two words next to one another. Don't know whether that's the way the sort works or is supposed to work. <BR> <BR>In any event, the search function is pretty limited. I find it usually useful, but very limited. <BR> <BR>Searches do use a lot, and I mean a lot, of computer resource, though. It may be economically unreasonable to expect Fodors to have a search function as useful as Google or Atomz on a free site, or one with no advertising or other revenue. <BR> <BR>twenj

Just had occasion to run several searches. Whew! Not much good to say about search. <BR> <BR>I don't know whether it gets good and bad (unusual for a computer), or whether I just never noticed how bad it can be. The results this afternoon were just worthless. One turned up nothing this month despite nearly dozen, at least, that should have shown up. The next came up with more than a dozen from today, though not any of the two or three that were posted today. 'Tis a puzzle. <BR> <BR>

Hi Beth! I agree! Besides not being able to pull threads that I know are there, I have found a new problem with the search function. I search for a word and the search function retrives posts that do NOT contain that word. Bizarre! <BR> <BR>I think of how great this forum is, and how much better it would be with a sophisticated search function (such as the one for Google Groups) that would allow you to look for "X and Y" or phrases or "X but not Y", etc.

Hi Ed and Mariarosa... <BR> <BR>yes, exactly, that is what I mean! <BR> <BR>sometimes it works, many times it does not. I KNOW I posted something about wine, for instance, a few days ago... it completely skips it. <BR> <BR>I tried a search on sunflowers, and came up with some posts which had nothing on sunflowers... <BR> <BR>hmmmm <BR> <BR>one thing I saw someone do once, which I have to say I agree SHOULD be a good idea... if a post seems to contain a lot of good info, someone on the string should top it by just putting in some common search terms for that sort of post. <BR> <BR>as in, one post had great restaurant ideas in Florence... someone merely typed "Florence Restaurant" as a post.. (and said, 'help with search terms') <BR> <BR>granted, maybe not a great example as you would think that those words must have appeared in the previosu posts (seldom do I see people playing charades on this board! although that would be funny I guess... two words, sounds like... ) but maybe it would help sometimes? especially as we have figured out - sometimes the search function 'thinks' two words side by side mean that they must appear side by side in a post? <BR> <BR>thanks again <BR> <BR>.... <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Absolutely agree! If it does work, it takes forever. Very discouraging... <BR> <BR>Would welcome any hints... <BR> <BR>Dona