What's wrong with the Search function?
Nov 27th, 2008, 01:33 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What's wrong with the Search function?
Maybe some of you who are more computer literate than I can help me out.
Several weeks ago, I posted some notes about several of the Caminos de Santiago I had walked recently (the Primitivo, the Salvador, and the Ingles). When I tried to search for them using "camino" and other one word terms, they didn't get pulled up.
Just this morning I have tried to find a recent thread I could swear I have seen about buying tickets on RENFE but a search doesn't pull it up.
And finally, just to check myself, I did a search for Asturias to see if I would bring up the post on the NYT article about Asturian cheese, and it didn't come up.
I emailed the editors several weeks ago when I had the Camino search problem but never heard anything.
If anyone has any helpful suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thanks, Laurie
Several weeks ago, I posted some notes about several of the Caminos de Santiago I had walked recently (the Primitivo, the Salvador, and the Ingles). When I tried to search for them using "camino" and other one word terms, they didn't get pulled up.
Just this morning I have tried to find a recent thread I could swear I have seen about buying tickets on RENFE but a search doesn't pull it up.
And finally, just to check myself, I did a search for Asturias to see if I would bring up the post on the NYT article about Asturian cheese, and it didn't come up.
I emailed the editors several weeks ago when I had the Camino search problem but never heard anything.
If anyone has any helpful suggestions, I'd love to hear them! Thanks, Laurie
Nov 27th, 2008, 01:41 AM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks cowboy, I know that I can pull them up that way, but no one else who might be looking for camino postings is going to know to click on my name.
Someone else confirmed for me, maybe it was Adrienne, that she couldn't pull them with the search function, which seems like the most important way to be ble to find them. Laurie
Someone else confirmed for me, maybe it was Adrienne, that she couldn't pull them with the search function, which seems like the most important way to be ble to find them. Laurie
Nov 27th, 2008, 02:28 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Laurie,
The search engine here works intermittently and the editors know about this. I tried searching this morning for your reports under camino, santiago, primitivo, santiago, ingles, and salvador but none of your posts came up. This is really too bad since you had such good info in your posts on more than the traditional French route. It's good that we linked all of them together because if one does surface folks will be able to view all of the reports.
The search engine here works intermittently and the editors know about this. I tried searching this morning for your reports under camino, santiago, primitivo, santiago, ingles, and salvador but none of your posts came up. This is really too bad since you had such good info in your posts on more than the traditional French route. It's good that we linked all of them together because if one does surface folks will be able to view all of the reports.
Nov 27th, 2008, 03:15 AM
#5
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,282
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Basically it doesn't work, IME. Occasionally this question gets asked and a Fodor's editor says it's about to be updated, but it never seems to get any better. I posted trip reports in 2006, 2007 & 2008 for holidays including Ischia, which was in each title. I just tried searching on 'Ischia' and only my 2006 post came up.
Fodor's eds, is this ever going to work properly ? It's very disappointing for people who hope they are posting useful information when it then can't be found, and defeats the object of the board.
Fodor's eds, is this ever going to work properly ? It's very disappointing for people who hope they are posting useful information when it then can't be found, and defeats the object of the board.
Nov 27th, 2008, 07:42 AM
#8
The search function hasn't worked for quite some time. In the past we could find any thread using Google's advance search function. But that doesn't work now due to the frames.
Katie has posted explanations on all the forums re how the search and other function will improve when they role out phase 1 of their upgrades.
For the time being - your thread will come up if you tagged it. If you did (I haven't checked) when someone clicks on Spain it will come up.
And of course the clicking on your own name works - but that doesn't help others find it.
Katie has posted explanations on all the forums re how the search and other function will improve when they role out phase 1 of their upgrades.
For the time being - your thread will come up if you tagged it. If you did (I haven't checked) when someone clicks on Spain it will come up.
And of course the clicking on your own name works - but that doesn't help others find it.
Nov 27th, 2008, 08:30 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,605
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The other thing is how frequently the 'indexing' occurs. If they haven't run the 'index' job, then most recent posts aren't searchable.
An alternate search method is to use the Advanced search on Google, and add the domain "fodors.com/forums"
An alternate search method is to use the Advanced search on Google, and add the domain "fodors.com/forums"
Nov 27th, 2008, 08:34 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok, thanks everyone. I hadn´t seen any notice from the Fodors folks about this -- too bad I can´t search for it and read it.
I´m really not obsessing about my own posts being found, but I´ve been unable to find information that others have posted and that means I wind up asking the same questions repeatedly. Well, it seems like there´s nothing to do but sit tight.
I´m sorry for belaboring a point that most people already knew about, but any time I have a problem with a computer, I always first assume that the problem has to be caused by my own stupidity with computers.
I´m really not obsessing about my own posts being found, but I´ve been unable to find information that others have posted and that means I wind up asking the same questions repeatedly. Well, it seems like there´s nothing to do but sit tight.
I´m sorry for belaboring a point that most people already knew about, but any time I have a problem with a computer, I always first assume that the problem has to be caused by my own stupidity with computers.
Nov 27th, 2008, 09:00 AM
#13
"<i>Laurie - your Primitivo post came up when I searched on Spain but the others did not</i>"
Just to clarify - One doesn't "search" for Spain. If you click on Spain in the list of countries, all of Laurie's tagged threads display . . . . .
Just to clarify - One doesn't "search" for Spain. If you click on Spain in the list of countries, all of Laurie's tagged threads display . . . . .
Nov 27th, 2008, 06:00 PM
#16
adrienne: "<i>one can search on spain by typing spain in the search box. This will bring up threads that aren't tagged</i>" Yes, I know that. But the only way to find all threads that have been tagged "Spain" - you need to click on Spain and ignore the search box altogether.
"Searching" for Spain or anything else is very hit and miss and is basically useless. Any threads found that way are really the luck of the draw.
"Searching" for Spain or anything else is very hit and miss and is basically useless. Any threads found that way are really the luck of the draw.
