"Did you Search the Forums First?"

[EricNau]

What about implementing a feature similar to ASO? When creating a new ticket, after you fill in the subject field, it automatically gives you a list of tickets with similar titles/subjects.

It's very helpful.

...And ya, the macrumors search is useless. Use Google instead.

 

[WildCowboy]

Exactly how does the search function? I tend to get puzzling results

That's the least of its problems...at least it can find the ice cream thread.

To answer your question: First, the results are sorted by date, not relevance. That's why the ice cream thread doesn't necessarily appear at the top. Second, multiple terms are joined by a Boolean "OR" instead of an "AND." (And to my knowledge, there's no way to make it use "AND.") So what that means is that it found all of the threads that contain any of those words...a thread with just the word "ice" in it will be found in that search. To me that is just idiotic...the default behavior of adding additional search terms should be to refine the scope of the search, not expand it. I know there are times when the "OR" is desired and there should be a way to do it, but the default should be "AND."

 

[RedTomato]

Why not link the MR search field ( the one on every page of the MR website) direct to the Google (or MRoogle) page with some of the terms already filled in?

That would make it actually useful and might save some people here some botheration.

 

[Deepdale]

I'd be only too happy to assist all our newcomers.

Have all available weekend slots been filled yet?

 

[pknz]

Pop-ups?! Nooooooo. The search tools need to be more refined so users can use quotes etc.

 

[Josias]

Why can't MRoogle be integrated into MR, so you don't have to go to another site?

BTW, I know this guy didn't search first.

 

[bousozoku]

If Paris Hilton said "Searching is hot", I bet there would be a lot more people searching the forums first.

 

[dmw007]

If Paris Hilton said "Searching is hot", I bet there would be a lot more people searching the forums first.

Sadly, you are probably right bousozoku.

 

[asphalt-proof]

If I have a question I USUALLY go through the relevant forum for a couple of pages to see if there is a related. Sometimes I try to use the search function but find it less than helpful. In fact, I can't think of a time it came back with ANY help at all. Thanks for the mroogle suggestion. That looks like a winner. By the way, this is not a Macrumors problem exclusively. I also go to a couple of woodworking forums and their search functions are crap also. It must be a bulletin board thing.

 

[Grimace]

Dumb question for the gods/mods - can we add an MRoogle search field below the existing one? If lots of people are using that already, it could be helpful.