Advanced search functions?

[RainbowsParticipant @rainbows]

Most forums have various settings in the onsite search engine. Search by title, author or contents. +,-, ascend by xyz, so on.

Trying to search for a thread a bit ago about steel stock for miniature railways. Any combination of the word steel, stock, track or rail dredges up essentially the entire website. The previous websites search engine probably would have done a bit better in this exact scenario vs the default search settings here. But surely theres a list of commands somewhere of all the filters? Or a control panel for the search bar that someone forgot to enable while setting up the website?

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

This is not one of ‘Most forums’. It is a site all unto itself and it strives to be different.

Probably it is on the to-do list but not too near the top. My guess would mid July.

Ian P

 

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

I have just re-read your post and realised you were hoping for ‘advanced’ search functions, my estimate was for a  standard but usable search facility, so advanced might take a little longer.

Ian P

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

Forget it,

You’ll get some blather from the admin about using google externally which helps a bit if you are prepared to faff about with search terms but searching on topics or threads as of old is fubar. Looks like current owners have no intention of remedials, which in time will ultimately lead to a spiral of decline.

Shame really as all the accumulated wisdom of the past has been flushed down the drain and the site has little value now as a knowledge base.

 

 

[Ian P]

On Ian P Said:

This is not one of ‘Most forums’. It is a site all unto itself and it strives to be different.

Probably it is on the to-do list but not too near the top. My guess would mid July.

Ian P

 

Yes but july in which year

[Peter GreeneParticipant @petergreene36336]

Given that the quality expectation of a product or service reflects the amount paid for it, perhaps it would be better to hold the sarcasm and carping, simply report the problems calmly and let the people responsible work on them at their own speed without constant harassment?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

For what it’s worth; which is clearly not much … I recall starting a thread [probably on the old forum site, just before the launch of this one] advocating the purchase, by Mortons, of a particular site-specific search engine.

This was dismissed, in the space of a few posts, by forum Members and Moderators alike.

It may, or may not, be significant that I have just spent more than 30 minutes searching for that thread Topic and failed to find it.

MichaelG.

.

Ref. This is the product:

https://www.zoomsearchengine.com/zoom/

… I have NO commercial interest in it, I simply admire its functionality.

EDIT: having found its name in my own files … I’ve now managed to find the original post, by searching here for zoomsearchengine

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/topic/dedicated-search-engine/

 

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Again FWIW and triggered by the OP I typed “site:model-engineer.co.uk haine” (without quotes) into Google and found all my old posts in a trice.  May not be ideal but as good as the old forum.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Just use the google search syntax for this place

dedicated search engine site:model-engineer.co.uk

Works for all the dif-ficult places, the bbc etc

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

It didn’t work for any of the variations I tried this morning

… pick&mix from:

gilligan michaelg dedicated site-specific search software engine

[Peter Greene]

On Peter Greene Said:

Given that the quality expectation of a product or service reflects the amount paid for it, perhaps it would be better to hold the sarcasm and carping, simply report the problems calmly and let the people responsible work on them at their own speed without constant harassment?

Yes I plead guilty to sarcasm but it was intended to insert a little humorous into the sorry saga of this forums decline.

I have highlighted the part of your text and note that, ‘the people responsible’ have had MONTHS and still not many of the most basic website functions working.

There have been quite a few postings over the last weeks from forum members who have decided not to bother staying here, many others have stopped visiting without saying so (why should they anyway).

Ian P

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

First result on Google a reply in that thread. I used two of the three words in the topic title as including engine may have drawn in a lot of other stuff.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I can only “tell it like it was” for me early this morning, Jason

MichaelG.

[roy entwistleParticipant @royentwistle24699]

It appears to be a lot faster loading.  There is an acute shortage of contributors.

Roy

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

“dedicated search engine” is redundant – just site:<URL> <search terms> is enough.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I thought Dedicated Search Engine was what was being searched for much like you entered Haine

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well I put just my surname into the box, beside the blue search, at the top of the forum page, and it shows 73 pages that have a number of my replies going back to April 2010.

Regards Nick.

[JasonB]

On JasonB Said:

I thought Dedicated Search Engine was what was being searched for much like you entered Haine

Exactly, Jason … my original thread was titled

Dedicated Search Engine

but the search box on this current site didn’t recognise that … which is why I went a-Googling [and unlike you, still failed to find it]

MichaelG.

[Author]

Posts