Problem with the Search Engine

Ideas for improvement? Please let us know here! Not everything is possible but we'll consider all suggestions.

Moderators: nickj, Lady of Mystery, Mandrake, bananafish, support

Best prices around! Dude That's Cool Magic Sorcery Shop - Home of the ITR A web site set up to sell my book, THE STRIPPER DECK, and future magical/mentalism titles. Playing Cards for Magicians Aeternum Servare Secreta

Problem with the Search Engine

Postby TerryC » Feb 15th, '09, 03:41



I have read the Sticky but I still have a problem. e.g.:

I want to see if there are any threads discussing members likes and dislikes about various marked decks, so I tried"

    "Marked Deck" (including the quotes) and selected both the ANY and the ALL terms options.

    "marked AND deck" (without the quotes), again using both options.

In every case the results were pages long. They included one of my own posts that had no reference at all to a marked deck!

I have already made one post on a DVD that had already been reviewed. I want to avoid this, but find the Search tool unable to help me.

User avatar
TerryC
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 139
Joined: Jan 22nd, '06, 05:51
Location: Alberta, Canada (70, AH)

Postby FairieSnuff » Feb 15th, '09, 08:07

I just did a search for "marked deck" making sure i wanted both words, and reduced the search area to just support and tips and found it gave me two pages of threads and i noticed at least 6 posts with the title marked deck .........

If thats not enough try just searching misc .....

Fairie x

FairieSnuff
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1360
Joined: Jun 29th, '08, 22:01

Postby Le Petit Bateleur » Feb 15th, '09, 08:36

Hi Terry;

try it also from google: "marked deck": talkmagic.co.uk

Cheers
LP

User avatar
Le Petit Bateleur
Senior Member
 
Posts: 442
Joined: Dec 18th, '08, 11:43
Location: Bohemia, Czech Republic, (33:EN)

Postby moodini » Feb 17th, '09, 04:14

I also struggle with the search function...but on the advice of someone before the google route with "talkmagic" added to it seems to work much better. PM...how are things going with the info we PM'd about

moodini
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1377
Joined: Feb 22nd, '05, 02:05
Location: Canada (42-WP)

Postby MickyScouse » Feb 17th, '09, 12:44

The search on this site has been bad for as long as I've been here (most probably even longer). Best thing to do, as already said, is use google.

User avatar
MickyScouse
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 284
Joined: Oct 20th, '07, 23:24
Location: Dunfermline/Edinburgh, UK (20:SH)

Postby Mandrake » Feb 17th, '09, 12:58

Putting 'Marked' and 'Deck' into the Search function will return a lot of posts as those words are commonly used. Even if they appear only once or twice in a multi-page thread that's enough to be spotted and returned as a result. As there a wealth of past posts on TM it's inevitable that searches will return multiples of possibilities. In some respects it's a case of being very specific in what's needed or being chuffed that there's a lot of information, even if it's not all directly what you want.

User avatar
Mandrake
'
 
Posts: 27494
Joined: Apr 20th, '03, 21:00
Location: UK (74:AH)

The search engine problem -- solved?

Postby TerryC » Feb 17th, '09, 17:56

Mandrake wrote:Putting 'Marked' and 'Deck' into the Search function will return a lot of posts as those words are commonly used. Even if they appear only once or twice in a multi-page thread that's enough to be spotted and returned as a result.


You are right, Mandrake, and that is how it is supposed to work. But, when I enter "marked deck" and include the quotes then the search engine should limit it's results to posts that have this complete phrase. So, I decided to visit the phpBB site (they supply the software that runs talkmagic).

First, I suspect we are using an old version. The current version is 3.0.4 and it looks quite different to talkmagic. Incidentally, they no longer support version 2 or earlier.

Second, I went to their user forums and entered "search engine" without the quotes and as Mandrake said, it produced every post that contained either word. However, I tried again but this time included the quotes, and it produced only those posts that had the phrase "search engine". This is how it is supposed to work. Incidentally, this is the way Google works (except that Google uses sophisticated algorithms designed to greatly expand the search)

I'm not sure what is involved, but an upgrade to version 3 of phpBB would probably correct this issue. For those who don't know phpBB, it is open source software so there is no charge. But there could be considerable work for the System Administrator to make the changeover.

Please note that this is not just a petty gripe. I believe that a good search function will help prevent duplicate reviews. At present it is very difficult, if not impossible.

User avatar
TerryC
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 139
Joined: Jan 22nd, '06, 05:51
Location: Alberta, Canada (70, AH)

Postby Mandrake » Feb 17th, '09, 18:19

All excellent and valid comments which are much appreciated! We do indeed run an old version but any decisions about upgrades are in the hands of much higher authorities than ours. When this version was the bee's knees, it was amend to suit certain characteristics of that time so upgrading might not be as straightforward as we'd like. Anyways, we wait and we hope. In the meantime our Search Engine continues to run, on three cylinders only, in need of an oil change and de-coke, but does it's best :D !

User avatar
Mandrake
'
 
Posts: 27494
Joined: Apr 20th, '03, 21:00
Location: UK (74:AH)


Return to Forum requests

Manufacturer of modern & unique magic apparatus! Web Design for Magicians MagicWorld Magic Shop for Magic Tricks World-Of-Magic, Suppliers of quality Magic Worldwide Best prices around! UK's Online Magic Tricks and Jokes Shop offers kids and beginner magic tricks and jokes. Visit Magicbox for all the latest and best effects!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests