talkmagic.co.uk

I have been posting on here for three years and have just got to grips with the search function.

This is not because there is anything inherantly difficult about it - I just hadn't read the instructions properly. And I suspect that I am not alone. We get a large number of posts on here, particularly from newbies, asking for reviews and getting pointed to them by experienced members. Until yesterday I had some sympathy with the view that Search was unfriendly. I wanted a specific review yesterday and once again had to have it found for me because when I searched I got about 30 pages of stuff to wade through.

So for any of you frustrated searchers who have not read the instructions proprly here is the key.The use of the word AND before the words you are searching for will narrow down the search to just the posts with your word in.

It says this very plainly on the instructions - but I had never read them

Well, thats my confession and if this helps anyone to find their own way around this forum it will have been a confession worth making!

I rubbish with the search and alwas end up with hundreds of threads that have got nothing to do with what I'm looking for so usually use google now. Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try.

Generally, I still find Google to return the most relevant results when searching for stuff on TM. And I wish the TM search function had the option to "search topic title only"; I think that would help in reducing the pages of irrelevant threads that come up.

This is just what this does Replicant. I wanted a review of 'Stand Up Magic for Kids' by Bill Abbott yesterday and searched for it in my usual kack handed way. I couldn't plough through the sheaves of result pages because search had found every post with all of those words in. When you type in AND 'Stand Up Magic for Kids' by Bill Abbott it comes up clean with the review. Try it for yourself. I am of a generation that didn't grow up with computers so I am always inordinately pleased with myself when I do something new with one.

I believe the new 'Olympus' version of PHP (PHP BB3) has many new features including an improved search function.... hint, hint forum owner

AND Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns five results.

Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns 15,385 results.

Nice!

Johnny Wizz wrote:I just hadn't read the instructions properly. And I suspect that I am not alone

Guilty as charged !!!

Replicant wrote:AND Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns five results.

Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns 15,385 results.

Nice!

Alternatively, if you put in 'Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott' (without the AND) then check the 'Search for all terms' button, you again only get 5 results.

Alternatively, if you put in 'Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott' (without the AND) then check the 'Search for all terms' button, you again only get 5 results.

Further, if you do exactly as above and also choose "Reviews" under the catergory function, you'll get exactly three results.

Mike.

Replicant wrote:AND Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns five results.

Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns 15,385 results.

You can also check the option "Search for all terms", which will have the same result.

Michael Jay wrote:Further, if you do exactly as above and also choose "Reviews" under the catergory function, you'll get exactly three results.

A very valuable tip from Mike (as usual).

The only problem comes where there's a discussion of an item in one of the general areas and it ends up having lots of useful information, but isn't in one of the review sections. That might be fine, if you really do just want a review.

That's the thing, though. You can search by forum clusters or you can search by a specific forum. You can even search by specific posts and by username.

I've always laughed a bit to myself when I see people casting disparaging remarks about the search function because, if used properly, it is invaluable. That Phpbb search function is very exacting, if you tell it you want exacting results.

If you're looking for a specific prop review, then tell it to search the "tricks and props" forum, further limiting it to specific words. If you know of a specific thread that you're looking for, then tell it to search posts only. In this way, it will go after posts that contain all the key words, rather than all threads that contain those words.

You can even limit it to clusters of days (1 day, 7 days, 2 weeks, etc.) if you know that what you're looking for is recent.

The search function really is a powerful tool, if used properly.

Mike.

Edited in: I just found out that Craig Browning has used the word "masurbatory" or "masturbation" in exactly 8 of his posts. (the first time being Sun Mar 19, 2006 3:42 pm.) Like I said, as exacting as you want it.

I agree entirely, Mike. I've never had any real problems finding what I've been looking for here, but I know through my job that most people struggle to use a search engine effectively. That's not a knock against those people, but a reflection of the way search functions are often laid out.

EDIT: I mentioned the 'non-review' reviews just to remind people that there might be useful information in other parts of the forum, not because I thought your suggestion was a bad one.

Replicant wrote:AND Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns five results.

Stand Up Magic for Kids by Bill Abbott returns 15,385 results.

Nice!

Oh! I thought you'd have to put "Stand AND up AND magic AND for AND kids AND by AND bill AND abbott "

wot a giddy gibbon i am.

Searching for

out of this world

having selected "Search for all terms" returns bu**er all, which I suspect isn't entirely accurate.

Got 94 matches for "ootw" and 42 for "Paul Curry" (search all terms). Further, there are 6 giving "paul curry ootw" (search all terms). None in reviews (last search above), though.

Nevertheless, it makes no sense as this thread is titled "out of this world."

Dunno.

Mike.