Other: "Stickys" many ask the same questions..Moderator(s) ?

[Mike Van Veghten]

This is for the moderator(s) here.

With so many asking the same or very similar questions every week or so, a ton of band width could be saved with a few of them there things called "stickies/stickys".
Seems that many people have trouble with the "search" function (me too), that even if people see it, no one/hardly anyone uses it..!

A couple for starters -

Edelbrock carburetors.
Tire sizes.
Wheel sizes/brands/types.

Three off the top of my bald head...

Mike

[345 DeSoto]

MIKE - If you add more than one word to the "Search" function, it will turn up every Post for each word, but not for both together...such as "Air Conditioning"...

[karterfred88]

Yeah Mike, I'm afraid the "search" function is all but useless, except for the very patient. I have tried numerous times to find things I know are in there, since I read them before, and still couldn't find it. If the supplier of the forum format template, could devise a better search program, it would be appreciated. It is strange, that if you "Google" the exact same thing you are looking for in our search function, Google actually finds the thread, but the search engine within can not. Better minds than mine may have better insight.

[j.byrd]

karterfred88, that's what I do too !

[JoeW]

I believe if you put your phrase in quotation marks using advanced search it will only return articles with the entire phrase.

[64V-K7]

Nix on the Forum Search.....
I'm using a Mac right now and the URL of this page shows as:
forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?99189-quot-Stickys-quot-many-ask-the-same-questions-Moderator(s)

If you go up to the URL window and modify the URL to read

"air conditioning" site:forum.studebakerdriversclub.com

and hit ENTER.... you get a lot of returns from ONLY this forum...

[345 DeSoto]

I believe if you put your phrase in quotation marks using advanced search it will only return articles with the entire phrase.

I'll be damned, Joe! It WORKS!...

[jclary]

Am I the only one who thinks it's "ironic" that this topic was posted on GROUNDHOG DAY?

Of course, if you have not seen the movie, you would probably not understand.

[hausdok]

The search function here has problems because of the amount of non-topic-related stuff found in threads.

It happens on my own forum. People get off track and talk about stuff not related to the thread's initial meaning and that pretty much turns it into pablum. I have an advantage - one of my co-owners is a programmer and he created all of the mods on my site that make the forum more useful - plus, every once in a while one of us goes through a bunch of posts and deletes all of the non-OP-related stuff in order to return the post to its OP's purpose. We don't exactly have that kind of utility here and the amount of hours and effort needed to do it would be monumental because it's gone on for so long unchecked.

The suggestion about using quotes will definitely help mitigate some of the issues. Google can be helpful because google looks at everything out there. Don't expect it to get better here. This type of forum format is considered by programmers to be obsolete and most don't want anything to do with this kind of stuff anymore. My guy - the co-owner - is insisting on going to an entirely new format. He wants to create a software program that will scrub all data being moved to the new forum. We - the other owners - are loathe to do that because we think removing all of the other discussion from those threads will remove the character of the place.

Best thing to do, make sure that your thread title reflects what will be in the thread and then search thread titles. However, keep the title specific - if your title says, like a recent thread, "I didn't ask for this" instead of "Problems with Abandoned RV," and you are searching titles only, the search engine will probably miss it completely.

In this regard, some of you can help fix some of this yourselves. You can go into your profile to look at your own posts; and then, when you find one where your topic really has little to do with the content of the thread, you can edit your thread. Click on 'edit' then on 'advanced' and then change the title to ensure that the title has key words relative to the content of your post. Submit your changes. Now, a post that the search engine might have ignored, is more likely to get picked up.

[StudeNorm]

I have found in 'advanced search' putting quotes around the key words and doing nothing else, will cause the search to look in the message header and body for the phrase and list them first, and then it will list the locations of the separate key words next. It still gives a really long list but you don't need to go any further if you choose not to. "Search" is your friend...

[TWChamp]

I sure agree with Mike about making the title very specific.
Saying "My 1950 Champion overdrive doesn't work", or "My 1950 Champion overdrive solenoid won't click in", is so much better than saying "My car needs help", or "What's wrong".
On the other 2 car sites I visit, some even just put their name in the title line, with no question at all.