Searching for Something? ... How to Narrow Down Search Results at tFS

[*Bianca*]

I find myself using Advanced or Google all the time, in order to find things on tFS and will never use the bar above. So if it is suggested we always use the Advanced option (so that we can search by thread titles) then what is the point of the functions on the search bar?

I think I may have suggested this before in another thread, but IMO, the bar above should have the options "search thread titles" & "search posts", rather than "show threads" & "show posts"...and if people specifically want to do the latter (ie. that bar currently by default always searching posts, so if people want to "search posts + show threads" or "search posts + show posts", they can use Advanced search for that.

Basically somehow make it so that we can search by thread titles via the bar, like how it used to be. Does this all make sense? I kinda suck at explaining things

I just can't imagine anyone would even use the current option on the bar of "show posts". Going through all those results it'd give you, it would literally be impossible to find what you're looking for.

[BetteT]

I think you are stuck with the simple search the way it is ...it's a function of Vbulletin ... don't think we have any choices here.

Anyone may search with any combination of the above and even more, if you add all the functions in Advanced Search. You are right .. using just the bar will give waaaay too many results.



Most of the time people are just looking to find a thread on a specific topic ... not a specific post. We work very hard here to make sure that thread titles reflect what is in actually in the threads, so that is why searching thread titles is so effective in most cases.

Did you know that you can set your Advanced Search function to automatically Search Thread Titles Only and Show Results as: Threads every time, unless you change it? It's actually quite easy, if you have it set up like this. Mine is set up like that, because I'm always searching for theads to help the members find things and it's a real time saver. Way faster than Google ... honestly.



Here's how you set it up:

• Go to Advanced Search
• Under "Key Words" select "Search Titles Only"
• Under "Show Results As" Select "Threads"
• Under "Search Now" there's a drop down menu ... select "Save Search Preferences" and click "Go".

[Annu]

^I didn't know that! That's good option.

[*Bianca*]

Ohh thanks! I didn't know you could save the way you search I will definitely save my preferences from now on.

But you know how you said it's basically just a vbulletin problem, howcome it wasn't like this before? I remember, maybe early last year (?) I used to search through the bar for example "soukupova" and only Hana's thread would come up (and well any other threads with her name in the title), but nothing more.

[BetteT]

I don't think we were on Vbulletin before ... if I remember, there was a switch since then and a lot of things changed.

[BetteT]

A couple of problems the system has when it searches:

1. It does not recognize words with less than 4 letters. So try different words that might help you find what you are looking for.

2. It does not seem to recognize quotes, as in "Tom Ford" ... it will still see these as 2 seperate words . So search using the less common word ... as in this case, Ford ... which will bring fewer results.

Don't forget .. you may specify the actual forum you wish to search and the will reduce results, too.