search engine is your best friend

Actually I've found that the search engine doesn't work very well for me. I will search for something and not find it, post something and have someone say, "Oh hey, there's another thread here" and sure enough, there is. But I DID search and found nothing.

I don't have a lot of faith in it and I'm not sure why I'm not getting good results.

I go to Google and run an advanced search from there. I never can get the search on this site to actually find what I'm looking for no matter what I do. Once tried to find a post I had made that had been knocked off my posts page on my profile and searched for a specific sentence thinking that would be the quickest way to find it and it didn't come up in ten pages of unrelated results. Went to Google and did an advanced search there with the exact same search terms and it popped right up.

Don't know what exactly it is but the search here is somewhat lacking when it comes to finding things unless you search for a specific thread title and put it in quotes. But if you're looking to post a thread and the one already posted doesn't have the exact title you're looking for you might not find it.

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
Ok what is it with people not using the search engine before posting a thread.

I know it can be frustrating when duplicate threads are posted (particularly if the duplicate thread is not closed and then you have to try to follow related discussions in separate threads).

However, to be fair to those posting duplicate threads, it is not always easy to discover existing relevant threads using a search engine. For example, if the thread relates to a photo or video then there may not be any obvious terms upon which a search can be performed.

Has anyone already posted a thread that gives friendly advice on using the search features on ATS?

I don't recall seeing any such thread.

All the best,

Isaac

reply to post by IsaacKoi

Has anyone already posted a thread that gives friendly advice on using the search features on ATS?

Not that I know of, although you were correct in stating that some threads are titled so differently than what you would think their title should be it is easy to miss them via search. Me personally, I like to just search for anything that would remotely fit the topic. LOL, although that still doesn't work sometimes..But you can only do what you can.

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
Ok what is it with people not using the search engine before posting a thread.

My conclusion, after having asked precise and legitimate questions and also contributed answers in several threads, is that many people don't come here for *discussion* at all. And so they have no interest in searching for sound and solid information beforehand.
Some may in fact be so childish that they are really just craving "flags" and "stars" and what have you.... (from people as childish and ignorant as themselves). You'll notice that such people never acknowledge the answers/questions of others, except those that "confirm" what they were saying.
I make a mental note of such posters and avoid their threads.

So, I think yours is a very good post, you make a very valid point, but I don't think it's gonna make a whole lot of difference. (:









[edit on 29-9-2009 by Ethereal Gargoyle]

ATS Search Engine...

I go out of my way to search for topics so I don't duplicate BUT on several occasions, even by using various possible titles nothing comes up on search.

There have been times I was looking for an old post with info I needed for a new thread I would put in key words that I knew were in the post and it didn't find it...

Sometimes I go outside to google search and have better luck which is weird

Point is it doesn't always work right and if you do a quick search for a title, and someone has used that material with a different title... you will get no hit

One time I looked for threads on a topic and found no hits... posted the thread and the next day did another search and 8 old threads (pre 2006) now showed up

Weird

I'm bumping my own thread because people you need to pay attention.

Why is it so hard to check the recent posts page or use search or even go to the New Topics tab and look at the Firehose?

It's NOT hard and takes about 2mins if that.

All these duplicate threads over and over on the same crap is ridiculous and causes more work for mods who are people too you know!

It's not hard to check before you post, it also saves you key strokes and it saves some of you from getting all pissy when someone points out it's been done already..

When there is a huge story like the current Osama thing that was announced LAST night do you really think it hasn't been posted in the last 12hrs? Remember ATS has people from all over the world on 24/7, if its a big story you can bet its been done to death in the first hour.

Search, recent posts and new topics are your friend!