Definite problems with SEARCH

[Radtech1]

I am having trouble with the search feature. In a nutshell, it is not returning results that should be returned, based on criteria.

To expand on this, HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2264346&postcount=13) is a post I made, in the "Let see your Best Disneyland pic" thread. Full thread link HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=238325).

I was searching for this thread and was unable to find it using the following parameters:

Key Word(s):
Disneyland

Search Titles Only

Any Date - And Newer

User Name:
Radtech1

Find Post by User

Search All Open Forums


Now, because I do in fact, have a post in that thread, and the keyword Disneyland is in the title, it SHOULD be delivered as a hit in the results - but it is not. (2 results are given, but not this one.) Why?

And I just discovered the same problem trying to find THIS THREAD (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27178), titled, "Favorite Photographer and Why?"

Key Word(s):
Favorite

Search Titles Only

Any Date - And Newer

User Name:
Radtech1

Find Post by User

Search All Open Forums

This time no results are given, even though the thread I mentioned fits the criteria.

So what is up with this? The errors do not seem to be associated with me using a particular computer. Anyone else have these problems?

When you couple these errors with the REALLY ANNOYING 15 second wait before I can try a search again, it makes using the Search Function a very exasperating experience.

[Pekka]

I am having trouble with the search feature. In a nutshell, it is not returning results that should be returned, based on criteria.

To expand on this, HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2264346&postcount=13) is a post I made, in the "Let see your Best Disneyland pic" thread. Full thread link HERE (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=238325).

I was searching for this thread and was unable to find it using the following parameters:

Key Word(s):
Disneyland

Search Titles Only

Any Date - And Newer

User Name:
Radtech1

Find Post by User

Search All Open Forums


Now, because I do in fact, have a post in that thread, and the keyword Disneyland is in the title, it SHOULD be delivered as a hit in the results - but it is not. (2 results are given, but not this one.) Why?

Works as designed.

Because when you search for "Search Titles Only" and user name, you get hits where title has the "keyword" and thread STARTER is "username".


And I just discovered the same problem trying to find THIS THREAD (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27178), titled, "Favorite Photographer and Why?"

Key Word(s):
Favorite

Search Titles Only

Any Date - And Newer

User Name:
Radtech1

Find Post by User

Search All Open Forums

This time no results are given, even though the thread I mentioned fits the criteria.

So what is up with this? The errors do not seem to be associated with me using a particular computer. Anyone else have these problems?

This is same as above: If you include your username to title search, there are no hits when you have not started any threads with "keyword" in title.

When you couple these errors with the REALLY ANNOYING 15 second wait before I can try a search again, it makes using the Search Function a very exasperating experience.

I lowered it to 5. If I see robot activity there I'll raise it up again.

[Radtech1]

Pekka, thanks for the response.

Please note that on the above mentioned searches, I have "Find Post by User" selected, which should return all threads where I have posted anywhere - not just the first post.
The behavior you are describing would be expected if I had "Find Threads Started By User" selected, which I do not.

Rad

[Radtech1]

I lowered it to 5. If I see robot activity there I'll raise it up again.

Thank You, THANK YOU, Thank You, THANK YOU, Thank You, THANK YOU, Thank You, THANK YOU

Rad

[Pekka]

Pekka, thanks for the response.

Please note that on the above mentioned searches, I have "Find Post by User" selected, which should return all threads where I have posted anywhere - not just the first post.
The behavior you are describing would be expected if I had "Find Threads Started By User" selected, which I do not.

Rad

The logic is that when you search titles only it does not search inside posts at all. So in that case both user dropdowns are foo. Only logical possibility is "started by".

[Radtech1]

The logic is that when you search titles only it does not search inside posts at all. So in that case both user dropdowns are foo. Only logical possibility is "started by".


Is this a result of the new server? I have used the previous behavior hundreds if not thousands of times to find threads that I know that have posted to, but could only remember a word or two from the title.

Rad

[Pekka]

Yes, the search engine is totally different, runs by Sphinx. More accurate and over 100 times faster. And it can search apertures etc. (. / and - characters)

With this search
- you can NOT use wildcards or AND OR NOT or + and +
- use exact keywords: 70-200 f/2.8L is different to 70-200 2.8L
- multiple words search finds all words or no result. If you search "duck lens focus" without quotes for titles only do not get hits because none of the titles contain those three words, but searching for posts finds you posts containing those three words.
- search database is updated every 5 minutes

[Radtech1]

Can we get it to do what it used to do, that is, to search for threads with the designated keyword in the title, then return only those threads that contain post by a specific user?

Or, put in the form of a question: If I know that I posted to a thread with the word "Disneyland" in the title, then what do I need to tell the search engine to get the desired thread in the results?

Rad

[Jon]

Instead of searching "Title Only", search "Entire Posts". You'll find all posts by Radtech1 containing "Disneyland".

If you're searching for "Title Only", the search engine doesn't look beyond Post 1 for anything. If you say to search the entire post, it'll check every post for the keyword, and author.

[Radtech1]

Instead of searching "Title Only", search "Entire Posts". You'll find all posts by Radtech1 containing "Disneyland".

If you're searching for "Title Only", the search engine doesn't look beyond Post 1 for anything. If you say to search the entire post, it'll check every post for the keyword, and author.

Which is pretty much the same thing that Pekka stated. What I am trying to find out is a way to work around the new limitations and duplicate the old functionality.

How about this, if I searched for all my posts - by that I mean, no keyword and return all post by Radtech1, could I then Search Within These Results for the Keyword "Disneyland" in the title?

Rad

[Radtech1]

Which is pretty much the same thing that Pekka stated. What I am trying to find out is a way to work around the new limitations and duplicate the old functionality.

How about this, if I searched for all my posts - by that I mean, no keyword and return all post by Radtech1, could I then Search Within These Results for the Keyword "Disneyland" in the title?

Rad

OK, here is a new problem that would hinder trying the above - I just searched for all my posts, and this is what I got:

Search: Posts Made By: Radtech1
Showing results 1 to 30 of 200
Search took 0.33 seconds; generated 94 minute(s) ago.

The problem is this: Showing results 1 to 30 of 200

I KNOW that I have made more than 200 posts, yet the return on the search seems to be truncated. So searching within a search would be pointless if the desired post was more than 200 posts ago.

:mad:

Rad

[Jon]

Well, I did a search for "Search Entire Posts" = Disneyland and Posts by Radtech1, showing Threads only and got 7 threads back, including your example one, dating back to Jan. 2005.
Searching for "favorite" and RadTech1 the same way got 71, goong back to 2003; you'd need to be a bit more specific on that; favorite photographer got it down to 5 threads.

[Pekka]

OK, here is a new problem that would hinder trying the above - I just searched for all my posts, and this is what I got:

Search: Posts Made By: Radtech1
Showing results 1 to 30 of 200
Search took 0.33 seconds; generated 94 minute(s) ago.

The problem is this: Showing results 1 to 30 of 200

I KNOW that I have made more than 200 posts, yet the return on the search seems to be truncated. So searching within a search would be pointless if the desired post was more than 200 posts ago.

:mad:

Rad

Yes the number of results is limited now to 200. All these listings take resources from normal forum usage, that is why some limit must be applied. Without limit if you search "lens" you get 11125 results. You usually know exactly what you want to find, "lens hood" gets you 135 posts, "lens bokeh" gets you 107 posts.

If you need to find some of your posts you can use keywords to narrow the result list.


Or, put in the form of a question: If I know that I posted to a thread with the word "Disneyland" in the title, then what do I need to tell the search engine to get the desired thread in the results?

You will need either to browse result lists or add keywords that limit result sets to that one post.

[Wazza]

Thanks for changing from 15 to 5 seconds. Will come in handy