# HELP! Save our Search Function!!!



## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

This is my fav site when it comes to members, mods & admin. Not usually a complainer, but just this one time, if I HAD to complain, can you guess what it would be about?

How can a site that rules like this one have the absolute worst searching capabilities possible? Am I alone in thinking it's actually getting worse? Sometimes I'll dumb down my search criteria to laughable status just to see what comes up. 

Cricket, if you can hear me...I think you're great, but you've asked what PT Staff could do to make PT even better. Before we consider PPOTM, PPOTQ, etc., could we maybe try to get the search function to function at searching? This will be my only request/complaint until 2020.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR???


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> This is my fav site when it comes to members, mods & admin. Not usually a complainer, but just this one time, if I HAD to complain, can you guess what it would be about?
> 
> How can a site that rules like this one have the absolute worst searching capabilities possible? Am I alone in thinking it's actually getting worse? Sometimes I'll dumb down my search criteria to laughable status just to see what comes up.
> 
> ...


It's not really the admins fault. vBulletin is notorious for an absolutely piss poor search engine. 

Have you tried the Google search dialog box that was added recently? 

And remember, you can use conventional symbol search operators to help filter the parameters. And I think the use of boolean operators work also.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

In tapatalk (the mobile app) the search function brings up nothing. It doesn't matter what you type.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

journeymanPainter said:


> In tapatalk (the mobile app) the search function brings up nothing. It doesn't matter what you type.



That's what I use more often than not. Maybe desktop version is much better. Only problem is, there's no desk at work.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

daArch said:


> It's not really the admins fault. vBulletin is notorious for an absolutely piss poor search engine.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Using Tapatalk mostly. Thx for the tip on the Google search box. I'll have to give it a whirl next time I'm on my laptop.


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

stelzerpaintinginc. said:


> That's what I use more often than not. *Maybe desktop version is much better.* Only problem is, there's no desk at work.


I only use a desktop, and the search function is pretty useless. I think the Dewey Decimal System used by libraries back in the pre-computer days was more effective and, perhaps, more efficient (and that includes the drive to the library, scrolling through the card catalogues, and then walking to the proper aisle to retrieve the desired information).


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Given the results that I've had lately, I just assumed that it had been turned into a Placebo Button.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_button


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

The other day when we were talking about gravy I wanted to find the Paint Talk Kitchen thread. IIRC Wes (wje) started it for Ben. No combination of search terms, even the actual thread name (if I remember right) would bring it up. I finally gave up. It's definitely getting worse.


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

Gough said:


> Given the results that I've had lately, I just assumed that it had been turned into a Placebo Button.
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_button



Ha! Like the crosswalk buttons.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

From Google's main search page, if you use:

site:www.painttalk.com

prior to your search terms (if you wanted to find a Behr thread, for instance you'd type:

site:www.painttalk.com gravy

(no I'm not joking, go try it- I'll wait)

Google's search feature should do everyone just fine, albeit with the added inconvenience of having to navigate to Google.



On another note, @Cricket and admin IP.Board is a much better forum software and has much better features all around. I can definitely understand not wanting to switch, but waiting only makes it worse. We waited so long on the site I admin for that the databases couldn't be transferred, so we had to start over from scratch. Still, it was well worth it in the end- IP.B is amazing, easy to use, great spam filters, great search function, super slick looking, etc. I'm sure there's other considerations for you guys trying to run advertisements and such, but all I can say is- if you're considering switching, sooner is always more painless than later.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

Google search in the drop down menu automatically does what you suggested. I honestly have never had any issues with the search function but I always clicked the advanced option.









FWIW the chance of us leaving vBulletin are slim to none.

Now, I am gonna kick back and have a cup of coffee. :vs_coffee:


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

journeymanPainter said:


> In tapatalk (the mobile app) the search function brings up nothing. It doesn't matter what you type.


I believe this is something they are working on. Let me see what I can find out.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

Cricket said:


> Now, I am gonna kick back and have a cup of coffee. :vs_coffee:


I think we all know why the new emoticons, now.

The biggest problem I've had with the Google searches in the past was that they were chock full of "sponsored links" and "advertiser's sites" that obfuscated what you were actually searching for. Maybe just a personal niggle- I've always found them a bit jarring. Not sure if this one is like that, never tried it. From a software dev standpoint, having a search function that matches the forum software is always nice, vBulletin's is just bad :smile: I really don't miss vBulletin :wink:


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

DrakeB said:


> From Google's main search page, if you use:
> 
> site:www.painttalk.com
> 
> ...


Is there a good security feature so psychopaths can't keep signing up via proxies and/or cloned I.P.'s and threaten lawsuits when they get banned for stalking, threatening, harassing and generally breaking the rules ?


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

daArch said:


> Is there a good security feature so psychopaths can't keep signing up via proxies and/or cloned I.P.'s and threaten lawsuits when they get banned for stalking, threatening, harassing and generally breaking the rules ?


Yes, actually there is. In IP.B you can automatically ban accounts that use throwaway mail addresses like mailinator.com and others. You can also set it to ban a massive list of known proxies, and to automatically ban anyone using TOR. You can also do custom ranges if they find a proxy not already in the system. It makes it very hard for people to repeatedly make accounts.


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