Search idea!/feedback/site improvement/Good idea no?

[DiceCore]

I'm fairly new to this forum and very new to posting. When I am looking for instructions on for example how to build a carbon filter I struggle to find the most relevant on point post.

When I search for music tabs on some sites I get a list of tabs and they are arranged by rating systems 5 star to 1 star.

If we did the same on this site for DIY projects and maybe ''guide to SCROG'' ''guide to DWC'' it would be much easier to find stuff and encourage people to create even better instructionals.

I'm sure that I could find these things but it would be simpler and would encourage better posts if we did it this way.
you could even do a wiki style page on each subject... you know when you read up about something (from about 5+ posts) you get an overall consensus on 75% of info and then a few unique ideas from each post. Very handy but you can get lost sometimes and over loaded.

Anyway it would help pull together the great resources of this website and conserve some energy from all the computer time spent re reading posts and all the comments (sometimes over the top/hijack/brownnosing) in between.

What do you think 420 members?

 

[TorturedSoul]

We could use a slightly more advanced search routine, but you can use Google (you should probably read their recent privacy rules before using Google) to do what is called a site-search. Just preface your Google search with:

site:site:www.420magazine.com
For example:
site:www.420magazine.com "secret jardin"
Notice the quotes? It will only return threads which have both words together. You can also add the site-search to Google's advanced search options.

Hope this helps.

 

[420]

We are upgrading to a much better search script in the new website launching 4/20/2012.

 

[TorturedSoul]

I hope it has the ability to type multiple keywords in and check a box specifying that ALL keywords much appear in the search results (right now it will return every result that has at least one of your keywords, which can give one many threads that do not meet the intent of his/her search).

If I want to look at journals where DWC is used to grow Dutch Passion strains (random example), I'd like to type DWC "Dutch Passion" and see only threads (or posts) which include both terms.

If that's not included in your upcoming upgrade (it probably is), I'd like to request it.

Looking forward to exploring and enjoying the new site!

 

[SmokzAlot]

I came here to suggest and what do I encounter?

Right on Target!


I have always found searching to be the most aggravating part. I see why many newbies struggle even more. They are unsure of what to search for as well. Hence they end up in no mans land. Anything close to a Google style search engine will be fantastic. It's hard to recommend using a search that is not offering up what they need. It would also be nice if it had a "Search this thread option" as well.

Don't let the developers test it, they know how it works. Beta the thing with the users or at least a select crew of average folks that had no part in its development.

Used to run a large web farm - can't say who, we served the globe
Webmaster/Admin - retired

 

[TorturedSoul]

It would also be nice if it had a "Search this thread option" as well.

We've had that feature for a long time. View any thread on this site. Notice the "Search This Thread" option on top directly above the first post, between Thread Tools and Rate This Thread.

Don't let the developers test it, they know how it works. Beta the thing with the users or at least a select crew of average folks that had no part in its development.

A more advanced search routine is available and works fine (and is in wide use, elsewhere). It's just a matter of whether the powers that be choose to implement it - and whether it can be correctly integrated with our forum software (which is probably modified/customized and all that). I'm hoping it will be implemented, but if it turns out not to be, I will assume that they will have their reasons.

 

[SmokzAlot]

I was speaking of the new search tool also working it's magic in "Search This Thread" guess I should have made my point clearer. My bad as they say..... I was assuming the search this thread tool was a separate function from the main search engine.

Glad to have what we do....

It is their decision to make as they are taking all the risk. I will continue to use google to search this site as I find I waste to much time with the current configuration. I would rather keep all my focus here but I do what I can with the tools at my disposal.

 

[SmokzAlot]

I assume by looking at the face of this site it is of modular design. This and the statement made by 420 editor about a new search script tells me more as well. It is common to use a simpler function in searching thread contents, like Perl or other scripting language that handles text very well. Reserving the more complex function and workload for the heavy searches. The other side of the coin is the full site database that has to be searched. It would be nice if the NEW tool could also search the gallery as well. Of course to fully capitalize, it would require a label on pictures in the database.

Major vulnerabilities can exist in an ill written search function.

JOB one with a web today is
SECURITY
SECURITY
SECURITY

I applaud their efforts to date based on my experience with 420.

 

[DiceCore]

I’m glad of the responses shame they where in response to the first person to reply TorturedSoul.

I already use site:420magazine search on Google and yes its useful but its not perfect.I'm down with google searching

The ideas I put forward bypass the need to work out optimum search criteria. 90% of people in the diy section are after details about projects... so why not make project wiki's or rate project guides 1-10 and then people can have more guidance on where to look for decent resources. It would be cool if someone who is keen on diy could put together a detailed guide and not be interrupted by people asking personal questions or random questions that half of us could figure out just by thinking(and being patient).... and then make it so people can edit/add comments to particular bits in the descriptions. Or even the person making the guide can just edit it when someone makes a reply suggesting revisions.

if you’ve been on a site that when you click on a line of passage that looks like this it then expands into another paragraph <--the paragraph could contain further details for the less hands on people ... so it could have small descriptions of almost any issue you might come across but not interrupt the basic instructions.

I did actually find someone who had made a guide to DWC and had linked every aspect to a relevant post but when i clicked the links they just returned me to the forum menu. There where comments like ''this is awesome'' but if it doesn’t work anymore....

Just stick a sub section in each forum called ''guides'' and I think people will fill in the blanks. Rate 1-10 stars so the good ones are easy to find and people will be all over it!

Thanks

 

[DiceCore]

Im trying hard not to getting into obsessive mode and make a sick high detailed guide to DWC or something...