Dumb search error msg!

[The Judge]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

PS - Hoom, maybe I should consider just replacing the "search" link with a new window to Google with the "site" modifier in there? Hm...

Would that affect the "Search this forum" and "Search this thread" searches? I use those more than the main Search button in order to limit the answers thrown up, which helps a good deal.

[Jojo999]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

PS - Hoom, maybe I should consider just replacing the "search" link with a new window to Google with the "site" modifier in there? Hm...

Maybe add that tip to the "error" msg at least, which is ummm, less than clear as to what the problem is/was.

[J-Sun]

Originally Posted by Jojo999

1. Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms. The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search : "greg, bear"

I bet Greg Bear would be upset to discover that because he didn't have a longer name (or is it because his name was too common?), he is invisible to the apparently very limited capabilities of the forum search software being used here!

I brought this up before and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Originally Posted by I, Brian

PS - Hoom, maybe I should consider just replacing the "search" link with a new window to Google with the "site" modifier in there? Hm...

I agree with The Judge there. I think I was originally in favor of it but, actually, this way we can use the Chrons engine when we know it should work and use another engine when we know it won't. I agree with Jojo999 except that I think it should be an explanatory note on the search page explaining what will and won't work. That would help people who haven't experienced it yet and save them from inputting searches that can't work.

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by The Judge

Would that affect the "Search this forum" and "Search this thread" searches? I use those more than the main Search button in order to limit the answers thrown up, which helps a good deal.

No, I wouldn't touch those. It was just a thought to swap the main "search" link on the forum navigation at the top with a direct Google link.

[I, Brian]

Originally Posted by J-Sun

I agree with The Judge there. I think I was originally in favor of it but, actually, this way we can use the Chrons engine when we know it should work and use another engine when we know it won't. I agree with Jojo999 except that I think it should be an explanatory note on the search page explaining what will and won't work. That would help people who haven't experienced it yet and save them from inputting searches that can't work.

The thing is, there's no way to differentiate between "not found" and "too short to search".

[J-Sun]

No, I mean before the search is submitted - when they first go to 'http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/search.php', there could be a message at the top of the search form saying "Search terms must be five or more characters," etc.

[I, Brian]

Okay, for better ease of use I've reduced the minimum word index back to 4. See what happens. (It will take a little while for the search index to rebuild, though.)