Screw The Search Function, 1 of 3

I've checked out the search function, and frankly, it's not very good at searching. I know for a fact that Nyaha and Hat prefer to google things with the added restriction of this domain only, and now I hear Shady say that no one is doing their research anymore. So I wondered, do we do something about it? For irony, it took me half an hour to search the whole Forum Suggestions subforum to be sure this hadn't been addressed before. It wasn't, not really, so I'd like to bring up a few suggestions.



First, regarding the Q&A thread, we can make an Answers thread, where someone will keep a single post with the questions that have already been answered. This would present a little problem as to what answer should be the one presented, but I'm sure no one would really mind. At worst, we'll link to all the posts containing answers.

Second, we can make a locked FAQ thread, where we can put any question that's been asked more than once, and some answers.

Third, and this is my favourite as it goes beyond the Q&A thread, I can go through the whole forum, list up the topics that have had any subject discussed, and make a thread for throwing links to every time anything was discussed in any depth. It'd be faster and more effective navigating than the search function, but it's kind of a lot of work; if no one wants anything to do with it, I might as well not bother.



I'm not really a fan of giving people answers, I find questions to be much more fascinating actually (unless it's science, for obvious reasons), but if it'll help people spend less time on the internet wondering about a made-up vore fantasy world, guess it can't be a bad thing.

Thoughts?

I agree, we do need some sort of an archive thread for all things discussed in the past, it'll make thing a lot easier for people to research.

Actually, part of the research problem isn't tied only to the search function on forumotion, but rather that people aren't checking the wiki, whose entire purpose is to answer our questions about the setting.

that doesn't excuse the forum's poor search function though does it? I was under the impression that this forum was an extention of the wiki, if the search function does not work properly and noone is going to adress this, then the forum is somewhat failing at one of it's main purposes.

True, but as some questions asked on the forum can already be found answers on the wiki, then you can't blame the shitty search function now can you?

Stabs wrote:

I've checked out the search function, and frankly, it's not very good at searching. I know for a fact that Nyaha and Hat prefer to google things with the added restriction of this domain only

You don't know this for a fact because I have no idea what you're talking about. O.o


Aside from that, I think there should be something done at least. I'm not sure what myself, unfortunately, so I don't have a lot to add, but I'll give my support to whatever everyone else decides.

D'oh... I meant... Hat OR Nyaha. I don't remember which one.

At least we're willing to do something about this though. It reminds me of an issue on Battlestar Galactica Online, players can level over 200, and a lot of the higher leveled players farm the lower ones, and no one does anything about it, even though its a big balance issue, saying that they all experienced the same thing, and so the newer players must learn to deal with it also :V

You guys may not connect the dots, but its still a really frustrating problem, just like the search function, and newer guys doing they're research, and no one willing to do anything about it - only we are, and I respect that.

As for what to do? No idea, but Stabs, if I can help in any way let me know and I'll get on it however I can.

Alright, then, I suppose I can start by implementing this link.

Here, get a search on.

I'll now get on the Q&A thread. Check again in a bit.

Testing...

This is my first draft of the Q&A reference. If you want to help, I could use some opinions.

Shady Knight wrote:

Actually, part of the research problem isn't tied only to the search function on forumotion, but rather that people aren't checking the wiki, whose entire purpose is to answer our questions about the setting.

Actually the Wiki doesn't always have what you're looking for as some subjects have yet to be written. Heck some articles that you finally do find have "under construction" or are to vague leading to more questions. I don't think that can really be solved by ANY search engine only hands on people willing to answer questions.... and what Stabs is proposing

Yeah. Unfortunately the search function this site has can only do so much. I personally have some unanswered questions myself, even after going to the WIki, though it's more about precise measurements and whatnot regarding certain landscapes.

Venom Agato wrote:

A question here that's not relevant to what it's about but more like small help, do we just ask one anywhere and you add it to that thread or do we ask on that same thread?

No; I'm merely archiving the questions that were already asked. And I have a huge backlog, Agato.

jedi-explorer wrote:

Actually the Wiki doesn't always have what you're looking for as some subjects have yet to be written. Heck some articles that you finally do find have "under construction" or are to vague leading to more questions. I don't think that can really be solved by ANY search engine only hands on people willing to answer questions.... and what Stabs is proposing

But some of the questions can be answered by the wiki, or so Shady says. At any rate, this is tangential; for now I'm trying to solve the part where people ask questions that were already asked.

I made this.

Now you know all that's been asked and what answer it got.