Hey all! We really need to hear your feedback on the SEARCH function
Hello!
Just a quick introduction here, I am Mike, I oversee the automotive side of things over at Internet Brands company that operates this discussion forum. We are trying to do our best to listen to the users and focus on the details here, we believe in improvement; so I am very interested to hear some of your feedback regarding the site - more importantly the new search feature. It looks like the good old vbulletin search button - but we've radically changed the speed at which it gets you results and operates.
I want to know if you are having problems, if it's been working okay for you; even if you really couldn't care less, chime in with your .02, I do want to hear from everyone. If you really want to get personal here, use creative language you can either PM me or email me directly.
Thanks again, and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
PS. For those interested in this search technology, this is a new code/program that InternetBrands.com is testing out only on a few select communities - such as this one in order to improve the load on the server and speed up the server in general. Avoid bogging down during high traffic times.
__________________
Administrator
tim.lamkin@internetbrands dot com
Life is not only time……paradoxically, it is the denial of time!
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Generally I find the new software upgrade an improvement from the previous version of VB.
I would guess the slowness of the site this past week was due to the system upgrades and not bugs in the new VB.
The "new" search function seems to work good for me, as of today anyway. It seems to be quick and "to the point".
There are still some issues with links in web mails. I have already sent a report to support. I have narrowed the problem down to "just" the links that go to posts in the Regional Chapters Forum.
It appears that links are correct when you first click from the web mail. The link that pops in the address bar is correct. Just that when the link hits the FTE site, its not recognized and you end up on the "main" FTE site page.
Now when you copy and paste the link to the address bar, it works fine.
If the link in the web mail is to any forum other than the Regional Chapter forum, it appears to work fine. By example the link in my web mail to the, Subject:"Site Announcements" update Date:Sunday, April 20, 2008 4:43:24 AM, worked properly this morning.
The links to a Regional Chapter forum did not. Somewhere, somehow, those links have not been indexed under the new software. I should add this is not an issue if the emails are opened in Outlook or Outlook express, just from like my Comcast web mail account.
So far the new VB is works great from my perspective.
The old system I put in (it wasn't standard VB search) allowed wild-cards, optional words, negative words and required words.
It appears the same syntax is supported in the new system, but its not documented anywhere. The old system I set up (it wasn't standard VB 3.0 search) had them documented on the search screen for the benefit of the users.
Example:
+ means keyword is required. "+tires wheels" will return results which must have tires and optionally have wheels
- means negative keyword. "tires -wheels" will return results which must have tires but do not contain wheels
* wild card. "*v8" will return results with words which end in V8 such as 352V8, 351V8, etc. "tire*" will return results with words which start with tire, such as tire, tires, tiresome, etc.
When making a new feature keep in mind the target audience on some of these sites contain many people who aren't technically savvy. They won't know about search engine is using standard database fulltext search syntax unless its pointed out.
__________________ -Ken
If you need to get in touch with me email me at ftsservice at gmail dot com or via AOL IM: motorhavenken. The best is yet to come....
Hi Mike. Welcome to FTE.....or should that be your line?
Anyway, I like the new search now that it's absorbed enough old threads (don't know the technical term). The first couple of days it was a turd....but it's pretty darn good now.
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Scott - FTE moderator
His: 01 F-250 Lariat, 7.3, ZF-6, NV271. A few mods.
Hers: 98 Navigator, 5.4, AT, 4x4, Old.....but still a Lincoln ;-)
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Larry
PSD Addict #13
2003 F350 CC DRW 4X4 (6X6)
6.0L with auto tranny / Superchips FlashPaq
RhinoLiner / Grill Guard
Recon Smoke Cab Lights / Recon LED Dome Lights
60" White Lightening Tailgate Light Bar
2002 Excursion Limited 4X4 V10 Bone Stock
When making a new feature keep in mind the target audience on some of these sites contain many people who aren't technically savvy. They won't know about search engine is using standard database fulltext search syntax unless its pointed out.
Hey, I resemble that remark
I don't use the search a whole lot, but wanted to say Hi Mike, and welcome aboard
With that said, I am still tracking your responses in both threads now and I am thankful for some of the constructive criticism or praise that you've provided.
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Hey all! We really need to hear your feedback on the SEARCH function
-Ken
