I have read a lot of posts asking questions that have been asked many times before. Answers to many of these questions can be found by searching the forum using the search feature but there also have been many posts stating the site search function doesn't seem to work, or at least doesn't seem to return with relavent search results. Also, newbies can't use the search feature until they have a certain number of posts, I think 25. Newbies are the ones most likely who are going to ask questions that have been asked before because they have no way of knowing what has been asked. I have found I can usually get better results using Google to find what I am searching for on the site.

I have posted this advice on the posts I have looked in on but I thought the information might be more helpful to a larger number of people if I made a separate post just for this subject. For those who don't know exactly how's it's done it's pretty simple. Go to Googles advanced search page:


Google Advanced Search




Fill in your search criteria. If you are searching for information that you know was previously posted by yourself, or another member, enter your, or the other member's, board name. This will narrow the search down even more. Then enter "www.ford-trucks.com" in the "Search within a site or domain:" window, hit the enter button on your keyboard and scroll down the that comes up to find the information you're looking for.

 

That's excellent advice Bob!

I think the reason so many folks are starting threads with "I know I've seen this before but couldn't find it in the search" is because the new search engine doesn't search by the % applicability (I forget the correct word) it just does a simple search for what is typed in - so you have to look through them all. And you may find the word listed once or 100 posts on the subject. Also a lot of folks who aren't familiar with it, don't know that it works better if you put the subject you are searching for in quotation marks. Either way the new search function is mostly useless - I wish they would re install the old one. It didn't work all the time, but to have something that was a good search tool working half the time is better than having something that is reliable all the time but useless.

I use the search a lot to try an point to the things we have already researched and taken the time to type up - sometimes at length! So this will be great! Thanks!

 

I have found that putting terms in quotation marks in the forum search doesn't work, at least not for me. The times I have tried it the system comes back with no results. That's what I like about the Google search, you can easily enter an entire phrase to search for.

Just hope this helps.

 

You Know Bob, you could be listed in the thread entitled Cool Tips and tricks as a very useful tool. I just like to say that you have got to be one of the most helpful members on here, in the top ten for sure.
John

 

 

I think Bob deserves his very own Sticky !!!!!

thanks man, the FTE search engine is at best frustrating...

later
John

 

BOB!
Thank you for starting this thread and showing us all search options! I have already found stuff that I had been frustrated finding.

Now the only thing frustrating me is figuring out how to give you positive feedback... clicking on the little green boxes in the corners of the posts used to work, but now it doesn't seem to.

 

Oh now Jim - be careful with the "negative waves." Search engines that are useless, little green boxes that don't work, occasional photo galleries that just dissapear with the photos in all your posts....Face it, you have EVERYTHING you really need - lots of animated advertising instead!

We need another thread Bob...Alternatives to making the little green boxes work.

I'm with ya Jim!

 

it allways tells me my token expired. and i can,t find the token store to get new ones

 

dont click on the little green box.... see the two red circles above them ???? click on the left one...

john

 

Nicely done Bob!!

Bobby

 

Here, let me try the little hearts!

Edit Note: Worked! Oh Boy I'm gonna spread some LOVE today. Johns next!

 

Hi Julie Pick me pick me