The useless search function

[MrsAdmin]

Please can everyone who has ever attempted to use the rotten search function on here please post their problems with it so Mark knows why we are struggling.

Anything I type in it comes up with 'too common words' or 'you cannot use search at this time'. It doesn't seem to matter what words are used, even obscure ones .

When we did the Dougal Awards in January it was a nightmare to find old threads or posts. It would be a shame to have to scrap the awards because people cannot find photos or posts they wish to nominate.

[Liz!]

Same problem here, whatever search I put in, even using the exact title of the thread, it says the words are too common, and even if I take out all the common words and just leave 'extemporaneous transcendentalism' (for example) it still tells me the words are too common. Which leads me to wonder exactly what words would be uncommon enough to work in a search.

[Clairejen]

That's what I get too, "words too common". Until I checked it just now I haven't bothered to attempt the search for ages, it has never worked since I've been posting.

[baby_depardieu]

same here.... always 'too common words'

x

[jasperaliceuk]

DITTO

Sue

[wellies]

There are some settings for search in the Admin Control Panel (Mark?!), but the 'too common' response comes back so fast I don't believe it's even looking. I think either the search function is turned off or the time out is set for some amazingly short period (eg 1 second). I run one of these forums (same software) on www.okdinghy.co.uk, but it isn't anything like as big/busy as this forum.
Dave

[nikki79]

I have this problem as well, i hate posting about things that must have been discussed in the past but have had little choice with the search function being so picky.

Nikki

[KateW]

Perhaps the problem is the sheer size and volume of posts on the site nowadays....It is frustrating and I haven't tried to use the search function for ages but just experimented by putting in Hip Dysplasia Poll, author Bid and was rewarded by "Nothing matches" and two other searches which were valid but prompted the response "too common words".

I tend to remember who the originator of a thread is and then look at their profile to search if I can't find a thread by looking at the subject category, ie Health. But this only works if you can also vaguely remember the approx date of the thread as most of us have a large number of pages to plough through

Katherine

[bryanandhelen]

Yep ... we've effectively given up due to the "too common ..." style response. However, a recent single word search worked fine ("diarrhea" unfortunately ) so perhaps it's only when we search on more than 1 word?

Bryan & Helen

[mhayhurst]

I will kick off another re-index of the entire forum and hopefully that will fix or at least improve the results...

Regards,
Mark

[MrsAdmin]

Thanks very much Mark .

We are all such chatterboxes this Forum must be chock a block with words and images .

It does confirm that UKLA is a very valued Doodle forum, with people from all over the world logging on. Be great to be able to find previous information, especially when people have problems and need some help in a hurry.

Us oldies memories aren't what they were

[Saramel]

I always get 'too common' so I was beginning to think that maybe I was!!

[HarveyH]

I believe the search index needs rebuilding again, as I cannot search at all!!
No matter what I look for, it always comes up with the following:

The following words in your search query were ignored because they are too common words: service.
You must specify at least one word to search for. Each word must consist of at least 3 characters and must not contain more than 14 characters excluding wildcards.

[pete]

I will kick off another re-index of the entire forum and hopefully that will fix or at least improve the results...

Regards,
Mark

I dont think it has worked Mark. Still getting too common a word.