Search techniques for this phpBB installation
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:54 pm
I am not a great fan of the phpBB search mechanism, or any BBS search mechanism for that matter.
A BBS is a storage area of knowledge, the data donated by members of the forum population.
Some of the data is good; some of the advice offered by beginners like me is simply awful!
A blind and simple search for “size: or “len:” is as likely to waste our time by having us wade through poor data as by not bothering to search at all and just experimenting.
David Carpenter is well known for his positive response to questions, and encouragement of suggestions. A natural consequence is that Everything improves monthly. Advice given on “size: or “len:” two years ago was given out for version 1.4, and may well be irrelevant to version 5. And just how long is it since we used version 732? (I made up that last number, but I know I saw a version in the 700s earlier today)
I do not expect phpBB to add an SQL-like search to its software, which leaves us with what we have got.
I find a technique of searching by Topic helps me to focus on significant posts. To see this, use Advanced Search and check ON both “Topics” buttons. If nothing else this will cut out those “Help!” topics. As well it will put more data per square inch of screen so that your (very fast) eye-brain combination can get more information faster.
Today I am interested in learning about the latest version, and so still in the Advanced Search panel: I have elected to examine posts only in the Everything 1.5 board and as well I have asked for topics only in the past year.
Which is a shame. I would prefer to go back two years or better yet to Fri Mar 12, 2021
In the meantime I solicit ideas on techniques to improve our own searching techniques, especially if it means we can locate answers from our collectively owned shared data, and release the bright ones amongst us to spend more time developing better searching strategies (grin!). And coincidentally helping beginners like me. :selfish:
Thanks, Chris
A BBS is a storage area of knowledge, the data donated by members of the forum population.
Some of the data is good; some of the advice offered by beginners like me is simply awful!
A blind and simple search for “size: or “len:” is as likely to waste our time by having us wade through poor data as by not bothering to search at all and just experimenting.
David Carpenter is well known for his positive response to questions, and encouragement of suggestions. A natural consequence is that Everything improves monthly. Advice given on “size: or “len:” two years ago was given out for version 1.4, and may well be irrelevant to version 5. And just how long is it since we used version 732? (I made up that last number, but I know I saw a version in the 700s earlier today)
I do not expect phpBB to add an SQL-like search to its software, which leaves us with what we have got.
I find a technique of searching by Topic helps me to focus on significant posts. To see this, use Advanced Search and check ON both “Topics” buttons. If nothing else this will cut out those “Help!” topics. As well it will put more data per square inch of screen so that your (very fast) eye-brain combination can get more information faster.
Today I am interested in learning about the latest version, and so still in the Advanced Search panel: I have elected to examine posts only in the Everything 1.5 board and as well I have asked for topics only in the past year.
Which is a shame. I would prefer to go back two years or better yet to Fri Mar 12, 2021
In the meantime I solicit ideas on techniques to improve our own searching techniques, especially if it means we can locate answers from our collectively owned shared data, and release the bright ones amongst us to spend more time developing better searching strategies (grin!). And coincidentally helping beginners like me. :selfish:
Thanks, Chris