Boards Google Search

bk

It has always annoyed me that the boards search can't handle search words with three letters or less.

This is specially true on the tech oriented forums where TLA's are so prevalent. For instance just try searching for "IOL BB".

I see that you can now search boards using google (using the "site:boards.ie" feature) and that this allows you to search TLA's. This is great, however many newbies don't know about it.

I recently came across another forum using vBulletin and they had integrated google search into their site. What they did is that when you clicked on "Search", the drop down contained two text entry boxes, one for the normal vBulletin search and a second for the google search of the site, you can see it at: http://www.avforums.com/forums/index.php

If this feature could be added to boards it would be great for newbies who don't know about it and save time for experienced users.

Goodshape

Direct your eyes to the bottom of this page.

Steveire

I assume TLA is three letter acronym?

bk

Goodshape wrote:

Direct your eyes to the bottom of this page.

Yes, that is good, but it is not available when you are actually in the forums.

Putting it in the forums would also help. Personally I never go through the frontpage, I only go straight to the forum I'm interested in from links, so I had never seen this. The most obvious way to search is the search button at the top of the forum page.

I think the Google search should be added to the drop down search and also the Advanced Search page.

Time and time again I see people post stupid questions that have been answered a hundred times before, they say they tried to search but it wouldn't work because of the TLA thing. This is very common on the broadband board. Putting the google search on every place that the basic search is would greatly help.

BTW Steveire TLA is three letter acronym.

oscarBravo

bk wrote:

BTW Steveire TLA is three letter acronym.

[pedantry] Three letter abbreviation, surely? It's only an acronym if it forms a pronounceable word. [/pedantry]

WizZard

You can also add an asterisk (*) to the end of a three letter search to make it work. eg. IOL becomes IOL*.

bk

oscarBravo wrote:

[pedantry] Three letter abbreviation, surely? It's only an acronym if it forms a pronounceable word. [/pedantry]

Well both actually, as you well know tech terminiology is full of both abbreviations and acronyms.

For instance LAN, WAN, WIFI (not three however).

Hell even SQL can be either depending on your preference (no need for a flame war here).

WizZard, yes I know the wildcard works, however how many newbies know this?

rsynnott

bk wrote:

Hell even SQL can be either depending on your preference (no need for a flame war here).

This is NOT a pronouncable word. ANSI says so. An early IBM DB was called SEQUEL, and MS tends to say "sequel" for SQL server, but it's incorrect. It's a bit like the whole "I'm Linus Tovards, and I pronounce Linux as Linux" thing.

bk

rsynnott wrote:

This is NOT a pronouncable word. ANSI says so. An early IBM DB was called SEQUEL, and MS tends to say "sequel" for SQL server, but it's incorrect. It's a bit like the whole "I'm Linus Tovards, and I pronounce Linux as Linux" thing.

Sigh, please note what I wrote:
" no need for a flame war here"

ANSI can say all they want, many people call it Sequel, not me, but many people do and life is far too short.