I just had an idea to help prevent newer members from getting the answer: UTFSE!
when you create a new topic and fill in the subject, the forum will automatically search itself and give a list of topics with similar subjects.
e.g. I make a new topic, fill in ''how to make nitric acid''
and then a list will pop up under what I just typed: here
this list. this way the poster might find what he is looking for and not bother people by asking yet another question that has been asked 6,02*10^23
times before watson.fawkes - 17-10-2013 at 07:29
when you create a new topic and fill in the subject, the forum will automatically search itself and give a list of topics with similar subjects.
Are you volunteering your time to write this software, or are you suggesting that this be done before other
things of already-stated higher priority?bfesser - 17-10-2013 at 07:47
I like the concept, but the implementation will be a right pain in the arse. We'll add it to the wishlist.hyfalcon - 17-10-2013 at 09:42
Using google to search Science Madness instead of the forum software search feature always seems to provide me with hours of reading, fairly on topic
also.Pyro - 17-10-2013 at 10:31
well, It's used on many other forums. I thought it might be something relatively straightforward.
Iv'e even seen it on forums that are a lot less visited than SM.bfesser - 17-10-2013 at 10:41
I've never seen this implemented, myself. Any chance you could provide an example that I could check out to get an idea of how it's done (possibly
steal code)?Pyro - 17-10-2013 at 10:58
ok, gotta find it though, it's been a good year since i visited it (or even thought of it ) jock88 - 17-10-2013 at 12:12
There is total resistance IMO on this board for getting rid of the 'in house' search facility. (I prefere to call it the HIDE facility). It is the
most useless search facility on the entire interwebs.
There must be good reason for this but for some reason or other no one will mention the reason.
A simply google box could be substituted for the 'hide' facility (snigger) that is already there.
A google search cannot see into whimsy or refs. Perhaps thats the reason for keeping the 'hide' (snigger) facility.
At the very least UTUFCOASE (use the useless fucking cunt of a search engine) should be used instead of UTFSE.
I thought it might be something relatively straightforward.
Go read the stickied thread "call for
participation: modernizing SM forum software" in Forum Matters https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=18651 and learn that nothing about making changes to the existing board software is
straightforward.
There must be good reason for this but for some reason or other no one will mention the reason.
See above.
Edit: second reply added
[Edited on 2013-10-17 by watson.fawkes]Pyro - 17-10-2013 at 13:08
GRRR, I just typed out a whole reply and I lost internet just before I posted it!
it doesn't have to be a super-complex code, It could be something that automatically enters the users title into:
Keywords site:sciencemadness.org.
so if somebody typed in making nitric acid (probably the most commonly asked question here) another tab would be opened.
maybe it can be an option to disable this after a certain amount of posts and/or a certain time registered (by that time the person would understand
how to search the forum) bfesser - 17-10-2013 at 14:38
I'd like to point out that many of the newly registered users (and others) who open new topics, instead of searching for existing threads, are the
same lazy mouth-breathing cretins who write meaningless and ambiguous subject lines like "<a
href="viewthread.php?tid=24914">chemistry</a>," "<a href="viewthread.php?tid=20211">Filtering</a>," and "<a
href="viewthread.php?tid=19760">Acid</a>;" this would be more likely to benefit established members, who already know to search before
posting (as a time saving add-on).Pyro - 17-10-2013 at 15:33
Well, I'm sick so i'm mouth breathing too dunno about being a cretin though
True that it won't work all the time, but many questions that are answered by USFSE (UTUFCOASE) could be solved as well.
I think that for us older members it might become a drag, especially us with slow internet.
would it be a lot of work to modify the forum search engine to just search via google, so that one is redirected to the google page of results?
(sounds simple, but I know very little about computer programming)bfesser - 17-10-2013 at 20:03
To search via Google? Not really. That would be relatively straightforward to code. Polverone finding time to implement any mod is
a different story, though.
dunno about being a cretin though 