Frustrating search engine on this site!

I love this forum and it has been a wealth of info when working on my XJ. But I have a major b1tch about the search engine....why is it so freakin' fickle?!? Example....I do a search for "forward controls" and I KNOW which thread I am looking for... I don't remember the authors name verbatim, but recognize it when I see it and it doesn't come up when I do my search. ???wth... I know he has a thread about his FCs but it doesn't come up... so I do a search for "forward controls finished" ...and it shows up!! REALLY?!?! That's just messed up big time....no wonder guys keep asking the same questions over and over.... any ideas how to 'refine' the search engine here??
Rant over...

 

Agreed, the search funtion here is such a PITA!! :x

If there was just an option to search for words within the title of the thread rather than the entire contents it would be a vast improvement... and does everyone else get the error when you try to go back to the search results? That one really drives me crazy.

Like you said though.. this site still rocks.

 

I agree you can enter the subject perfectly and it won't even show up. I just give up and post a "where the hell is it" message. You annoy the hell out of people doing it but what choice do you have!

 

X4 on that one. Because im new, i need to use the search option more that anything. Spend 40 mins reading through threads that only offer a one word search only instead of multi adjoining words. Im a member of other forums and this search is the worst. "where the hell is it"? is a great option.
Fantasic site though.

 

try using google.

here is a sample:

Thank me later.

 

Check the forum FAQ:

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/faq.html#41



Really, the board software is a free product written by a bunch of geeks in their spare time because they felt like it. What can you expect?

 

+1 darkfibre. Google is how I found the site, and if I can't find something here, then I google it and the xjb post I was looking for is the first Google result!

 

http://xjbikes.com/index.php?name=Treasury

 

Donation link. LMFAO! Thumbs up - walk the walk if you wanna talk the talk!

 

Yes that works... but if you're looking for a particular thread by a specific author (whose name you can't recall verbatim) you have to search each google result to find the one you want.
And yes Dan...I'm a broke-azz biker but I should put my money where my mouth is.. (that's why I didn't rant too extensively )

 

I can usually remember a few key words from the thread or I statement that was used and I just do what Darkfibre did. For instance BigFitz posted a link to a yamaha parts catalog and diagram website that I couldn't find. So I looked up... " Bigfitz xjbikes I didnt know that existed"

Something I remembered saying and got

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=3 ... rt=15.html

What I was looking for off Google.

 

X2!! and then it will show a bunch from the site, and then click "more results from xjbikes.com" and boom! works like a charm.

This is actually how i search ANY forum posts im looking for, no matter the forum.

See visual aids:


Then:


Happy Searching!

 

Or, if you remember who made the post, and It was recently, you can go to their profile and go to "all posts by ---" and creep through that till you find it.

 

No doubt the site would benefit from an upgrade, as would XJ4Ever's catalog (searchable with drop downs would be awesome). It is a free site though and it costs money to get an overhaul. I know some other free forum sites are better, but it may be a factor of when they were created or how much support they have received. I for one would love to see the site upgraded but no drastic changes are needed just a few tweaks here and there, because overall this is a great site and the advice and info is the best of anywhere you could go.

A better way to use the search feature on here is to use Boolean terms. Like for the search that you initially posted this on try searching for "forward AND controls" - this will only bring up threads that contain both words whereas your first term "forward controls" brings up all threads that contain both, one, or the other.

One last way to find what you're searching for is to enlist the help of the members. Just ask and someone remembers it and where to find it and will post it for you<--see this place rocks.

 

I agree this place does rock! and the members are great. I just get irritated (by myself more than anything else) when I can't remember who posted what, when I'm try to find a thread quickly to help someone else out. There are some great how-tos here that explain things much better than I can and I generally don't throw out the "help me out guys" in these kinds of situations, but I try to give back to the members here as much as I have taken

 

it is also good "forum courtesy" to search for the answer to your question or issue before making a new topic, so that members arent gettiing tired of answering the same question and saying the same thing.


for example me and nearly everynone replying to every "hey new here just bought my first bike!!" thread with "valves, tires, brakes, lines, make it safe before you think youre just gonna buy it and ride it.

repetitive yes, but thats somehting we all posted when we joined the forum(at least i know i did) at one time. the knowlwge is just learne and passed onto others.