The Search Function - Redundancy

[SDC]

Before starting a new thread please use the search function to see if there is an active thread about your area of inquiry. Since the site is over 3 years old, there is a very good chance there is an active discussion on what you would like to ask/talk about, especially the common ones (we all what those are and if you don't you will learn very soon).

Also I have noticed more and more that other members have been posting links to ongoing topics or mods have been merging threads when a redundant topic is started and I think this is a great practice that should be encouraged. So when a common topic is started, instead of contributing to the discussion as if it has never been discussed (which I know is giving the new member the benefit of the doubt in most cases), a kind reminder of the search function or links should be provided. I know its easy to give our obligatory opinions on some of those very popular topics, but I think it would keep things more organized if we let the newer members know that it is already being discussed. Chances are they will find much more in an ongoing thread then a new one, in which certain members may choose not to post very relevant information, since they already did in a thread a few weeks ago.

When I used to post a skiing forum you would get blasted if you started a topic in the wrong forum or if you clearly didn't search beforehand. It was a nasty, yet very entertaining environment. I'm not trying to encourage that here, so let's be sure not make people feel stupid in these situations and provide some helpful direction. I just think it is a good practice and will only strengthen the community.

Thanks for listening.

Thoughts?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings SDC,

The in-built search function is OK but is case sensitive so sometimes may not function as expected.

In this topic Jhana4 posted about an add-on to enable you to search the current site... http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=10080" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, Dhamma Wheel is references by the Google Saffron Search Engine, so this can be another way to search the site... http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=00545 ... cbjbznmwso" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta,
Retro.

[mikenz66]

Personally, I find the search function on this (and most other) forums rather useless, so I tend to just use Google by entering searches like:

site:http://dhammawheel.com some key words

So if you want to know what Retro had to say about fabrication you can do this:
http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=site%3 ... =firefox-a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and find out that he had quite a lot to say about it...


Mike

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

find out that he had quite a lot to say about it...

Ooh, I've just been googled.

273 results.

I'm pleased to see it jumped to 494 when the word fabrication was changed to sankhara.

It's worth bearing in mind that I didn't necessarily make all those entires (i.e. I may have contributed a different post on the same page that someone else said the keyword, whereas the internal search can restrict results to the author in question), but yeah... I have no doubt a vast proportion were my doing.

Anyway, these are the sort of things to be cognizant about when doing searches.

Metta,
Retro.

[SDC]

Personally, I find the search function on this (and most other) forums rather useless, so I tend to just use Google by entering searches like:

site:http://dhammawheel.com some key words

So if you want to know what Retro had to say about fabrication you can do this:
http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=site%3 ... =firefox-a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and find out that he had quite a lot to say about it...


Mike

Nice. That works really well, Mike.