Search Box Not Working?

[PoseyPetals]

I've tried searching with the search box, and advanced search, but the page won't load/it tells me I didn't enter anything? Does anyone else have this problem? Is it just my internet?

[SourdoughStomper]

I suspect, though am not 100% sure, that it is because the Arena lacks a search index. With so many posts now, the site becomes bogged down trying to search through them all.

I poked around in the guts of the site and it tells me that a search index can greatly improve the performances of searching on the forum.

So, I crossed my fingers, hoped for the best, and clicked "create a search index" button. It's currently doing so, running in the background, and it's hard to predict how long it will take. However, to give an idea, it's been 2 hours since I clicked it and it's almost 3% completed now.

Hopefully it will make the search function work again. But if anyone sees any mushroom clouds forming over the Arena, I apologize in advance and take full responsibility. Loa will probably dock my pay accordingly.

[Galactica]

It is actually easier to search for a specific thread on Google than searching on the arena-

Hopefully one day they will fix it!

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I take it it's still making that index. I tried what Galactica suggested but the first thing that came up was a 2009 post for one search and a 2005 post for another search.. I need away to get newer topics

[SourdoughStomper]

Yes, it was at 70% last I checked. Very slow, I know, but it pauses frequently and I have to click a button to make it resume. Another couple of days should do it.

[PoseyPetals]

Ohhh ok! So it's not just me haha; it's ok I found what I'm looking for - it's just a little annoying to go through all that trouble, but I suppose yeah, what with there being that many posts on the Arena...

[SourdoughStomper]

The custom search index is now done! Please check to see if the search function works better. *crosses fingers enough to make braids out of them*

(Arena, if this doesn't work, you are in for a major glaring!)

[Galactica]

I take it it's still making that index. I tried what Galactica suggested but the first thing that came up was a 2009 post for one search and a 2005 post for another search.. I need away to get newer topics

Just FYI- putting aside the Arena search issue (which hopefully works better now?)
When you do a google search, you can limit the search by date (so last 24 hours, last week, last month, last 6 months, ect.)  that's what I do when I'm looking for something recent and specific...



Post Merge: December 09, 2015, 09:55:44 AM

Hmm-  just tried out the search- and it does produce results, but I don't think they are accurate.

I searched "prototype" and asked it to be ordered in terms of most recent first.  The most recent posts that showed up were from 2013, which can't be right.  When I just search "prototype" the posts it turned up first were from 2012. 

But honestly I'm not sure if the search function ever worked any more accurately than that? 

[sd_dreamcrystal]

Galactica, was that the MLP Arena Search or the google search? I assume the arena search is still not working (just tried it)

[Galactica]

Galactica, was that the MLP Arena Search or the google search? I assume the arena search is still not working (just tried it)

My instructions were for Google search. 

So when I look for something on the Arena- I could go to google- put "MLPArena prototype"  and then right above the results- click on "search tools" you can then narrow the search to past hour, day, week etc...

[sd_dreamcrystal]

Galactica, was that the MLP Arena Search or the google search? I assume the arena search is still not working (just tried it)

My instructions were for Google search. 

So when I look for something on the Arena- I could go to google- put "MLPArena prototype"  and then right above the results- click on "search tools" you can then narrow the search to past hour, day, week etc...

Oh I see

[Galactica]

I don't think there is anything particularly surprising about the Arena search feature not working very well, I think most message forums like this have issues with their search feature (except maybe DOA but they must be on a massive server)

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I don't think there is anything particularly surprising about the Arena search feature not working very well, I think most message forums like this have issues with their search feature (except maybe DOA but they must be on a massive server)

Yeah they seem to.. right now tough I did test to see if search was sort of working

I can do a search for fakies in the for sale/trade forum with most relevant results selected.. but if I switch to most recent.. I get the Server error... if I look for say "Moon Dreamers" in the same forum, no matter what i hit it's the Server error however it works if I switch it to Toy Box Sales forum for that search with most recent topics selected... it's really really weird

[hathorcat]

The search function is a bitty footery. Although I will admit I never encounter the same issues other people flag up...so I am always puzzled by the issues

As Stomper has mentioned before it just has to be remembered that the sheer number of posts on the forum means the tool needs to be limited rather than used as a wide ranging "search every board and every post for every day the forum has been live" catch all.

The key thing to remember is that the function wont show you more than 600 results. When you are searching for something as commonly typed as "prototype" you get to 600 results really fast. As soon as you reach that magic 600 number, the search function trips over and you only get a default search.

You must set the number of days you are searching so that your search finds less than 600 results. For example search for prototype on the boards for the last 570 days and the board with give you a 30 first find default search. Search for prototype for the last 565 days and you will get almost 600 results.

You can search for the same thing over multiple periods - you just need to do it as different time frames. As mentioned before, limit your search a little more. We are unfortunately not Google

[Ponyfan]

I tried to search for Coco Pommel the other day and couldn't get any search results to show up even though I know there was a least one topic about her before I started mine.


Ponyfan