Using Google to search FlyerTalk (merged threads)
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,788
Using Google to search FlyerTalk (merged threads)
John,
While the FT internal search function is down, please include in the sticky announcement about it that adding site:www.flyertalk.com as a google search term will restrict the returned results to flyertalk.
This has been mentioned in several fora but I think adding it to the sticky will help more people to find it.
I don't know how frequently Google crawls Flyertalk, but I've been happy using it to find the FT postings I need.
While the FT internal search function is down, please include in the sticky announcement about it that adding site:www.flyertalk.com as a google search term will restrict the returned results to flyertalk.
This has been mentioned in several fora but I think adding it to the sticky will help more people to find it.
I don't know how frequently Google crawls Flyertalk, but I've been happy using it to find the FT postings I need.
Last edited by birdstrike; Oct 31, 2008 at 11:19 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,788
While search is down, please include in sticky how to use Google
John,
While the FT internal search function is down, please include in the sticky announcement about it that adding site:www.flyertalk.com as a google search term will restrict the returned results to flyertalk.
This has been mentioned in several fora but I think adding it to the sticky will help more people to find it.
I don't know how frequently Google crawls Flyertalk, but I've been happy using it to find the FT postings I need.
While the FT internal search function is down, please include in the sticky announcement about it that adding site:www.flyertalk.com as a google search term will restrict the returned results to flyertalk.
This has been mentioned in several fora but I think adding it to the sticky will help more people to find it.
I don't know how frequently Google crawls Flyertalk, but I've been happy using it to find the FT postings I need.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,949
Better yet, you can use the following URL to automatically limit search results to FlyerTalk.com:
http://www.Google.com/search?sitesea...%3CKeywords%3E
BTW, Google seems to be approx. 1 week behind for FT posts...
http://www.Google.com/search?sitesea...%3CKeywords%3E
BTW, Google seems to be approx. 1 week behind for FT posts...
#4
Founder of FlyerTalk
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,540
The Sticky at the top of each forum has been updated and does include the link to Google for search. I even renamed the announcement title so it looked a little different. Thanks for the suggestion and assistance.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: IAD
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 27,067
Google search is a joke
The google search is a joke. Twice recently I have tried to perform a google search. The first one came up empty even though I know that there was a thread which had the search word in the title. The second one came up with lots of obsolete threads (from the archive) but did not return the recent threads.
#7
Founder of FlyerTalk
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,540
I guess that's why there is a lot of new competition in the search area. If you'd like to take this up with Google, here's the link page for complaining to them:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/contact/index.html
Hope this helps.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/contact/index.html
Hope this helps.
#8
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: CVG
Programs: SQ PPS, DL Gold Medallion
Posts: 2,508
Yup, the Google search alternative is proving to be pretty useless...
Complaining to Google for a patch-up solution which is attempting to replace something that should normally work on this board is not the best approach, IMO. Rather than complain to them, can we please have an update on when the regular search will be up again?
When the search function was up, even if somewhat defective (was it? It didn't appear to be), it appeared to work pretty well--certainly better than the Google alternative. Can't we have that up again until the new search is implemented, even if it does not work at 100%?
Without a reliable search function, the usefulness of FlyerTalk is reduced quite significantly.
Complaining to Google for a patch-up solution which is attempting to replace something that should normally work on this board is not the best approach, IMO. Rather than complain to them, can we please have an update on when the regular search will be up again?
When the search function was up, even if somewhat defective (was it? It didn't appear to be), it appeared to work pretty well--certainly better than the Google alternative. Can't we have that up again until the new search is implemented, even if it does not work at 100%?
Without a reliable search function, the usefulness of FlyerTalk is reduced quite significantly.
#9
Founder of FlyerTalk
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 6,540
Originally Posted by MovieMan
Complaining to Google for a patch-up solution which is attempting to replace something that should normally work on this board is not the best approach, IMO. Rather than complain to them, can we please have an update on when the regular search will be up again?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...25#post3909625
We did not think of posting it here because this seemed to be complaint thread about Google.
As well, it seems some have missed various posts about the board that indeed search can be utilized during this period by simply asking a moderator for help. We enabled them for search to help members which is really the purpose for moderators anyway and quite a few members have been able to get help this way.
On the other thread, you'll see comments from some of the more tech inclined members of the board that other Web sites have had problems with search - some disabling it for good and others now charging to reduce the server drain. While i'm not in the league of those members, I am very willing to accept their comments that search problems are not unique to FT and that among the larger boards it has become very expensive and an ongoing challenge. As noted in the other thread, we are introducing tow new servers, one to handle just search and the other to off-load graphic drain of use of smilies and other static graphics of the board itself. Those two servers are running $15K with the install and RAID. But we think if a few of our members will allow us to focus on this solution over the next week or two, everyone will be happy.
And really, we have a lot in common with our thoughts... "[Google] is not the best approach." We never intended it to be, but it seemed better than nothing.
#10
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: CVG
Programs: SQ PPS, DL Gold Medallion
Posts: 2,508
Originally Posted by Randy Petersen
Our problem is that we'd never get anything done if we attempted to answer each question on each of the various threads started about this. We did answer your question on another thread about the search function. That answer and update is here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...25#post3909625
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...25#post3909625
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Google search feedback
Please post any feedback on the recent search change there, that is detailed at:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/annou...uncementid=165
Thank you,
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/annou...uncementid=165
Thank you,
#14
Moderator, Hilton Honors
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: on a short leash
Programs: some
Posts: 71,422
Is it possible to restrict the search to non-archive pages (or perhaps show these at the bottom)?
Also without any date info (or even sorting by date) it is hard to tell which result is most relevant.
Also without any date info (or even sorting by date) it is hard to tell which result is most relevant.
#15
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,449
Originally Posted by Kiwi Flyer
Is it possible to restrict the search to non-archive pages (or perhaps show these at the bottom)?
Also without any date info (or even sorting by date) it is hard to tell which result is most relevant.
Also without any date info (or even sorting by date) it is hard to tell which result is most relevant.