Search problems
Feb 7, 2008 | 6:57 am
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,209
I too dislike the new search. My use case used to be as follows:
- Open the forums
- Do an advanced search for posts by my username
This would provide me with a chronological list of all threads that had recent activity... Even if they started two years ago. I could also see if the last poster in a thread we me - If it was, there wasn't any point in opening it. If it wasn't me, then there was new activity, and I'd open the thread and read it.
It would also provide me a convenient list (on the right) of the forums I'm most active in, and I could open each forum.
- Open the forums
- Do an advanced search for posts by my username
This would provide me with a chronological list of all threads that had recent activity... Even if they started two years ago. I could also see if the last poster in a thread we me - If it was, there wasn't any point in opening it. If it wasn't me, then there was new activity, and I'd open the thread and read it.
It would also provide me a convenient list (on the right) of the forums I'm most active in, and I could open each forum.
Feb 7, 2008 | 7:14 am
#32
Flyertalk Evangelist and Moderator: Coupon Connection and Travel Products
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Milton, GA USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum Elite, Hyatt Discoverist, Radisson Elite
Posts: 19,215
One workaround could be to add a subscription to the threads you are interested in... that way you do not have to ever depend on a search... and you immediately know when those threads have been updated.
Feb 7, 2008 | 7:19 am
#33
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: NYC (formerly BOS/DCA)
Programs: UA 1K, IC RA
Posts: 60,745
I used to be able to type 'exercise blog' in the search box and the OMNI Exercise Blog would be the first thread returned. Now it doesn't even show up on the first page. 
Also, in the old search I used to be able to jump to the last message directly. Now it takes me to the first message and requires another click to get to the last post.
Also, in the old search I used to be able to jump to the last message directly. Now it takes me to the first message and requires another click to get to the last post.
Feb 7, 2008 | 8:15 am
#34
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, DeltaMM
Posts: 517
Like those who have posted in this thread above me, I use the search function to check and see if there have been any new posts to any of the threads to which I have posted. I don't like the fact that I can't tell from the date sorting whether or not anyone has posted to that thread since the last time I checked - only sorts by the date that I posted. Sometimes - lots of times - I want to see if anyone has responded and the old way would show the LAST post to the thread, not just the date that I posted. I haven't had my coffee yet, so don't know if this makes sense, but I can tell you it is annoying!
Feb 7, 2008 | 8:23 am
#35
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: OKC/DFW
Programs: AA EXP/2 MM
Posts: 9,999
Like those who have posted in this thread above me, I use the search function to check and see if there have been any new posts to any of the threads to which I have posted. I don't like the fact that I can't tell from the date sorting whether or not anyone has posted to that thread since the last time I checked - only sorts by the date that I posted. Sometimes - lots of times - I want to see if anyone has responded and the old way would show the LAST post to the thread, not just the date that I posted. I haven't had my coffee yet, so don't know if this makes sense, but I can tell you it is annoying!
As mentioned above, however, a subscription to those threads would be a workaround for your issue. I have it set up to be automatically subscribed to any thread in which I post. Then all I have to do is click MyFlyerTalk and any threads with new activity show up.
Feb 7, 2008 | 10:06 am
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, AS Gold, SPG LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Cava Sun member
Posts: 14,439
It shows a useless "score" for every post. Some threads are shown repeatedly, when I search for a thread it should only show that thread once.
Also, there appears to be a javascript that when you roll over the thread title gives you a pop-up box that looks to be all content of the forum, but with no formatting or breaks, its useless and it takes up over 1/2 the screen.
Also, there appears to be a javascript that when you roll over the thread title gives you a pop-up box that looks to be all content of the forum, but with no formatting or breaks, its useless and it takes up over 1/2 the screen.
Feb 7, 2008 | 11:12 am
#37
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,223
Most users have no interest in the internal algorithms of any search engine. They are talking about how the results are organized and displayed. I find it truly incredible if your staff is telling you that the results from the new search engine cannot be displayed in the old format or that this would reduce stability. That would be incompetence of stunning and staggering proportions.
Last edited by aktchi; Feb 7, 2008 at 11:55 am
Feb 7, 2008 | 6:22 pm
#40
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Upstate NY
Programs: IHG Plat, HH Gold, EZ Pass Plat, Starbucks Gold, Whatever flight is cheapest
Posts: 7,035
Including quotes in the body of the search results wastes a whole lot of space and makes it impossible to actually scan what the user posted. The old search somehow skipped a quote if there was one.
Defaulting the results to post by that artificial relevance score is annoying. I think post date carries a greater weight and it didn't seem to work when selecting it to re-sort.
Hopefully you can make a few improvements to get the functionality of the old search back.
Feb 8, 2008 | 8:09 am
#42
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, DeltaMM
Posts: 517
And this morning, the search by post date is not working AT ALL. When you do the sort by pulldown and click post date, it will think for a few seconds, then return those useless "relevance" results. 
Feb 8, 2008 | 9:02 am
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 18,209