Search update
 

We are proud to announce the upgrade of FlyerTalk’s search functionality. We are continuing to identify and address bugs in implementation and we appreciate your continued patience as we complete that process.

Our update includes considerable changes to both front and back end of the application. Users will now have access to all of the features available on most vBulletin forums. However, we have made extensive changes to the backend including both hardware and software upgrades. These changes will significantly increase both availability and long term scalability of the product.

Thank you for your contribution to the community and we hope you find FlyerTalk an even a better resource than ever.

This is great news but can you give some specific examples. There may be great new capabilities that I don't know exist.

Would you mind telling us more specifically what has been changed as far as search functionality goes? I believe our fellow FTers would have a better idea what to compare against and provide more constructive feedback.

Of course you know FTers are voluntarily reporting the "bugs" in the Search Problems Master thread around the clock. :D

Search does NOT work ... I'm just not buying it.

I was searching in the UA forum for any thread that has "Ask" in the title. There are ask the FA, Ask the Pilot even ask a reservation agent in there somewhere. The search found nothing, nada, zilch.

Try, try again.

seems i read elsewhere that search now (again) will NOT find a three letter word (or airport code :() unless you put the word you're looking for in quotes. theoretically, "ask" should do the trick.

I'll try that along with the Q&A that was used at least on the pilot thread, oops (but I still don't have confidence in search!)

Update: Q&A in quotes didn't work either!!

Search just seems to throw up recent random posts nothing whatsoever to do with the words entered.

I performed an advanced search for threads with "ask" and "q&a" in the titles, specific to the United forum, and both searches returned results.

It's possible the tech team already corrected the problem you uncovered and that is why I was able to find results and you were not. If you are still unable to get any results though, let me know and we'll see what you are doing differently than what I am doing.

Two ways - click on search and enter my term - hit Enter and nothing is available. Second way, go into advanced search. Put Ask into the top left field, change the selection below to be title only, select the United Forum and let it run. Also returns nothing.

I have a print screen of the selection criteria but can't post it - its in a document now if you're interested.

Mikel - I went back into the advanced and used the quotes. I did get the thread I was thinking of BUT also got an entire list of things that have nothing to do with my request, e.g. anything that started with an A or something like that.

If you enter two words, the new search looks for threads with either word in them, unlike the old which looked for threads which contained both.

To narrow results in new search requires quotes around both words with and in between.

After some considerable experimentation I've just found out the same the hard way.

For any software vendor to make such a fundamental change to the logic of a search engine (and to or) without seemingly briefing the users, is criminal.

How many hours of all of our time has this debacle wasted ?

You have GOT to be kidding me.

I know you aren't, and you're just the messenger, but...acronyms fail me.

Thanks for the info FlyingOnceMore. ^

But........In the name of the wee man they don't make things very easy do they? :D

That's how I worked it out too.....eventually.

I wish I was. I guess being 40 has some odd benefits.....I can remember search engine techniques from the 1990's!