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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9618
Location: Western WA
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 Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 2:31 pm Post subject: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/search.php
I think these changes would make the search more useful.
Maybe if it showed the member name (and date) of the most recent post too.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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EverettB 
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69828
Location: Phoenix Metro
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 4:56 pm Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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This is the Google search results and the format is provided by Google.
It doesn't look like I can change the format of the search results beyond font and colors.
But:
The "Vanagon - View Topic" is part of the page title that comes up for all Forum threads. "Vanagon" or "View Topic" or both could be changed or removed but it's important to have something there for general Google search results.
"Vanagon" (or whatever Forum section name) is important to have IMHO.
"View Topic" could be unnecessary as it occurred to me to remove that in the past.
Opinions on that are welcome
I believe it would show more of the full Forum Topic title without the prefixes above.
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9618
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2023 5:27 pm Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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Glad you agree!
Fingers crossed for more topic, less abbreviated 👍🏽👍🏽
_________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 9:55 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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I don't think I've ever had a single successful search. Apparently the engine doesn't look for key words and unless you have the title case and letter perfect there is nothing.
I find it far more helpful to Google a topic and it offers several Samba topics which often give me what I'm looking for. E. G."Vanagon, high beam switch failure". Here's what I got from a Samba search.
And from Google.
Duncan |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9618
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 11:06 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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I have to agree...
Some years past I recall the inside Samba google search being very effective.
Currently the (inside theSamba) Google search seems 'broken'
in comparison to results from a normal Google search.
It's easy to compare the results and they are DIFFERENT.
The outside search being much better.
_________________
'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69828
Location: Phoenix Metro
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| Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2023 5:56 pm Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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DuncanS:
Don't search on "Vanagon" if using the built-in non-Google search.
The word Vanagon would have to appear in the subject line or thread for it to come up in the search. This may or may not be true.
It's not true in your example above.
If you search on switch failure it comes right up.
If you want to limit it to Vanagon, select the Vanagon section on the search screen instead of "All"
_________________
How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2023 8:53 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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Inquiry.
and the response.
Duncan |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69828
Location: Phoenix Metro
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 4:19 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69828
Location: Phoenix Metro
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 5:48 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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OK--you are right, it does come up. I don't know why it didn't before. The point I was trying to make is that I most often get the no topic site found.
However, look at what Samba produced for High beam switch failure.
Only 4 replies.
Compare this to the Google search. With many replies.
Note that the lead Google topic was posted on July 20th, one day before Jahbah posted his, and Samba didn't mention it. I'm assuming this happened because although switch failure was in the topic, that wasn't in the heading.
Point is, I find it quicker and easier to do the Googllie thing. Not knocking all the great work EB does for us, just what I tend to use.
Duncan |
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EverettB
Administrator
Joined: April 11, 2000
Posts: 69828
Location: Phoenix Metro
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| Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 8:13 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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In the image that didn't appear above - You were spelling high beam wrong. 
The built-in search defaults to Topic Title only.
I changed this some time ago as this often gives a much shorter list of results that better match what you might be searching for vs. a ton of pages of results.
You can always switch it back to "Topic title and message text" for more results.
I will do that sometimes if the "Topic only" search didn't give me anything that looked good.
Or I use the Google search.
The Google search can be better in a lot of cases as it will do partial matches, correct for misspellings, etc.
Google smarter.
_________________
How to Post Photos
Everett Barnes - [email protected] | My wanted ads
"Water is the only drink for a wise man" | "Communication prevents complaints"
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery! |
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DuncanS
Samba Member
Joined: October 17, 2013
Posts: 4583
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Search site (display complete Topic title, not abbreviated?) |
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Google isn't smarter. Does it know how to fix a broken high beeeaaam headlight switch? It has no idea, but it can point us to ways so WE can find out. The collective knowledge, that we all thank you for providing, Mr. E. B., is invaluable and without a doubt far better than the best T3 shop in the country. And we all learn from Samba whenever we go to the site. For example, just now I learned how to search for "Topic title and message text" and get more results. Thanks for the tip and all you do.
If anyone else agrees, then please click on the "Donate" section in the top menu bar as I do, but not frequently enough, but just did now. Thank you.
Duncan |
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