Search facility

[Big Jenny]

Wouldn't it be nice if the Search facility actually worked? It's SO frustrating, when you know a question has been asked and you type it into the search bar, and up comes No relevant questions found. This is always happening. It works half-heartedly occasionally, but then stops working altogether again.

BJ

[Buenchico]

The problem is (at least partially) with the fact that the search facility only looks through the posts in the section you're currently viewing (or last used). So, for example, I might see a question in 'Technology' and realise that there were some excellent answers to a similar question some time back. However, when I search for that question, it doesn't show up because it was posted under 'How it Works', and not 'Technology'. It would be far better if the search facility always examined the whole of AB, not just part of it.

BTW, I've found a way of getting round the 'topic specific' search problem. I normally use Firefox and log in automatically onto AB. Even if I open a new tab and go to AB's home page, the search only looks at the topic I'm currently viewing on the first tab. My solution is to open Internet Explorer as well and go to AB's homepage. (I've not set up IE to log me in automatically, so I'm only recognised as a guest). Then any search examines the whole of AB and 'missing' questions will show up.

Chris

[Big Jenny]

On the whole, I only use one section of AB (Quizzes & Puzzles), so that I know the questions I am looking for are under that section. I can have seen a question five minutes earlier, but if I type the exact question heading word for word into the search bar, it still doesn't come up. It usually just comes up "No relevant questions found", which drives me mad when I KNOW that there are relevant questions in the section. Grr.

BJ

[Gromit]

The search doesn't appear to work no matter what section you are in. I wanted to find some previous questions for this

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question60 2964.html

The search in News didn't find them. So I googled "Answerbank + Priest + balloons" and got them that way

AB search is a waste of time. Always has been.

[Octavius]

I was going to say the same as gromit, often you can just google - quicker and more accurate, often with less adverts too!