Quote:
Originally Posted by Talk Host
From time to time a member (often a new member) will initiate a thread about a topic that has been discussed previously. Invariably someone will reply that they should have used the search function to investigate that topic and that discussing it again is a waste of time.
Some thoughts from this administrator about that:
- How is a person to know that it's been discussed and that they should search for it.
- If a person is expected to search for a certain topic, then every member should be expected to search for every topic.
- Many times there is new information or new ideas to be revealed with the re-initiation of a topic.
- If everybody used search every time and found what they were looking for, they would never have to post and this would be a very boring forum.
- This is a community of people designed for those people to talk to each other. Insisting that one should use search rather than post is bogus.
- I'm guessing that 70% of what's discussed here has been discussed in some form or another in the past.
- If one doesn't wish to read a topic that has been discussed previously, then one should pass by it without making the poster think they did something wrong.
- Finally, our search function sucks. You are very lucky to find anything by using it.
JLK  |
I'm still rolling around laughing at your last statement. one of the funniest ever by an administrator!
Stop and think however. The fact that the search function sucks is what facilitates fresh comments about topics that reappear again and again. You're right; if your engine was Google instead of Thomas the Train nobody would have to talk to each other any more.
For those who are desperate to find something in the archives however, try this recently suggested procedure. Go to google. Type in talkofthevillages/item. 'Item' is the word that best describes or links with the subject you are looking for. Here's what I mean by a link: let's say you want to know what people have written about nearby restaurants. Make your 'item' a popular restaurant like 'Bonefish Grill'. You will get specific threads about that restaurant, but comments about many others as well.