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When I do a search for information here in this forum I get often get 20 or more threads turn up. If I make the search more specific by adding more terms, it often comes back as zero. So I return to the first search and work my way through the threads. First I look for threads with a title as close to the model and fault I’m looking for. This is OK but often I’m faced with titles like “Bosch dw” or “Help please”. These I only look at when I’m desperate.
So I want to try and get everyone to include in the title of your technical enquiry the following information:
1 Make
2 Model no.
3 type of appliance i.e. wm, wd,dw, td, ff, mw….
4 description of faultI know the title space is limited but you just need to do a bit of abbreviating.
The more people that do this, the better this forum will be as a source of information for everyone. And we’ll all be able to relax a bit and let the technology work better for us.It’s like if someone leaves a message on your answerphone. Which of these messages do you prefer? 1. “Hi mate I’ve got a Bosch, can you ring me?”
or 2. “Hi mate I’ve got a Bosch dishwasher SGS45312GB/12 not heating. I’m in High Street, Yourtown and I’m in all day Thursday and Friday. My number is…..”
Mike.Re: How to make searching easier. Pls read this and CONTRIBU
iv got a idea, why not have the make & type(wm/wd/dw/ff etc..) of appliance on drop down boxes for the poster to select and model number on a inputbox and then fault description on a textarea this way the search facility can be taylor made with the same 2 dropdown boxes and then input box for model number(exact search) plus the search programmed to search for keywords within textarea for fault description.?
this way searchers can bring up all posts that contain for example all HOTPOINT,WM,WM51 without fault description or specific search adding say the words interlock in textarea field.
few lines of html and php probably do the trick.
simonb
Re: How to make searching easier. Pls read this and CONTRIBU
Working on something a little better. 😉
But, it’ll take longer.
The problem is that messing with the code isn’t just as easy as all that I’m afraid.
K.
Re: How to make searching easier. Pls read this and CONTRIBU
Okay, so I hope you’ve all seen the “Related Topics” at the bottom of most posts where a match can be found.
What it does is search the topic title, not the content!
So, to get additional info on a model number say, if you put the model number in the title of the topic/thread then the related posts to that model will come up. This can give you reams of info on problems with a particular model and, if you search on a model number now, finding one thread will produce others as well that are related to the make, machine or the problem description.
To get the best out it here’s what I’d suggest, when you post make the topic something like…
Amica AWCT10L: No motor action
That way the search will index the “Amica”, “AWCT10L”, “Motor” and “Action”
It isn’t perfect by any means, in fact it really is a quick and dirty solution to the actual problem, but it’s a start and could prove useful if you’re poking about looking for info.
To search the content is, shall we say, a little more challenging as there’s rather a lot of it to index.
However, going forward, sticking to something like this may help with a little project I have scheduled for next year. 😈
K.
Re: How to make searching easier. Pls read this and CONTRIBU
Like it :tup: .
Works well. Had some very pertinent and interesting reading this evening as a result of the new feature. Some very interesting threads I had never seen before. What a huge wealth of info there is here!
Mike.Re: How to make searching easier. Pls read this and CONTRIBU
It would work even better if everyone read this and stuck to the format. 😉
I changed a bunch of topics this morning and it was actually quite surprising that a good many of the topics/questions in trade tech had already been posted before. Came straight up on the related topics.
K.
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