Search engine issue

[Dainin]

Hi Tech Support,

 

Just thought I'd point out that the search engine for the site doesn't appear to be working correctly. Entering  relatively common search terms produces no results or far fewer than should be expected.

 

Examples:

Bagua, 5 results

Mo Pai: 6 results

Zen: 27 results

 

Hopefully someone can look into this. Thank you.

 

Edited April 12 by Dainin

[Bindi]

I noticed yesterday that all old posts have disappeared, I had tried to find a quote from an old post of mine and only 3 pages of recent history existed. I checked another members history and found the same, I assumed it was to do with the daobum reset and that it was common knowledge as I don’t come on here very often.

 

Edited April 13 by Bindi

[Taomeow]

Nooo...

[stirling]

We are still investigating, but the current consensus is that it has never worked very well. This may be normal behavior. If we get any further I’ll post to this thread.

[oak]

8 hours ago, Dainin said:

Hi Tech Support,

 

Just thought I'd point out that the search engine for the site doesn't appear to be working correctly.

 

 

It never did. For me it was always easier to use google search as suggested by Marblehead a long time ago.

[Dainin]

Sorry but I have to disagree about the search engine never working well. For example, last June I used it to analyze my practice log. As you can see at the following link, it would (at that time and until recently) retrieve hundreds or even thousands of results for given search terms. There has definitely been a change since the recent connectivity issues to greatly impair this function, leaving it virtually worthless. To me this has been an important feature of the site and allows visitors to readily locate information on the topic of their choice. I hope tech support doesn't blow this off and continues to investigate the issue. Thank you.

 

 

[oak]

I do believe you @Dainin and am very empathetic with your concern.

As you know, for me, your posts are some of the most valuable in this forum. Really hope the situation will be solved.

 

[doc benway]

No question there is a big change here. 

Terms I’ve searched on many occasions are yielding far fewer hits than in the past or no results at all.

Reviewing the activity log in my profile only lists activity going back for 2 months - to 2/14.

Thanks for looking into this team!

Edited April 13 by doc benway

[stirling]

...just a note to say that while there are 4 admins and we are fairly responsive, when it comes to the operational "guts" of the board, we don't have any agency for the most part. This is likely the purview of the owner, who has other life priorities at this point.

[Cobie]

Still not taking it for granted after all the past problems, still being very aware what a joy it is to have the forum working again. If the rest can’t be fixed, so be it; good enough for me.  Thanks again to Jules and the admods. 
 

 

Edited April 13 by Cobie

[forestofclarity]

It looks like the search function is limited to 60 days. We can change it, but this may cause slowing down on the website. This was not initially set, so this may have been one way we previously addressed the slow down. 

 

So I would ask: longer search or faster board? 

[Cobie]

7 minutes ago, forestofclarity said:

It looks like the search function is limited to 60 days. We can change it, but this may cause slowing down on the website. This was not initially set, so this may have been one way we previously addressed the slow down. 

Thanks for the update. I don’t need a search function. I’d hate the forum to slow down again. So 60 days is fine with me. 

 

Edited April 13 by Cobie

[Taomeow]

1 hour ago, forestofclarity said:

It looks like the search function is limited to 60 days. We can change it, but this may cause slowing down on the website. This was not initially set, so this may have been one way we previously addressed the slow down. 

 

So I would ask: longer search or faster board? 

 

Please make it possible to find old content.  If not via the search feature (which indeed was never quite functional), then via any other mechanism.  Right now it looks like 20 years of content have been demolished.  It sucks.  Don't know about now but in the past the owner used to be opposed to deleting anything -- so I hope no one is OK with deleting everything... and right now it de facto looks as though that's what happened.

[forestofclarity]

1 minute ago, Taomeow said:

 

Please make it possible to find old content.  If not via the search feature (which indeed was never quite functional), then via any other mechanism.  Right now it looks like 20 years of content have been demolished.  It sucks.  Don't know about now but in the past the owner used to be opposed to deleting anything -- so I hope no one is OK with deleting everything... and right now it de facto looks as though that's what happened.

 

Google worked for me: 

 

https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/9681-nonduality/

[Dainin]

1 hour ago, forestofclarity said:

 

Google worked for me: 

 

https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/9681-nonduality/

 

I don't believe that the PPD content is accessible via Google.

 

3 hours ago, forestofclarity said:

So I would ask: longer search or faster board? 

 

Why the forced choice? Why not work on restoring both, as it was prior to the slow down?

[forestofclarity]

27 minutes ago, Dainin said:

Why the forced choice? Why not work on restoring both, as it was prior to the slow down?

 

The tools I have access to are limited. If people have thoughts on what we can do given the software, we can probably have a more detailed discussion via PM. 

[Nungali]

On 4/14/2025 at 8:12 AM, Cobie said:

Thanks for the update. I don’t need a search function. I’d hate the forum to slow down again. So 60 days is fine with me. 

 

 

 

But .... but ......  the  record , the history  .... all your deleted posts  !   

[Nungali]

On 4/14/2025 at 10:03 AM, Taomeow said:

 

Please make it possible to find old content.  If not via the search feature (which indeed was never quite functional), then via any other mechanism.  Right now it looks like 20 years of content have been demolished.  It sucks.  Don't know about now but in the past the owner used to be opposed to deleting anything -- so I hope no one is OK with deleting everything... and right now it de facto looks as though that's what happened.

 

Edited Tuesday at 11:19 PM by Nungali

[Apech]

20 hours ago, Nungali said:

 

 

But .... but ......  the  record , the history  .... all your deleted posts  !   

 

I did a search for 'Nungali' and all I got was random stream of consciousness verbiage ... so I guess the systems fine

 

 

[Cobie]

 

On 14/04/2025 at 2:03 AM, Taomeow said:

… the owner used to be opposed to deleting anything -- so I hope no one is OK with deleting everything...

 

21 hours ago, Nungali said:

 

 

On 14/04/2025 at 2:05 AM, forestofclarity said:

Google …

Nothing has been deleted, it’s all still there in the threads. You can search for it with Google.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:36 PM by Cobie

[Taomeow]

1 hour ago, Cobie said:

 

Nothing has been deleted, it’s all still there in the threads. You can search for it with Google.

 

 

I know.  I meant absence of access is, for practical purposes, equivalent to "deleting everything."  That theoretically this "everything" is still there is not the same as it being practically accessible.  

 

Google is great (insert a sarcastic emoji) -- in any event better than nothing -- but one has to know the exact title of the thread they're looking for?  Or not?   

 

[Nungali]

1 hour ago, Apech said:

 

I did a search for 'Nungali' and all I got was random stream of consciousness verbiage ... so I guess the systems fine

 

 

 

What's up ?

 

You can usually do a lot better than that  with insults .     I hope the new job has not cramped your style ?  

[Cobie]

 

45 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

-- but one has to know the exact title of the thread they're looking for?  Or not?   

Google ‘Dao Bums’ + a search word.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:18 PM by Cobie

[Apech]

11 hours ago, Nungali said:

 

What's up ?

 

You can usually do a lot better than that  with insults .     I hope the new job has not cramped your style ?  

you’re right I can’t even respond to this.  
 

 

[Dainin]

In Google, it is possible to do site-specific searches like this: site:www.thedaobums.com (search term)

 

However, Google's crawlers do not reach the PPD section, where a lot of interesting content can be found. This site's search engine did (or still does but just for the past two months). I'm wondering if the mods could experiment with re-setting the search scope further back in time to see if it affects connectivity and speed? If it is negatively impacted, by all means go back to two months. Just a thought. (You may have already tried this, apologies if so)

 

I'd also like to thank the mods/concierges and IT people for all you do!