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Rate the Speedsolving.com Search engine quality

What good is the Speedsolving.com search engine?

  • 5 - It is great, works like a charm.

    Votes: 3 2.9%
  • 4 - It is decent, I can typically find what I want.

    Votes: 11 10.7%
  • 3 - Average at best.

    Votes: 28 27.2%
  • 2 - Pretty bad, I often can't find what I want.

    Votes: 45 43.7%
  • 1 - Horrible, I can never find what I'm looking for.

    Votes: 16 15.5%

  • Total voters
    103

pjk

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
6,686
WCA
2007KELL02
SS Competition Results
How easy is it to find things on the site? Can you find an old post you were looking for, or a topic of interest? Please rate on the poll and feel free comment on it as well. If you can give an example of what you were looking for, what query you searched, and whether you found it or not, that would be helpful. One of the next projects I want to fix is the search quality, and your feedback will greatly help.
 

ianography

Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2010
Messages
832
Location
Shanghai, China
WCA
2009BOUR01
I would say that, considering all of the useless threads and the many times that I've tried to find threads that I know for certain exist, I would say that it's not that great.
 
O

Owen

Guest
Awful. Please bring back the Google based one.

Also, the most searched term is "aerobics cube". Obviously, lolben was having some fun.
 

Erzz

Premium Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
676
Location
Canada
YouTube
Visit Channel
I always have to use "Advanced Search" and change it to "Titles only" if I ever want to find something, otherwise OAQT, Accomplishment Thread, and Goals Thread are usually in the top 5.
 

TeddyKGB

Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
649
Location
Adrian, MI
WCA
2012DELI01
I'm usually capable of finding whatever it is that i'm looking for, it's just not alway the easiest task. I agree with Owen, bring back the google based search. How am I supposed to break WR's when I cant find the thread that teaches you the "secret"?;)
 

Lucas Garron

Administrator
Joined
Jul 6, 2007
Messages
3,718
Location
California
WCA
2006GARR01
YouTube
Visit Channel
I've basically never found anything through the search here, except with advanced search (because you can *actually* filter posts by member). Google results often don't get the right results (often, I can't find a post using *specific terms I know are in it*), but the search here doesn't do any better. And with short cubing words everything is futile.

That said, I would like it if quality searches didn't have to rely on Google.
 

Vinny

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
883
Location
It's a Jersey thing
WCA
2011VECC01
YouTube
Visit Channel
My only problem is that if I am trying to find a specific thread, I can literally type in the thread name, and random threads will show up.

For example, try typing in "Race to sub 2 minutes 5x5." When the results come up, I get The Accomplishment Thread, Prisma Puzzle Timer, The OAQT, and some other unrelated threads, THEN I get the thread that I want.

The problem is I'll have to go multiple pages in just to find the thread because of things like this.


I try to use it, but I'm better off using google search. And why can't non-members use the search?

He has a good point. I don't see why non members shouldn't be able to use the search engine. Sometimes, I'll see if I can use my iPod really quick so I can look up something I might want to know, but I don't feel like waiting for my laptop to start up. I can't seem to log in using my iPod, and it won't let me search.

As many other people also said, I just usually use google.
 
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JTW2007

BattsMan
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
1,591
Location
WCA
2008WARL01
I just used it yesterday for the first time since it changed from the Google search. It was rather difficult. I wasn't able to find what I was looking for (even though I entered the exact thread title) by using the search function, so I ended up just finding a user from the members list who I knew had posted in it and then looking through the list of posts by that user until I found the thread in question.
 

pjk

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
6,686
WCA
2007KELL02
SS Competition Results
After much research, I've determined that for the time being, the best option is to use Google Custom Search, which I have now integrated into the forum. The vB search is horrendous, and some other third party search engines weren't practical. The Google Custom Search seems to return quite accurate results, and has some awesome backend stuff to work with. If the results become bad or need improvements, I can manage that and work with it. If you want to use the internal vB search, it is still available by clicking on the "Advanced Search" link under the search.

The search engine can now be used in the upper right of any page on the navbar. Please try it out and let me know your thoughts by replying here. I may create a poll soon if I don't get enough response here.

I've basically never found anything through the search here, except with advanced search (because you can *actually* filter posts by member). Google results often don't get the right results (often, I can't find a post using *specific terms I know are in it*), but the search here doesn't do any better. And with short cubing words everything is futile.

That said, I would like it if quality searches didn't have to rely on Google.
Why not, specifically? GCS is quite powerful. Which specific terms and what thread were you searching for so I can try to replicate your issue?
 
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