Use the Search Function Rant

[VEGASRIDER]

Remember, most of us has lurked on this forum before we actually joined. As a result, as a lurker or non-membered guest of this forum, you are not able to utilize the search function nor are even aware that it exhist.

Now once you become a member, you probably will post something; Hopefully in the New Member Welcome thread to introduce yourself. But again, you maynot realize that the search function is available, even though it's mentioned that it is something that can be used as a member. So eventually somewhere down the line, a member may happen to ask a question that has been beatened to death.

Maybe the use and availability of the Search Function should be highlighted in Large Bold Lettering during the registration process when lurkers sign up to become members.

 

[Tailgate]

I have the same problem in my classroom----there are several dectionaries and students, instead of searching (takes maybe 30 seconds?) for a complete, authoritative definition, will be laaaazy and interrupt me. Are dictionaries illegal or something? Or, is it that sometimes people just want to get attention? Another pet peeve of mine is posting up petty posts (is this one?) such as "I just misplaced my FZ6 key ring, HELP, can you chime in where I might have lost it?...."

 

[FZ1inNH]

..... is on page 19 of a 54 page thread.

I thought this might be helpful for some of you, both the old and new users here....

If you go to your User CP (Control Panel), select "Edit Options" on the left column, then scroll down to the section for "Thread Display Options" then change your "Number of Posts to Show Per Page" to the max of 40 instead of the default of 10, the thread pages significantly shrink in size and you can spend a lot less time clicking the link for the next page of the thread.

Hope this helps and makes a lot of the threads less intimidating!

-Eric

 

[earthdaddy]

I appreciate the tip, though I have been using forums on the Internet long enough to have caught on to that. It still doesn't keep you from having to read 190 posts to get to what you want. And that's if the info you are seeking is actually in the thread you are looking at, and not one of the other 4 threads on the same subject.

People should use search before they ask a question, but if someone can save me sifting through a couple of hundred posts, I'm probably going to ask it anyway. If that pisses some people off, well....they don't have to answer.

I don't ask a lot of stupid repetitive questions, so I doubt the OP was directing his rant at me. I'm just saying, we come here to discuss our motorcycles as well as find the answers to questions that we have. Just because my question has been answered before somewhere in the middle of some 4-year-old thread, it shouldn't be a party foul to ask it again.

I like to read new posts on old subjects. New people have joined since it was last asked, old member's opinions may have changed over time. Again, not many people want to go through the "Which oil should I use?" debate over and over, but they can just skip that thread. It isn't like new topics are scrolling at such a fast rate that you can't keep up around here.

 

[nextfriday]

i figure its a posters loss if he/she doesnt take advantage of the search function. Much more information to be found as most "general topics", ie exhausts, tires, fe's, and so forth have already been beat to death. Better than the regulars having to repeat themselves all the time. Their loss for being lazy.

 

[FZ1inNH]

I'd rather see an old post dug up with a question at the end of it than a new thread started.

I've never slapped anyone for asking and I sure try to be as helpful as possible, and often just search on my own and provide links to the answers for the member. All the while, still using some encouragement to use the search.

Keep in mind that A) Some folks just don't know the "keywords" to get what they want and B) A lot of members don't use the peoper or ordinary terminology to describe things in their posts.

That being said, since I've been here long enough, I know a lot about how people phase some things thus I'm more in tune with searching based on that. New members are not going to have the same luck.

Don't forget, not only can you search the forum, you can search individual threads too. This greatly enhances your searching abilities. :thumbup:

 

[grommit]

Be nice to have an FAQ (what oil , what sliders, what tail tidy, that kind of thing) on the FZ6 with the links to the various threads. I raised it before but did not get much interest.

 

[Se7enLC]

We all hate seeing the same 5 questions over and over again... but "use the search" is not really helpful. Here's why.

#1, the often-asked question threads are often merged together. The infamous "Oil Thread" is actually hidden away in some local riding group subforum under a completely different original question. Anybody searching for it is probably not going to know it if they find it.

#2, you can't search for something like "oil". It's too short a word and too generic.

#3, sometimes the information changes, and if there's only one ancient thread on it and everyone is too afraid to start a new one, the information never gets out there.

My suggestion to the mods - add a "Frequently Asked Questions" forum. Make it a forum where only mods can post and make the posts answer the age-old questions as sticky threads. They can go back in and modify them as needed to keep them informative and up-to-date. This will provide a meaningful search result, for one, but also give people something else they can say when somebody asks a taboo question - they can say "check the FAQs" and post a link to them.

I bet at least a few people would be willing to spend some time writing up an FAQ entry on one of those "taboo" topics.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

We just need to delete every single thread on this forum and start over.

 

[mstewar1]

jt, you've done it now...

This has been a great discussion. As a software designer working on a project/product where these kinds of issues are common, it's helpful for me to see how folks deal with keeping the tone or vibe of the community open and supportive while not driving the more established members up a wall. And also about how search is used and if what it returns is what I'm after.

I like the suggestion of an overall/general faq section -- the notion of having a place where the more common questions. Might be a bit of work to fashion and iron out but it's an interesting idea.

The only other thing that I can add to the discussion is this: if we're telling folks to use the search function, we need to be good citizens and ensure that when we create a thread, that the title of the thread explicitly mentions the intended topic. It's the old adage: garbage in, garbage out. If I start a thread about something, anything, and my topic is, "what do you think?" with no mention of the thing I wish to discuss (oil, pants, tires, wind screens, whatever), then how are other members supposed to search for my discussion of that thing? A topic of, "what do you think of amsoil?" is much more useful and will be much more easy to find, should I need to use the search to find it.

So, if I may, please think about what you're about to ask the other forum members; think about folks wanting to find your thread at some future date when you're in the act of creating it.

Other than that, I think that there is a usability issue with the search function, in that it does get lost in the profusion of links/tabs/functions. There's a sameness to the interface that forces me to have to, um, search for the search when I need it. And I think that it's in the wrong place, too. But I suppose if I'm going to suggest there might/should be a modification to the UI then I'd better start working on pictures...yeah, I can hear you all now (this thread is worthless without pictures).

Now let's get that new oil thread started.

 

[macem29]

another new guy here, but I'm gonna give my $.02 anyway....
the search feature is undeniably useful, but relying on it heavily
will cause stagnation, as a forum, do we want this to be nothing
more than a bunch of people logging in to read old threads?
sounds pretty boring to me...I've had the "learn how to search"
bomb thrown at me already, and it is easy to take it the wrong
way on the internet seeing as there is no chance for vocal inflection
or facial expression, after being to told to search, I did so, and found
one thread that contained the terms I was discussing: it was my thread,
if the author of the search bomb had offered a single piece of useful
information along with the scolding it would have been more constructive,
in all honesty I find threads like this more irritating than ones with stupid
questions, and wonder of the motive of the OP, thanks fishing?

I'm sure to get flamed for that, but I likes to speak my mind

 

[FZ1inNH]

macem29, you shouldn't get flamed for speaking your mind here (and being totally civil about it) so if you do, I'll ban 'em.

It is great to hear some of the new members express their initial thoughts and it will help us mods keep this THEE place to visit regarding anything FZ6 (and more). I just *hope* it wasn't a moderator that dropped the search bomb. All the mods here know better, that we didn't start the forum that way, we're not headed that way AND, it's that same attitude that killed the OTHER FZ6 forum... A lot of you remember that place, right? The FZ6-Forum did not become what it is today because of ignorant posting and a lack of helpful moderation.

Thanks to those of you who are speaking up. It is VERY helpful!

 

[ELIZABETH]

I think J.T. is just PMS'ing!!!

 

[jtarkany]

My goodness, glad to see that this has started a spirited dialogue.

I read through all of the posts, pros and cons, and saw alot of good suggestions. If Admin is able to incorporate some of these suggestions into the search function it would just make an already great site that much better. Thank you to everyone for weighing in.

Just to clarify, I don't have any issue with people asking questions, or questions that have been asked and answered already if they did their due diligence and attempted a search.

Just ignoring a thread with a question is easier said than done, I have learned alot of great things from this site using the search function, PM'ing other members and asking redundant questions myself that have already been asked and answered (I usually attempted a search and a PM first though). Therefore, when I see a thread with a question I want to try and give back, if I have enough knowledge to answer.

I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me. And maybe I am PMS'ing .

 

[Hellgate]

"I just misplaced my FZ6 key ring, HELP, can you chime in where I might have lost it?...."

I misplaced my cell phone this morning...

 

[ELIZABETH]

I misplaced my cell phone this morning...

You left it on my nightstand. :Flash:

 

[wrightme43]

I ok with newbies posting I understand its difficult to navigate a huge site like this if you are not fam with being a member of the forum,

But I also agree with not having 100 of duplicate posts... it a double sided coin..

I am not sure what the solution is.. of that there is one..........

I think the mods and I will start to merge duplicate posts / topics......

The solution is asking for a list of topics that should be in the FAQ.
Then asking some of the mods to write a topic page in the FAQ.
We need to build up our FAQ, ask new members to please read the FAQ then if they still have a question to ask.

The fact is that some people actually think other people should just stop what they are doing to answer thier questions. Instead of putting forth effort to learn themselves.

I like to help people, and I believe a well made FAQ would help the most people with the least amount of effort.

Steve

 

[C-bus Biker]

The fact is that there is a finite number of technical parts on an FZ6. Over the past several years, it is likely that every single aspect/part of the bike has been covered at least once and can be found via the Search feature. Case-in-point... at 1:00 this afternoon, there were three tire questions, a helmet question, slip-on question, fuel switch question, headlight question, tail-light question, aftermarket seat question, a washing question, a grip-heater question, an alarm question, baffles, filters, and another exhaust question.... Nearly all had related searches that would have come up. But had we simply used the Search feature, we would have been left with cop-bashing, great pics of various courses and rides, questions of the day, surgeries, Casey Stoner, refresher courses and this post that we're on right now. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all of these threads and live vicariously through your adventures. But if we are so heavy-handed about previously-discussed threads, we have become Facebook for FZ owners. I started an oil thread a few weeks ago. It started going south quickly and was appropriately shut down before I retreated naked to the corner in the fetal position. I'm pretty proud of the fact that as a Newbie to this site, I actually typed the word "oil" in the search and found nothing. Who woulda thunk 3-letter words don't work?

Bottom line... I enjoy this forum. It is extremely well-moderated. Please don't discourage new members from speaking up, asking appropriate questions, and joining in on the banter. Hell, I've spent more time following this particular thread than any other. Keep it up! We all started with 0 rep points.

 

[Admin]

I am ok with reposts of questions new members keep the site active as old members leave or become inactive... We have lots of room on the server.. So... Admin is ok with it... Mods feel free to combine threads and posts..........



Any one want to volinteer to make a FAQ....


Thanks everone!!

 

[FZ1inNH]

Or, a sticky at the head of each forum with links to the really helpful threads?