Question Title / Search Facility

[pandabear]

Saturday Telegraph Weekend General Knowledge Crossword 29/07/06

I see we have the usual collection of headings for this puzzle today -- and already a number of repeated Questions relating to the half-dozen or so harder clues !!

The Search facilty is either not being used or is inept --- which is it?

Then there s the growing habit of asking Questions on this crossword but not stating the name of the crossword (can't make life easy for the Search facility?) ------ Titles already posted, include Barrister, Hero, Withdrawal from Union, American Civil War .....

Are there any regular ABers (especially those who answer the bulk of Questions) interested in setting a format for Titles?

Why do we not help ourselves? .....

Maybe, then, this site would not be cluttered up into the following week with Questions repeated and repeated and repeated .... and answered anew and anew and anew

[kayakamina]

You are so right pandabear and today was a good (bad) example of what has crept in.I find it particularly irritating when the title given is not the name of the publication etc but words from the clues themselves. I'm sorry to say but it seems worse among the ABers who only do the general knowledge type puzzles.

[JoolsTwo]

I do agree with Kayakamina, but I don't know what can be done about it. It says when you submit a question to put them all in one post and do they - No They Don't -So I don't think we will get them putting the puzzle name in do you. It might be worth a try. :-)

[birdwoman]

I agree - It definitely helps when the title of the crossword is in the title of the post. It seems the logical thing to do.

AIso I do find it strange when people post questions that have been recently answered.

[GK Fanatic]

Have you ever seen the BBC2 programme Grumpy Old Men/Women ??? Seriously though you are absolutely right, I always head mine up DT GK on Saturdays and Herculis on Mondays which makes it pretty clear to those who do these two puzzles.

[gen2]

You can't really blame the users for not searching. They probably have. The problem is with the site's search facility. This question entitled
Question Title / Search Facility
was posted at 19:39. At 20:49, over an hour later I did a search for
Question Title
and a further search for
Search Facility.

Neither showed up this question amongst those found.

I think the search database is just not being updated quickly enough to be any use for finding recent posts.


Another problem with using standard question titles is that very soon a search will throw up thousands of hits for each of them and I'm pretty sure they are not sorted properly in date of posting.

[pandabear]

gen2 - I do not set out to blame anyone. I also agree with your comment about speed (or lack of it) of update! The differentiation should be in the date to avoid 'thousands' of hits.

kayakamina -- as I qouted, words from the clue themelves --- Barrister, Hero, Withdrawal from the Union, American Civil War ...

JimJools --- this putting of all questions in one post .... really does not stack up logically? Majority want a little help, so that they can answer one clue and then, get letters for, and try to answer, further clues themselves ....... What I am saying is that such a Notice is never going to be taken seriously ..... personally, I think that the Notice is 'short-sighted' !!

When was this site last UPGRADED? Maybe USER pressure is required?

[shaneystar2]

I agree with gen2 ..the search facility is a nightmare ....It used to be much better in the old format .I don't mind looking through it or scrolling back a few pages if I want to find something ...after all I have all day now to do these things ! Also when you have searched through about half a dozen posts it starts taking you back to pages so you have to scroll through those ..no wonder people give up and just post their Q.
What really annoys me so much more than people who repeat Q's are those who just give a clue number and expect us to be mind readers as to what the actual clue is. As I found to my amazement with a certain poster last week !!
Let's be fair ...there are those who just enjoy giving an answer .
It would have to be repeated ad infinitum for me to get really annoyed.
Plus ...if you read the drivel in a certain other section we have a good life over here !

[gen2]

To further illustrate how useless the search facility is, I did a search for 'Herculis'

The top six hits were as shown below:

Qu. No. . .Date Posted
218442 . . 04/04/06
218092 . . 03/04/06
223875 . . 17/04/06
220984 . . 10/04/06
223789 . . 17/04/06
215646 . . 28/03/06

As you see, the most recent one is 3rd in the list
Until we get a search facility that is up-to-date and can be sorted according to the user's wishes, we will just have to live and let live. After all, repeat questions are only a minor annoyance to most users.

[pandabear]

So, let us see what can be done ----- I have raised the issue through the only forum given to Users, AB Suggestions - for the record here is my Comment -

Repeated Questions and Same Answers:

Please take note of the comments being made by ABers in the Question and Answers to -

Quizzes and Puzzles Question no. 267581 dated 29/07/06 19:39

An Editor's response would be appreciated .... if only to evidence that ABer suggestions are read and considered seriously?

[dot.hawkes]

just keep tellin em to use the prop[er site facilities and maybe they will actually work it out for themselves