BS: DigiTrad search question

Subject: RE: BS: DigiTrad search question
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:42 AM

as stated above, SEARCH ENGINES are weird animals...

searching for a BOOLEAN combination of
1 or 2 or 3 KNOWN UNIQUE words usually works for me...

Searching for: [@soldier AND Three]

FINDS: WE BE SOLDIERS THREE

as will: [@sold* AND Penny]

{@} is a file grouping [as is @war] [*] is a Wild Card Function

AND & OR are Boolean Expressions

A similar rule applies to the COWPIE lyrics site...
SEARCHING for the UNIQUE word KNAVE
will bring up [The Deck Of Cards]...

AND any other song with [KNAVE] in it...

Subject: RE: BS: DigiTrad search question
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:22 AM

Search engines all seem to have their own little quirks, and it can take a while to work out how best to use them. The "Digitrad Lyrics Search" fails to find We Be Soldiers Three, but the "Digitrad and Forum Search" (which is generally speaking a better option, though the index badly needs updating) finds it perfectly happily. You didn't find Joneses' Ale because that isn't the way it's usually spelled; though if you'd used the D&FS you'd have found one reference in an old discussion which did use that spelling.

Titles of songs do vary quite a lot, and you have to bear in mind that the person who posted a text originally may have mis-spelled it, or given it the wrong name, or used an alternative title that you aren't aware of. It's almost always best to search for a characteristic phrase occurring in the song, which has no possible ambiguities of spelling; but you've discovered that for yourself.

For further tips on using the search engines here to best advantage, see the FAQ at the top of the threads list on the main Forum page; specifically Searching Mudcat for Information.

Subject: RE: BS: DigiTrad search question
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:18 AM

It happens all the time. There are at least 6 ways to search here--the blue box, the alpha list, key word(@piratesetc.), Digitrad and Forum Search(Super Search), Filter(thread title only),and the Forum Search in the Quick Links pull down menu.

Each has their own quirks and parameters for searching. The Alpha list is the worst to use; it's basically a failure. Key word works if you want to wade through lots of stuff. Square brackets [] work in the blue box. Quotes "" will work in the white Super Search box, but that doesn't turn up anything recent that has been posted in the Forum. For that, you need the Quick Links.

Subject: RE: BS: DigiTrad search question
From: greg stephens
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:17 AM

It's tempermental, no rhyme or reason to it. I just checked, for example, and it;s quite happy to find "When Jones's ale was new" at the moment. Persevere, and try variant spellings, I suppose. But I reckon starting a thread with a lyric request is fine. you'll always get the odd snotnose who woke up in a temper replying "look it up yourself, tete-de-dique", but most people round here are happy to have a yarn about a song, and point you in the right direction. That's what Mudcat's for (isnt it?)

Subject: RE: BS: DigiTrad search question
From: Mr Happy
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:10 AM

seems like most of the db is ok, but i've somtimes had probs like those you describe. also there's been previous discussion on this topic, so you're not alone.

the glitch that annoys me most is when you punch in the title, you get a totally different song.

comments, explanations, tips please?

Subject: DigiTrad search problem
From: GUEST,Bman
Date: 15 Sep 02 - 11:00 AM

Just an idle query: twice now I've searched for a lyric on the lyric database using what I believed to be the title and come up with no hits. Then it turns out that the song is actually there. The latest was a song I heard my brother sing once, We Be Soldiers Three. I searched on that phrase and got no responses. So I narrowed the search to just "soldiers"; still no responses. A bit difficult to encompass, as I expect there are a few songs around with the word "soldiers" in them. Finally I tried another phrase, "never a penny of money", and got the song I wanted, with the first phrase I searched for as the title. Huh? The first time this happened, I searched on a title (When Joneses' Ale Was New) and got no responses, (as in zero,) so I put up a lyric request thread. I got the lyrics I wanted, along with some fairly condescending instructions to try the lyric database before starting a lyric request thread. Anyone else had a problem like this?