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Trouble finding old threads

GUEST,Sheila 30 Mar 10 - 02:34 PM
Mick Pearce (MCP) 30 Mar 10 - 03:09 PM
GUEST,Sheila 30 Mar 10 - 04:24 PM
Artful Codger 30 Mar 10 - 06:01 PM
Joe Offer 31 Mar 10 - 01:26 AM
The Fooles Troupe 31 Mar 10 - 03:19 AM
Nigel Parsons 31 Mar 10 - 03:51 AM
GUEST,Sheila 31 Mar 10 - 10:17 AM
Joe Offer 31 Mar 10 - 01:16 PM
michaelr 31 Mar 10 - 03:23 PM
Joe Offer 31 Mar 10 - 03:31 PM
GUEST,Sheila 31 Mar 10 - 04:32 PM
McGrath of Harlow 31 Mar 10 - 04:58 PM
Jack Campin 31 Mar 10 - 07:43 PM
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Subject: Trouble finding old threads
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 02:34 PM

I have been trying to find threads using various key words, but keep getting "No Results in the Forum". Any suggestions? Thanks. It's very frustrating.

Sheila

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 03:09 PM

Sheila - it's a known problem with the search at the moment - it only returns results from the DT not the Forum.

You have several alternatives:

1) If you know something of the title of the thread, put that in the Filter box and set the Age drop-down to All (or something shorter if you have some idea of the time frame), and press Refresh. This will show you the threads with your search info in the title. (This is the quickest way usually, especially if you're searching for song titles)

2) Use the Google search box (at the bottom of the search area).


3) You can also see of the old Advanced Search (in the Quick Links drop down) has anything to help you. (I don't use this one much).


Mick

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 04:24 PM

Thanks, Mick. A big help.

Sheila

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Artful Codger
Date: 30 Mar 10 - 06:01 PM

I search using Google directly, adding site:mudcat.org to the search string like another word. The downside is that sometimes the search results link to individual messages rather than to threads, and these messages may lack links to get to the remainder of the thread (newer message pages are better about cross-linking). However, thread links tend to come up first; if they don't you can also try another search quoting the thread title from a message.

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 01:26 AM

Hi, Sheila-

The regular search still works for the Digital Tradition, but not for the Forum. You'll see there's a Google box in the blue search box, and that's set for searching Mudcat. Also, there are a number of search tips in the FAQ.

And if that doesn't work, post a message and ask.

-Joe-

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 03:19 AM

Old Threads? :-)

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 03:51 AM

I have no trouble finding old threads,

I just open my wardrobe!

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 10:17 AM

Thanks all. Some great advice! Wishing you, everyone, Happy Holidays!

Sheila
(P.S.: Joe, I'm a bit reluctant to post a question that might result in a "Haven't you......" type of response. I've been "gargoyled". By the way, is he/she still around?)

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 01:16 PM

Well, you can always ask me directly - joe@mudcat.org

Gargoyle is still around....

-Joe-

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: michaelr
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 03:23 PM

"it's a known problem with the search at the moment"

It's been a hell of a long "moment". When will the Forum Search finally be fixed???

Frustrated,
Michael

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 03:31 PM

It's been fixed many times, Michael - but it keeps going haywire. It's a problem with corruption of the search index, and we haven't found a solution. Perhaps we should just eliminate it, but it does work quite well when it's working.

There are many other search utilities at Mudcat that work very well, and they're all explained in the FAQ - but I'll also post them here.

-Joe Offer-

Searching Mudcat for Information

It's easy to search for songs in the Digital Tradition Folk Song Database - just put some words from the song in the search box you'll find on most Mudcat pages, and click the "go" button. There's an advanced box that will help you narrow your search and pinpoint exactly what you're looking for. Also, click here for more song search help. You'll note that there is a dropdown menu of letters at the bottom of the search box - those letters link to a "titles list" of the songs in the Digital Tradition. Titles can be misleading, so you'll probably have better results if you use the search box to search for a distinctive phrase from the song. Here's that search box:

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Notice the search box toward the bottom of the box above - that's Google Custom Search, set to use Google to search the contents of Mudcat. Try it - you'll find it works quite well, especially if you search for a phrase in quotes.

Forum Search (searching by Message Title or User Name)
If the song or information you want does not come up with our usual search engine, you may want to try searching our discussion Forum with our "Filter" (for searching by thread title) or "Forum Search" (for searching by message title or user name.

The Filter

(searching by thread title)
Toward the top of the Mudcat Forum main menu (click here), you'll see a "filter" box - put an appropriate word in the box and set the age to whatever is appropriate to cover the period you want to search. Click the grey "reset" button, and all threads with that word in the title should appear (a "thread" is a series of forum messages, posted on a specific topic). Here's a filter box you can try:
Filter Age

Filter Out Help

Note: The forum menu is set to display all threads for which messages have been posted in the last 24 hours. If your thread has disappeared, please don't start a new one. Just use the "filter" or "search the forum" links on the main forum menu, and pull your thread up and post a new message in that thread - that will bring your thread up for another 24 hours. Your new message can be just the word "refresh" if you have nothing else to add.
If you're viewing Mudcat from work or a library or another location that has a "profanity filter" on its computers, you may not be able to view our Forum Menu if we happen to have a so-called "naughty word" in a thread title. We've tried to tag these titles "pg13." If your profanity filter blocks your access, try putting pg13 in the Filter box and check the "filter out" box.

Outdated search tools

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, we had a blue search box to search the Digital Tradition. It had lots of shortcomings, but it may work when our regular search engine is down. It also had a "titles" list that worked horribly. Here is our Old Blue Search Box:

DigiTrad Lyrics Search Help

All Titles - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L
M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

SuperSearch was the prototype of our current method of searching both our Forum and the Digital Tradition, SuperSearch. Here's a copy of that prototype, in case you find it useful. Just enter a phrase and click the "go" button.
Note: the index for the SuperSearch is not always up-to-date, so recent messages may not appear in your search results.
Digitrad and Forum Search

Use Google to search Mudcat

If you use this Google search link and just add what you're looking for, you'll be able to search Mudcat. A search for twa corbies would look like this: (click).

Try this experimental Google Mudcat Search:

Note:

Our main search engine depends on an index which is supposed to be updated regularly. We had a crash in the summer of 2005 which corrupted our database of messages, and we were not able to update the search index from then until December, 2008. Therefore, the Search function turned up only messages posted before 2005. Max did a one-time update of the Index in December, 2008, and later automated the indexing updates. However, performance of the Mudcat Search Engine has been spotty. If it doesn't work, try the Google search box above.

The Filter is our best tool for finding things by thread name.
You can use the Old Advanced Forum Search in our QuickLinks dropdown menu to find posts by message title or by the name of the poster.

Quick Links
Be sure to explore the Quick Links dropdown menu you'll find below, and on most Mudcat pages. Just click on the down arrow, and the menu will appear. On that menu, you'll find a link that will allow you to Search the Forum (or you can click here). Just select that link and hit the "go" button, and follow the search instructions.

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 04:32 PM

Oh dear, did I open up the hornet's nest? So very sorry. Thanks, Joe, for everything. Usually, everything is fine and OK.

Sheila

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 04:58 PM

The simplest thing can be to start a thread asking advice on finding the old thread. Someone is almost bound to know where it is. Helpful bunch Mudcatters, give or take the odd grouch.

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Subject: RE: Trouble finding old threads
From: Jack Campin
Date: 31 Mar 10 - 07:43 PM

Google isn't indexing Mudcat anywhere near as well as it used to. I can type in search terms for a thread I know has been active in the last few months, and Google reports nothing. Why not?

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