Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)

Subject: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Mar 22 - 11:41 AM

Google is great at introducing things then a while later changing or removing them. Google Image search is perfect for those of us who work with web content that we need to find larger copies of, or looking for the original source, etc. But Google took away the search Google images line from the right click drop down window, replacing it with a half-assed "Google Lens" feature.

For a while you could open a blank window and enter "chrome://flags" (no quotes) and scroll to "Search your screen with Google Lens" and disable it. But now those of us who disabled it are again seeing Google Lens, and it is still disabled on that flags page. SO - other remedies:

1. Scroll to the bottom of the Google Lens results and there is a line that asks if you couldn't find what you wanted, then try Google Images - and it will take you to the search you wanted in the first place.

2. If you open Google in a blank tab there is a link to images in the upper right corner of the page. It's a little hinky to use though.

3. There is now a Chrome extension that will add a line to that drop down menu so now you can choose the Lens or the Image searches. Here is a video with the information. This is the Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.

The Mudcat search isn't working at all now, so the workaround for that is to open an advanced search page (I use Google - your mileage will vary depending on what browser you use for advanced searches).

Google Advanced Search lets you enter the search term, then a few lines below on "site or domain" enter http://mudcat.org (because if you put just Mudcat.org it may try to add the WWW that isn't a part of the Mudcat address). You'll get some results; not as many (and not as obscure) as what the Mudcat search gives, but it's something.

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome SEARCH fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 07:54 AM

thanks, stilly

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome SEARCH fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Mar 22 - 01:02 PM

When Mudcat was down, I tried to recover some Mudcat information from the cache on the Google search results page. But I couldn't find the cache. Where'd it go?

Subject: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: bobm
Date: 24 Sep 22 - 01:36 PM

Anyone else having this problem?

If I perform a 'Lyrics & Knowledge Search' then DT and Child both work fine but from the Forum I get "The web site you are accessing has experienced an unexpected error.
Please contact the website administrator." (And a long screed of diagnostics.)

Since it didn't happen before recent downtime problems I thought it must be a hangover from whatever was causing those. But it is still doing it now, a week or two later - and every single time I try a search.

I've cleaned out my browser and been through the 'reset cookies' process.

Any ideas? Anyone else?

Bob

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Sep 22 - 07:52 PM

for me, the best way to search mudcat is a google site search - child ballad site:mudcat.org - then I can choose the pages I want to investigate.

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 22 - 08:25 PM

Search in using the box in the upper left has been wonky for a while.

Discussion Forum Advanced Search (Old Adv. Forum Search) is a line on the drop down menu at the top (you have to scroll down to see it) and there are some other fixes that we've talked about and I'll either find or someone else will pop in and offer the links.

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 22 - 08:28 PM

At the very bottom of some pages there is also a Search Links hot link - I'm not sure what it does, but there it is.

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: bobm
Date: 25 Sep 22 - 12:01 PM

Thanks, Stilly River Sage. I've never used that 'Quick Links' dropdown menu before but you're right. In fact it's called 'Old Adv. Forum Search' - and it works fine.

So I think something has changed recently - though how recently I've no idea.

Thanks again, Bob

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Sep 22 - 09:05 PM

Hi, Bob - we've never had much luck with that "Lyrics & Knowledge Search" in the grey box. It has a number of quirkinesses. I don't know how many search engines we have at Mudcat - maybe ten. Different searches work best for different things.

In the very first message of the Mudcat FAQ - Newcomer's Guide I've tried to provide instructions for all our different search engines.

And as some have suggested, Google can be the best Mudcat search engine of all. Today, I wanted to find the song I know as "I Wish I Had Someone to Love Me," but I knew it has several titles. So I searched for a couple of phrases from the song that would be common to every version. I came up with this search and typed it into the Google search box: "someone to call me" "tonight in the moonlight" mudcat.org

And if you still can't find something, ask me or another moderator.

Joe Offer, Mudcat Music Editor
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: DaveRo
Date: 26 Sep 22 - 03:22 AM

"someone to call me" "tonight in the moonlight" site:mudcat.org
would be better.

A (rather old) list of Google's Advanced Operators, such as site: is HERE

AROUND() might be useful when searching for vaguely-remembered lyrics. e.g.
tonight AROUND(5) moonlight site:mudcat.org

Subject: RE: Tech: Forum searches failing
From: bobm
Date: 26 Sep 22 - 05:16 AM

Thanks, Joe - and DaveRo, and Sandra in Sydney. I realise you are omniscient, Joe, but didn't want to bother you. And I should have looked around earlier but the 'grey box' worked fine for me in the past. Anyhow, looks like I'm on the road again.

Thanks, all, once more

Bob

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome SEARCH fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Jan 23 - 11:25 AM

Joe, re the Google cache, it may have gone too long and expired or was written over.

Note: two threads were combined here to bring this information to one place easier to find.

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 23 - 12:30 PM

For a while now I've run up against Chrome wanting to save photos as WebP files, which are worthless for using in any of my applications. But there's an app for that - a Chrome Extension that lets you choose the type of file you want to save (right click over an image and you usually see the "save photo as" choice in the drop down menu).

How to get around Chrome's new save-as-WebP image format issue
The Chrome browser now defaults to saving image files in the WebP format. Here's how you can convert images back to JPG or PNG without having to use an image editor.

Over the last year, Google has shifted the Chrome browser such that anytime you save an image file, it wants to default to the WebP format.

This was done because the WebP format makes the image files roughly 25% smaller. That reduction isn't the actual image size, but the size of the file that is saved.

That's great for websites that need to save on server space but not so great for users who want to reuse an image for, say, computer wallpaper or to share with friends and family.

That WebP format isn't exactly a standard that can be viewed by just any application.

So, what do you do? Are you going to have to install an image editor to cover the file from WebP to a useable format?

The instructions are on the page linked to. Be sure your Chrome browser version is up-to-date.

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: DaveRo
Date: 02 Feb 23 - 12:59 PM

That Chrome Extension was last updated 8 years ago and is of a type known as 'Manifest Version 2'. Unless the author updates it, it will stop working soon.

(I'm surprised you can install it - it seems Google have postponed their deadline. Technical ref.)

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 02 Feb 23 - 03:48 PM

Still something I am in need of. Good catch on the age of that one - I was reading the article about it and didn't toggle every tab in the extension page. There are reviews that discuss the problem of the use of information gathered.

WebP / Avif image converter appears to do much the same thing - and also catches the occasional Avif file. This one, if you click to look at the extension pages, allows you to set a download file (default is Downloads). It does claim not to use gathered information.

Only a year since the last update.

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: DaveRo
Date: 02 Feb 23 - 04:08 PM

I can't tell if that's MV2 or MV3. Chrome might say if you display info about it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: DaveRo
Date: 03 Feb 23 - 10:42 AM

This works in Chromium - I don't have chrome.

Into the URL bar enter chrome://extensions-internals
ctrl-f to search and enter manifest_version

I see a couple of extensions, among other stuff:

"location": "INTERNAL",
   "manifest_version": 2,
   "name": "uBlock Origin",

"location": "INTERNAL",
   "manifest_version": 3,
   "name": "Mudcat Browser Tools"

Most extensions are probably still MV2 and will need updating when (if?) Google start blocking them.

Content (advert) blockers, like uBlock origin, may not be able to comply with MV3 - that's why Google introduced it!

An image-saver should have no trouble, so I expect it will be updated if it's still being maintained.

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: DaveRo
Date: 24 Jun 23 - 03:00 AM

The Chrome Extension referred to in SRS's post of 02 Feb 23 - 12:30 PM has now been updated to MV3 so should continue to work

Save image as Type

The other one has been updated too:
WebP / Avif image converter

Subject: RE: Tech: Google Chrome search fixes (img & Mudcat)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Jun 23 - 05:46 PM

That extension never worked for me, once I tried it. I should go back and remove it if its still there. Thanks for the heads-up.

If I can click to open an image in a new tab and it's larger I save it (if I'm using it for the site I manage) and if I can't increase the size I at least get a non-lossy version (PNG or TIF). I use the old Microsoft Snipping Tool (it keeps telling me it has an updated version but I hadn't switched) and I catch a copy and save as PNG.

This week Malwarebytes sweetened the pot to subscribe to M Privacy (and I've been meaning to) and they offered six different programs, either a one year trail free or the free program and you can update later if you want. Snagit was one of those, so I got my Malwarebytes Privacy for half price and have Snagit installed. It's working well and that I also have to save as PNG files. I still prefer larger versions if I can get them, so it isn't my first attempt, but it's a very good backup.