Bitcoin Forum

The search function on Bitcointalk is broken, to say the least. You can search the EXACT TITLE of a thread and if it comes up at all, it's way down the list.

It's a simple matter to put google custom search on here. I would highly recommend it. Even though there have been promises of upgraded software for the forum, the evidence that it will ever happen is slim. Custom search costs nothing and would take the forum admins maybe a few minutes to implement.

As it stands, if I want to find something on the forum, I'm better off searching from Google than trying to use the internal search engine. Then people tell me to use the search function. I do. It don't work.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=search same as  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=search;advanced;search=

Weird. Then why do I get such different results when searching at google.com vs. using the search function? Is there some sort of filter WITHIN the site that makes it turn up irrelevant results while ignoring exact text? Or is bitcointalk or SMF simply possessed?

edit: Thanks for the links. I admit when I'm wrong, but something is still wonky here.

If you're using the search bar that's on every page, keep in mind that it only searches within your current context. For example, in a thread, it will only search that thread. On a board, it will only search that board, etc.

I figured that out the first day :)

No, it's that it seems to draw on totally irrelevant data while ignoring exact text. Yet I can run the exact same search in google (from their site) and it will bring up the relevant text as the first result. I actually do this instead of using the internal search more often than not due to frustration. With custom search, it SHOULD do this faster and better than from the main google.com page.

As an example, I just typed in "my little bitcoin" (sans the quote marks) in both google and bitcointalk. This is a thread I started, and that is it's exact title. On google.com it's the first result. Here it's not even on the first four pages. (after which it times out with "you're searching too fast". )

The forum understands this as my OR little OR bitcoin. Surround it when quotes and you'll get the desired thread as the first result.