Bug in FR search function and suggested temporary fix

[CedarDave]

This is better than just a post that "FR search is not working"

The FR search function has a serious flaw that is not readily apparent to casual users. I will detail it and suggest a fix for users until the management fixes it. In the meantime, you are free to throw cheese and find a moose for me.

When a search for a name in an article is made (examples: Bush, Clinton or sheriff), 20 titles are brought up with the search parameter. If the title sought is not seen the user can "Click to show more articles ... " and another 20 titles appear.

The problem is that the next 20 titles shown do not start with article 21 but with article 51. Try it for yourself with the word "sheriff" and observe the break in dates from January 2008 to September 2007. There are thirty missing articles.

No change in personal preferences will bring up the correct order but there is a way to fool the computer code if you are really, really interested in finding all the posted articles. Use the word "sheriff" in the article title as an example and follow along:

1. Do a quick search and notice the break in dates between January 2008 and September 2007. There are thirty articles that are missed.

2. At the bottom of the second page, "Click to search older articles ... " This will bring you into the archive search and again the most current article appears at the top of the page. For the search word "sheriff", the last article on the page is dated January 2008.

3. At the bottom of the page COPY the link location and post in the browser. Scroll to the end of the link and you will see x=50. Change that to x=20 and click go. The difference between entering x=50 and x=20 brings up the thirty missing articles.

4. For each subsequent page, repeat step 3, but add twenty, i.e. x=40, x=60 etc. and you will get all the missing articles.

[Dog Gone]

Why search? If you find that the article has already been posted, you'll just feel disappointed.

Besides, you can always make it a new post by adding a comic strip to it, just to be safe.

[CedarDave]

Why search? If you find that the article has already been posted, you'll just feel disappointed.

Don't use it for posting articles, but to locate a past one for reference.

[Arrowhead1952]

U R BAD. I almost peed my self and now the water is out at work. Can’t even flush.

[Dog Gone]

Oh, that makes it tougher, especially if you didn't post a comic on the thread. I see your point.

Just to be safe, though, always post a cartoon.

[CedarDave]

3. At the bottom of the page COPY the link location and post in the browser. Scroll to the end of the link and you will see x=50. Change that to x=20 and click go. The difference between entering x=50 and x=20 brings up the thirty missing articles.

4. For each subsequent page, repeat step 3, but add twenty, i.e. x=40, x=60 etc. and you will get all the missing articles.

This remedy is good for both "quick" and "archive" (or "deep") searches.

[Allegra]

You know what I really hate?

Getting a bug in a sock.

It starts squirming around your foot and you can feel its little legs and antennae...until you squish it.

Then it's all gushy....

I really hate it when that happens.

[CedarDave]

Better that than a sand spider!

[AmericaUnited]

I would think this is a very easy fix... both the "Next Batch" link code and the search find code should use the user's profile preference settings (# of articles) if available or default to the same number.

[Allegra]

Whenever I post something after the third or fourth Bourbon, and then go back and review it the next day... it reads like it was written by a twelve-year-old. But it was brilliantly put the night before. Clearly something is wrong there. Anybody else notice this?

That's really weird...I've had the exact same thing happen...except it happens with Belvedere vodka instead of Bourbon.

I always thought maybe there was something wrong with my computer.

[CedarDave]

Maybe, I'm not a programmer. I've known for a long time about missing articles and finally just decided to see if I could figure out how to access them. Changing the number x = n on the address bar for page 2 and subsequent search pages was the way to make it work. Thought others might be interested, too.

[CedarDave]

You gone fishing lately?

U.S. soldiers' new Iraq mission: Goin' fishing in Saddam's private lakes

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Thank yew, thank yew.

[martin_fierro]

I've found this specialized Google search to work pretty well.

[Allegra]

LOL - they've been fishing in those lakes since at least 2004. I remember chatting with soldiers fishing out of the lake at Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory and also in the big lake on Camp Slayer nearby.

They used to talk about some of the weird looking fish they'd catch. I used to tell them to send pictures to outdoors magazines like "Field and Stream." Don't know if any of them ever did.

[CholeraJoe]

It’s lots worse when you get a bug in your swimsuit. It feels really weird when it crawls around.

[Responsibility2nd]

I don’t know about Self-Appointed Posting Police.

But earlier I was selected as the Self Appointed Keyword Police. So please feel free to ping me if inappropriate keywords pop up.

[Dog Gone]

[DouglasKC]

thanks for the info...I’ve never noticed it before but it seems like it would be easily fixable and would certainly cut down on all the multiple postings of the same articles.

[GreenAccord]

I’m going to ask a slightly related question about FR instead of posting my own vanity, which I am loathe to do.

This morning I do not have a MESSAGE VIEW when on the BROWSE page. All I have is a THREAD VIEW, and oh, baby, I AM logged in!

In fact, there is no THREAD VIEW/MESSAGE VIEW option when on the browse page. It used to be directly under the

Home | Forum | Pings | Mail | More ...

band at the top right of the page but is not there this morning.

What gives?

[GreenAccord]

In fact, without a MESSAGE VIEW, how will anyone besides you or someone who happens upon this thread ever know I just posted my question?