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repetitive threads...


JeepcoMJ
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I'm getting a little annoyed with the fact that no one uses the search button.

 

 

it seems that 4 times or more a week we get a thread repeat about something.

 

i.e. + seat install

 

comanche to bucket swap

 

track bar

 

etc.

 

 

I don't have a problem with threads diagnosing an issue, because every vehicle has different symptoms....but geez all the lame little stuff is starting to add up and just waste space. i know it's bound to happen as the site grows...but this is worse than naxja for reposts.

 

 

anyone else feel that way?

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I'm totally with you. For example, in build threads people ask questions that are answered in the same thread. And it gets ridiculous in the Tech section.

 

 

But anyway Jeepco, could you tell me how to swap buckets into my Comanche since you know how? Also I'm having death wobble, can you help me with that too?

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I don't have a problem with threads diagnosing an issue, because every vehicle has different symptoms....but geez all the lame little stuff is starting to add up and just waste space. i know it's bound to happen as the site grows...but this is worse than naxja for reposts.

 

 

anyone else feel that way?

Yep.

 

It's a function of today's "instant gratification" society, unfortunately. It's another aspect of the same personality type that posts an obscure question at 3:47 a.m., and if they don't have 15 on-the-money responses by 7:00 a.m. they're posting stuff like, "Well, doesn't anybody here know ANYTHING?" How many times have we seen posts from newbies that start off with something like, "I know I could just use the search, but I'm in a hurry so I figured I'd just ask." Right -- so because you're in a hurry, *I* should use the search to find the link you're too lazy to look for yourself.

 

Not.

 

Some days it's a real struggle to remain civil.

 

Some days I lose the struggle.

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I don't have a problem with threads diagnosing an issue, because every vehicle has different symptoms....but geez all the lame little stuff is starting to add up and just waste space. i know it's bound to happen as the site grows...but this is worse than naxja for reposts.

 

 

anyone else feel that way?

Yep.

 

It's a function of today's "instant gratification" society, unfortunately. It's another aspect of the same personality type that posts an obscure question at 3:47 a.m., and if they don't have 15 on-the-money responses by 7:00 a.m. they're posting stuff like, "Well, doesn't anybody here know ANYTHING?" How many times have we seen posts from newbies that start off with something like, "I know I could just use the search, but I'm in a hurry so I figured I'd just ask." Right -- so because you're in a hurry, *I* should use the search to find the link you're too lazy to look for yourself.

 

Not.

 

Some days it's a real struggle to remain civil.

 

Some days I lose the struggle.

 

I say it's the crappy search engine on this FREE board software that we've offered to pay the $$$ to upgrade to a "real" Forum, but Pete doesn't care to do so... :smart:

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I agree that the search function isn't that great, but if you spend a few minutes with it you can find something related to what you're looking for.

 

One solution would be for someone to figure out which questions are being asked most often, find the links to the threads that best answer the question, and then throw all those links into one post, say, perhaps, a stickie, and guide new and inexperienced users to check out those before posting redundant threads.

 

I know I've seen both Pete and Eagle mention something about cluttering up the top of the boards with stickies, but perhaps changing the hood release cable breakage one into a common problem solution thread is an option?

 

Just an :idea:

 

And I volunteer my good buddy, this thread's OP, for such an endeavor. :cheers:

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I agree that the search function isn't that great, but if you spend a few minutes with it you can find something related to what you're looking for.

 

One solution would be for someone to figure out which questions are being asked most often, find the links to the threads that best answer the question, and then throw all those links into one post, say, perhaps, a stickie, and guide new and inexperienced users to check out those before posting redundant threads.

 

I know I've seen both Pete and Eagle mention something about cluttering up the top of the boards with stickies, but perhaps changing the hood release cable breakage one into a common problem solution thread is an option?

 

Just an :idea:

 

x2. on another forum I'm on they did this for lift/tire questions.

 

and the search does work better than it did before. i can usually find something pretty quickly.

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yep I agree. But I always post a link to those nebie that may not know and suggest the search button but then when they don't even seem to try I say forget it and ignore it if not till him to try search.

 

 

well maybe I'm just a fool, but I'm not gonna waste my time searching unless I know for fact that I've seen the thread before. it's really not worth my time.

 

 

and goblazers, screw you, and your seat image_209027.gif :rotfl2: :banana:

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I do agree that the repeat questions are annoying, but I do not agree that the search is a problem. I find things using it regularly and don't have any major issues with it...just have to use some creative thinking/wording sometimes ;) .

 

I have seen a few posts that someone says "I tried the search, but couldn't find it"...when I go and use the same search and find it in just a few minutes :dunno: .

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I saw on a Liberty website where they had compiled a list of links to common issues into a single post.

http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/vie ... hp?t=24961

 

Also, if anyone would like to do a writeup on "tips for better searches", I'd be happy to give that a sticky somewhere. :thumbsup:

 

Also, searching would be a whole lot easier if everyone would put pertinent words in the title and not "help me" or "found something odd today...". :shake:

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I saw on a Liberty website where they had compiled a list of links to common issues into a single post.

http://www.lostkjs.com/forum/phpBB2/vie ... hp?t=24961

 

Also, if anyone would like to do a writeup on "tips for better searches", I'd be happy to give that a sticky somewhere. :thumbsup:

 

Also, searching would be a whole lot easier if everyone would put pertinent words in the title and not "help me" or "found something odd today...". :shake:

 

 

You guys know we do have one of those threads right?? Well kinda.. but someone really needs to go though it and organize it. http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7910

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What if we made another board page, something like "common issues" and just sticky all of the post that we find come up often there. Out of sight for the rest of us, but it could be a useful area for someone who needs to know something.

 

I also understand that it is a pain to repeat ourselves all the time but we kind of are all here to help the greater good. Someone needs help and we help them. We don't need to create a stigma about how we are a bunch of pricks who will jump on you becasue you didnt see an old thread, or are new and just want to ask a question for the first time.

 

We have all been new once.

Rob L.

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Ok, Case in point... I'm searching for the thread, where I posted a Link to the Dana Axle Tube Stamp Identification Data base to try to determine what year a certain Axle came from...

 

I searched for 'Axle Identification', 'Axle stamp', 'Identification', 'tube stamp', 'Dana', and about 10 other combination, and I can't even find a thread that I posted in... I'm sure those terms should be in the body of that thread somewhere, and the search came up with zippo...

 

I know for a fact that the Search engine on PHPbb is much inferior to that of VBulletin (MUCH MUCH in my experience in using and admin'ing both types of boards)... I know I sound like a broken record, but there is a difference and the "searcher" can't be 100% to fault...

 

BTW, if someone finds that thread, I still need to find it...

 

Wade

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"I know I could just use the search, but I'm in a hurry so I figured I'd just ask." Right -- so because you're in a hurry, *I* should use the search to find the link you're too lazy to look for yourself.

 

 

I'm guilty of this one. But normally it's on something really simple, and I know if I type it in the search I'm going to get 4800 threads about somewhat related things and probably the answer I seek - but I'd have to read through it all.

 

Some people have better information retention than others, so if you just throw it out there you can get an answer pretty fast. I work with a guy who can tell me EVERY part number or nut/bolt/washer/seal/etc you need to complete a specific task on a helicopter off the top of his head. Not that I take him as gospel, but it's interesting that somebody can do that and that he is very rarely wrong.

 

 

Oh yeah, we do need a basic FAQ/Index of common resources. Nobody will read it. But then it's there.

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Ok, Case in point... I'm searching for the thread, where I posted a Link to the Dana Axle Tube Stamp Identification Data base to try to determine what year a certain Axle came from...

 

I searched for 'Axle Identification', 'Axle stamp', 'Identification', 'tube stamp', 'Dana', and about 10 other combination, and I can't even find a thread that I posted in... I'm sure those terms should be in the body of that thread somewhere, and the search came up with zippo...

 

I know for a fact that the Search engine on PHPbb is much inferior to that of VBulletin (MUCH MUCH in my experience in using and admin'ing both types of boards)... I know I sound like a broken record, but there is a difference and the "searcher" can't be 100% to fault...

 

BTW, if someone finds that thread, I still need to find it...

 

Wade

 

This thread?

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15387

That came up as the second result in my very first search? ("tube dana axle" in Tech)

:popcorn:

 

I guess I just don't understand how the vB can be better. The search engine looks for posts with those words. How does one work better than the other? :hmm:

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I guess I just don't understand how the vB can be better. The search engine looks for posts with those words. How does one work better than the other? :hmm:

 

 

When I was in highschool, they made me take a computer class. I almost wound up being expelled over that ordeal, but that's a different story. Anyways, for the sake of a demonstration they picked a fairly generic search field (something like 'snowboarding') and made us search for it in all the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc) to see what the results were. Every engine is searching the same data - yet they all produced different results. Yahoo would typically produce about eleventybillion more results than google - but google typically produced results that actually MET your criteria as it understood keywords and offers some form of spam filtering.

 

So yeah, a search engine can seem entirely the same but produce very different results.

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BTW, if someone finds that thread, I still need to find it...

This one?

http://www2.dana.com/expert/wc.dll?hvtss~deabill~5~

 

btw, wasn't trying to be a jerk or anything. Been trying to figure out the gearing in my axles and it sounded like the link could help.

I think this is the thread that you are looking for. I searched "axle bom" and it was the second or third result on the list ;) . viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15387&p=155342&hilit=axle+bom#p155342

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I guess I just don't understand how the vB can be better. The search engine looks for posts with those words. How does one work better than the other? :hmm:

 

 

When I was in highschool, they made me take a computer class. I almost wound up being expelled over that ordeal, but that's a different story. Anyways, for the sake of a demonstration they picked a fairly generic search field (something like 'snowboarding') and made us search for it in all the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc) to see what the results were. Every engine is searching the same data - yet they all produced different results. Yahoo would typically produce about eleventybillion more results than google - but google typically produced results that actually MET your criteria as it understood keywords and offers some form of spam filtering.

 

So yeah, a search engine can seem entirely the same but produce very different results.

 

 

Those ones search data that might as well be infinite. They need a more complicated engine than our little ol' site and that complication will lead different engines down different paths. Plus never underestimate the power of the almighty dollar. Some of the matches that show up on the first page are there for a reason (and usually are worthless). :fs1:

Our engine seems to be relatively simple and straightforward. It find all the posts that match your criteria, then displays them in reverse-chronological order. Searching can be more art than science sometimes. It takes practice to be efficient. And that's one of the reasons why I tend to encourage new members to just ask their questions.

 

A tip for everyone: check the box to display "topics" rather than individual posts. You'll get fewer repeat results. :thumbsup:

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A tip for everyone: check the box to display "topics" rather than individual posts. You'll get fewer repeat results. :thumbsup:

 

 

Actually, I hate how it defaults to posts. I imagine I might be able to change that. But generally I throw something in there and it gives me a bunch of random posts and I start reading and go 'jeeze this thread has poor continuity'. Then I go 'ooooh, forgot to tick the box' and go back.

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As mentioned ,a FAQ's sub forum is a good idea.Also, maybe deviding the Tech into OEM Tech and Mod Tech would be helpful.Is there a detailed write-up on how to use the Search? I guess I better search for that,lol.

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Actually, I think some of you guys are being jerks.

 

I can understand if someone like me, posts up, "Hey guys, what size tires can I put under my Comanche?", that some of our more experienced members would jump down my throat and yell, "Use the search button jackass!!"

 

But if you have a member that is new or doesn't spend every waking minute of the day on this board and hasn't read every post in it's history then I have no problem with him asking a "stupid" question.

 

One of the only reasons I spend time here on the CC is because everyone has always been so helpful and friendly. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that my new job deals with a computer all day, thee only time I would open one would be to check this site.

 

Not only that but one of the only reasons I even kept my Comanche was because of this site and and people that frequent it.

 

In conclusion, everyone that has a "stupid" question, please feel free to post it. If I or some of our friendlier members see it, I'm sure one of us will try to help you find the answer. After 200 or so posts, we'll just have Pat PM you and tell you to

 

"Use the search function first Jackass!" :rotfl2:

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I personally don't care if I see the same question over and over. Eventually the board would have 99% of the info somewhere and there wouldnt be any need for anybody to post anything. They could just search and read, it would become more like a dictionary than a community. Besides the more I read/type something the better chance of me remembering it.

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