Questions on searching

[Rodney Hicks]

There are some words that when searched for that the search engine does not return any results for, even though the conditions are right. That is there are those words in titles(specified), forum, and yet the search engine tells me there are no results when there is in fact at least one posting there that meets the conditions.

I searched for "Help with", those two words in several different search formats, knowing that there was at least one thread title that started with those words.

I never got any results in searches for the following words "help" "help with" "with" "without".

However, a search for "problems with" in titles only, gives results without those words in the title.
I did not do this search as a phrase, simple the two words, and it returned posts with the two words in the body of the text.

Is there some way that I could be doing things differently that would get me results with "help with" in the title? I tried most if not all varietys (+help +with, (help with), "help with", etc)

[Steve Rossell]

The words "help", "with", and "without" are nor indexed by the server. These are usually common words that will not add strength to the search and will most likely return too many records (words like 'a', or 'the'). Since these words are not indexed, they cannot be searched for.

Here is a list of words that the server will not index:

a's
able
about
above
according
accordingly
across
actually
after
afterwards
again
against
ain't
all
allow
allows
almost
alone
along
already
also
although
always
am
among
amongst
an
and
another
any
anybody
anyhow
anyone
anything
anyway
anyways
anywhere
apart
appear
appreciate
appropriate
are
aren't
around
as
aside
ask
asking
associated
at
available
away
awfully
be
became
because
become
becomes
becoming
been
before
beforehand
behind
being
believe
below
beside
besides
best
better
between
beyond
both
brief
but
by
c'mon
c's
came
can
can't
cannot
cant
cause
causes
certain
certainly
changes
clearly
co
com
come
comes
concerning
consequently
consider
considering
contain
containing
contains
corresponding
could
couldn't
course
currently
definitely
described
despite
did
didn't
different
do
does
doesn't
doing
don't
done
down
downwards
during
each
edu
eg
eight
either
else
elsewhere
enough
entirely
especially
et
etc
even
ever
every
everybody
everyone
everything
everywhere
ex
exactly
example
except
far
few
fifth
first
five
followed
following
follows
for
former
formerly
forth
four
from
further
furthermore
get
gets
getting
given
gives
go
goes
going
gone
got
gotten
greetings
had
hadn't
happens
hardly
has
hasn't
have
haven't
having
he
he's
hello
help
hence
her
here
here's
hereafter
hereby
herein
hereupon
hers
herself
hi
him
himself
his
hither
hopefully
how
howbeit
however
i'd
i'll
i'm
i've
ie
if
ignored
immediate
in
inasmuch
inc
indeed
indicate
indicated
indicates
inner
insofar
instead
into
inward
is
isn't
it
it'd
it'll
it's
its
itself
just
keep
keeps
kept
know
knows
known
last
lately
later
latter
latterly
least
less
lest
let
let's
like
liked
likely
little
look
looking
looks
ltd
mainly
many
may
maybe
me
mean
meanwhile
merely
might
more
moreover
most
mostly
much
must
my
myself
name
namely
nd
near
nearly
necessary
need
needs
neither
never
nevertheless
new
next
nine
no
nobody
non
none
noone
nor
normally
not
nothing
novel
now
nowhere
obviously
of
off
often
oh
ok
okay
old
on
once
one
ones
only
onto
or
other
others
otherwise
ought
our
ours
ourselves
out
outside
over
overall
own
particular
particularly
per
perhaps
placed
please
plus
possible
presumably
probably
provides
que
quite
qv
rather
rd
re
really
reasonably
regarding
regardless
regards
relatively
respectively
right
said
same
saw
say
saying
says
second
secondly
see
seeing
seem
seemed
seeming
seems
seen
self
selves
sensible
sent
serious
seriously
seven
several
shall
she
should
shouldn't
since
six
so
some
somebody
somehow
someone
something
sometime
sometimes
somewhat
somewhere
soon
sorry
specified
specify
specifying
still
sub
such
sup
sure
t's
take
taken
tell
tends
th
than
thank
thanks
thanx
that
that's
thats
the
their
theirs
them
themselves
then
thence
there
there's
thereafter
thereby
therefore
therein
theres
thereupon
these
they
they'd
they'll
they're
they've
think
third
this
thorough
thoroughly
those
though
three
through
throughout
thru
thus
to
together
too
took
toward
towards
tried
tries
truly
try
trying
twice
two
un
under
unfortunately
unless
unlikely
until
unto
up
upon
us
use
used
useful
uses
using
usually
value
various
very
via
viz
vs
want
wants
was
wasn't
way
we
we'd
we'll
we're
we've
welcome
well
went
were
weren't
what
what's
whatever
when
whence
whenever
where
where's
whereafter
whereas
whereby
wherein
whereupon
wherever
whether
which
while
whither
who
who's
whoever
whole
whom
whose
why
will
willing
wish
with
within
without
won't
wonder
would
would
wouldn't
yes
yet
you
you'd
you'll
you're
you've
your
yours
yourself
yourselves
zero

[Rodney Hicks]

Thanks for the list, Steve.

For the sake of clarity, and anyone else reading this, when these words are combined with indexed words they show up highlit in the generated posts/threads and I assume that would be normal.

The list is going to make my searches a lot less frustrating. Thanks again.

[Eric Pearson]

Howbeit?

[Paul Dixon]

I think excluding any words from a search is unhelpful.
Let the search go ahead and return the 500 (or whatever limit is deemed to be suitable) first hits. If the returned results don't match expectations then the searcher can then redefine the search accordingly.

In particular, searches for short expressions should be allowed.

For example, searching for: 64 bit cpu
Doesn't work. If I want to know if PB works on a 64 bit CPU then that's an obvious thing to search for.

It's a pity to have to go to Google to do a site search on the PB website just becase PB limits the search terms.

Far better, in my opinion, to allow all search terms and just limit the returned hits to some reasonable value just to limit the server time needed to perform the search as you just know some folk will search for " " and expect 268,000 hits to be returned.

Paul.

[Paul Dixon]

Drat. If only I'd seen Eric's post before I hit "send" on mine then I'd have worked "howbeit" into my reply somehow!

Paul.

[Robert DeBolt]

I searched for "Help with", those two words in several different search formats, knowing that there was at least one thread title that started with those words.

I never got any results in searches for the following words "help" "help with" "with" "without".

Try POFFS. Works great! No wait! No ache! No pain!

[Roger Garstang]

I'd have to agree. That is a pretty lengthy list too...unless it prompts you whenever you type a common word, I have no plans of keeping a browser window open just to check my search words every time I type. I can see things like- a, the, with, for, if, in, as, to, and, of, on, an, etc. But a lot of those words could be valid searches.

[Eric Pearson]

Howbeit that so many PB keywords and reserved words are not being indexed?

-- Eric

[Eric Pearson]

Think about 1) the amount of hard drive space that would be required to index a word like howbeit (given the extremely low freqency in the real world) to 2) the number of CPU cycles required to search for that word -- fruitlessly --- in all of the vBulletin messages that have ever been posted, anywhere.

That's what I call "over-programming".

-- Eric

[Rodney Hicks]

Here is a list of words that the server will not index:

Is there any way of making it so the server will index the keywords, reserved words. There's probably less than thirty of them in that list.