Re: Search feature changes?

["Quindo Ma" <quindo.ma@xxxxxxxxx>]

The search feature of the archive is a tad annoying yes, but as far as I
know, it's been like that for quite a while now.
Basically, instead of searching the entire archive, and displaying any found
messages that match the description, it searches only a certain range of
messages, and displays results only of that range. That range depends on the
archive size, and the number of posts per month. If you don't find what you
want in the first group of searched messages, then just press next.
This was most likely done to save the yahoo servers a hell of a lot of load
strain. Especially in groups that have hundred thousand messages and more.
It's easier and cheaper to limit the data requests to their databases, than
to put up more servers to serve those requests.

The problem is, if it's further back, then you will have to do a lot of
'click next' to reach the timeframe it could have been posted.
But if you have a basic idea of approximately when the story was posted,
then it's not that hard to search around the post number of that month.

To do that, click 'Next' once in the search, and check your address bar. You
will see that the link will include something like this at the end:
   /messagesearch/27540?query=test
That number, is the post number the search will start at, counting
backwards. For example, if the message you're looking for was posted a year
back, then that number should be changed to around 24000. To find out the
time of a guessed post number, simply enter a number after /messages/ (the
link ending when browsing the normal archive, not the search function). For
example /messages/24000 and you can get an idea of when that post was made.
Sounds difficult, but once you tried it a few times, you'll see that it's
not that complicated.
First think of when your desired post was sent to the list, then check the
post numbers to find what number fits around the timeframe you think your
search subject was posted, and then search, and change the searchnumber to
the number you found.

Hope that helps a bit.
   Quin


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "talarianwolf" <mluzansk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 15:19
Subject: Search feature changes?


I may have missed something really obvious. If I'm not remembering
incorrectly, before when I did a search, it covered all the posts to
the group, and displayed results one page at a time. Now it seems to
search only a page at a time. I was looking for pieces of a fic that
was posted quite a while ago, but I am not sure when. Did the search
function change, or did I not set something correctly to search the
archive of posts?




Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     -'Choices'

Community email addresses:
     Post message: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Subscribe:    buffywantswillow-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Unsubscribe:  buffywantswillow-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     List owner:   buffywantswillow-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shortcut URL to this page:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow

Official archive for the list:
     http://www.ikoly.com/fanfic

Other links to Buffy/Willow fics:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow/links
Yahoo! Groups Links









Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

Community email addresses:
     Post message: buffywantswillow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Subscribe:    buffywantswillow-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     Unsubscribe:  buffywantswillow-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
     List owner:   buffywantswillow-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shortcut URL to this page:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow

Official archive for the list:
     http://www.ikoly.com/fanfic

Other links to Buffy/Willow fics:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow/links  
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buffywantswillow/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    buffywantswillow-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/