# A Small Suggestion **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 27, 2015, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036 "2015-08-27T07:19:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/1 "2015-08-27T07:19:50Z")
I would like to make a small suggestion. I’m not sure if this is even possible for you to do or whether it may be out of your hands. But when a search fails to find any matches, the board software currently displays a message to the effect, “Sorry no matches were found. Please try some other terms.” I would suggest changing that message slightly to include the text, “Please try again in two minutes as you must wait at least two minutes before performing another search.” The reason I suggest this change is primarily for newcomers to the board who may not know this or may forget. I have performed more than a hundred searches and have used this feature for more than two years now. But I still seem to forget this and make another search only to be told that I have to wait two minutes. I may just be a little more dim-witted than most people. But my guess is that this happens quite often to many people and a small change may help to prevent that. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/2 "2015-08-27T07:33:53Z")
doesn’t seem like it’s that much of a problem that something needs to be changed ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/3 "2015-08-27T08:27:36Z")
Ya know, you could have just not written that OP. Just food for thought. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/4 "2015-08-27T09:09:05Z")
When a search fails to find any matches, another search in 120 seconds time isn’t going to yield a match either, unless someone has posted a thread/subject in the previous 120 seconds. Do you get that Charlie? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/5 "2015-08-27T10:10:39Z")
I am not sure whether our current level of support would give SDMB techs access to the message to change it, but it seems a simple enough request that the snide nature of the responses, thus far, do not appear to be justified. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/6 "2015-08-27T10:21:42Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > When a search fails to find any matches, another search in 120 seconds time isn’t going to yield a match either, unless someone has posted a thread/subject in the previous 120 seconds. > > Do you get that Charlie? yes, because if a search turns up no results, I’m sure he’s going to wait two minutes to search _for the same damn thing._ :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/7 "2015-08-27T10:47:42Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I have performed more than a hundred searches cool ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/8 "2015-08-27T10:48:03Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > When a search fails to find any matches, another search in 120 seconds time isn’t going to yield a match either, unless someone has posted a thread/subject in the previous 120 seconds. > > Do you get that Charlie? The next search would contain a different search parameter. Why do you feel the need to pose your question in such a hostile manner? Do you want to continue to quarrel about this issue? If so, please be advised that I have no interest in discussing it with you any further. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/9 "2015-08-27T10:50:02Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > yes, because if a search turns up no results, I’m sure he’s going to wait two minutes to search _for the same damn thing._ :rolleyes: Thank you JZ. I am sorry that I did not read your post before I replied to that other poster. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/10 "2015-08-27T10:51:56Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > cool I wasn’t bragging. I was attempting to illustrate that even after having done this routine more than 100 times, I still didn’t seem to learn to wait for the two minutes before trying to search again. I was just trying to illustrate how easy it is to make that kind of mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/11 "2015-08-27T11:04:02Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Ya know, you could have just not written that OP. Just food for thought. That’s enough of that. Charlie’s got the same rights to start threads as anyone. You don’t get to say otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/12 "2015-08-27T11:04:52Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I wasn’t bragging. I was attempting to illustrate that even after having done this routine more than 100 times, I still didn’t seem to learn to wait for the two minutes before trying to search again. > > I was just trying to illustrate how easy it is to make that kind of mistake. I have done _tens of thousands_ of searches. I mastered the two minute thing after my third attempt. I believe I was searching for threads discussing mohair. Just sayin. ---
**Author:** ![Inna\_Minnit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Inna\_Minnit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inna_Minnit)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/13 "2015-08-27T12:46:34Z")
Using the “search” function here is the problem. It seldom returns useful information. The waiting period is just one of many reasons not to use it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/14 "2015-08-27T13:57:08Z")
You guys still this boards search engine? Much easier and faster to use Google. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/15 "2015-08-27T13:58:38Z")
I agree. The OP should learn to use the Google Search function, and there is no waiting period. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/16 "2015-08-27T14:12:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I agree. The OP should learn to use the Google Search function, and there is no waiting period. Excellent suggestion. Can you please tell me the term that specifies a Google search will search these boards? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/17 "2015-08-27T14:37:48Z")
Complete instructions for how to search the board using google are here (in the sticky at the top of the ATMB forum): [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/18 "2015-08-27T14:39:57Z")
There are some specific suggestions in a sticky somewhere (ATMB?) but I just always type in the search words I can think of followed by “SDMB”. The other advantage to using Google is that you can use many more search terms on the same search. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/19 "2015-08-27T14:50:21Z")
As an example, I remember you started a flip flop thread. Suppose I wanted to look it up. Google: charlie wayne flip flops “sdmb” [Voila!](https://www.google.com/search?q=charlie+wayne+flip+flops+%22sdmb%22&oq=charlie+wayne+flip+flops+%22sdmb%22&aqs=chrome..69i57.382j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036/20 "2015-08-27T14:54:18Z")
Wow, it took 14 posts for people to start suggesting Google. I don’t know why anyone uses the board’s search function with Google available. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-small-suggestion/729036.md?page=2)