# Am I too stupid to use the Search function? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 17, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511 "2005-11-17T17:34:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/1 "2005-11-17T17:34:44Z")
Being a cauldron of insecurity, I like to do a vanity search now and then, (every five minutes)(just kidding)(or am I?), but the search doesn’t find all instances where I’ve received replies to posts I’ve made. For instance, in [this glorious thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343779), I receive a direct response [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6789850&postcount=157), but if I search for Purd or Purd Werfect, the last thread that shows is from May of this year. I know there’s other threads which serve as examples also, but, alas, I’m unable to find them. So what’s the deal? Am I doomed to go unrewarded in my pathetic desire for anonymous message board quasi-validation? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/2 "2005-11-17T17:35:32Z")
The search engine sucks. This is not a secret. I dunno what else to tell you. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/3 "2005-11-17T18:16:22Z")
Any plans to fix it? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/4 "2005-11-17T18:35:34Z")
> [@Purd Werfect](#): > > Any plans to fix it? It’s a VBB function, not a SDMB function, I believe. That means waiting on an eventual upgrade to a new version of VBB. And Jerry is, for good reason, loath to implement upgrades (both due to cost and waiting until the bugs have been identified and corrected). ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/5 "2005-11-17T19:02:01Z")
So all sites using vbulletin 3.0.7 have a poorly-functioning search engine? That seems odd. (Not trying to be flippant, that does truly seem unlikely.) ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/6 "2005-11-17T21:08:41Z")
I think the search didn’t bring up the post you linked to because he didn’t use the words you searched for. They were contained in the quotes in his post, which I think the search feature ignores. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/7 "2005-11-17T21:50:15Z")
> [@Santos L Halper](#): > > I think the search didn’t bring up the post you linked to because he didn’t use the words you searched for. They were contained in the quotes in his post, which I think the search feature ignores. Good call, that appears to be the case. If so, that’s still a pretty big flaw, as conceivably many responses will only contain the user’s name or search term within the quotes. I know it’s not ideal, but if an update to the vbulletin software needs to be done to fix it, then it should be done. Otherwise just turn searching off if it’s only going to be half-useful. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/8 "2005-11-17T22:37:09Z")
> [@Purd Werfect](#): > > Good call, that appears to be the case. If so, that’s still a pretty big flaw, as conceivably many responses will only contain the user’s name or search term within the quotes. > > I know it’s not ideal, but if an update to the vbulletin software needs to be done to fix it, then it should be done. Otherwise just turn searching off if it’s only going to be half-useful. Gotta love those who want a cup completely filled, or don’t want anything in it at all. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-too-stupid-to-use-the-search-function/331511/9 "2005-11-17T22:43:14Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Gotta love those who want a cup completely filled, or don’t want anything in it at all. 😛 Yeah, I overstated myself there. My vanity searches are meaningless enough, but it would just be nice to trust the thouroughness of other searches that I might do. And if I actually paid money to own vbulletin, I’d be pretty irked at the obvious flaw. Something like searching within quotes or avoiding same should be a simple toggle feature of the search function.