The inbuilt search tool is limited to one search every 5 minutes. You can go to Google and do searches using boards.straight.dope in the search box, but it’s a bit of a pain.
Sites like tvtropesuse a Google custom search which uses the Google search engine to search within the site.
Here’s what I did, I did a google search for site:boards.straightdope.com then saved that as s bookmark. Then I moved that bookmark to the toolbar. Now, all I have to do is click that button and it takes me to Google with "site:boards.straightdope.com already in the search bar and I just need to type in my search string.
To make it even better, the last time I relayed that story, another doper gave me code below which turns the button into a pop up box requesting my search string and then takes me to Google. Either way works. Just right click on the toolbar and select “New Bookmark” and then enter this for the Location:
javascript:void(location.href='Google)
A random other site that happened to include the words boards.straightdope.com would be included in the latter search, but not the former. Probably doesn’t make much difference in this case, but it’ll still help clear a little chaff away from the wheat.
When you do a google search for site:[website] it only searches that website. So when you do a google search for site:boards.straightdope.com, it’s only searching the SD boards. If you do a google search for site:facebook.com [search string] it’ll only search facebook for your search string. It’s a nice little feature of Google.
This code works for iPhone’s Safari browser, too. Paste it into your bookmarks and it will pop up a search box and return a Google page with the results.
Mods: Can these two nifties be worked in to the sticky on How to Search … Using Google? With Joey P’s permission, of course.
I tend not to use (OK, I did just one time) the methods suggested using the Google Booleans because I don’t need such specificity and they’re a pain in the ass to type. Even the generic one.
Also, since I’m stuffing the Suggestion Box, put in that sticky, or somewhere else, a note that Cecil’s database and the forums’ are different, for those using the simple search boxes on the Home page or within the forums. Early on I got hung up on this and had to bug a mod. Unlike now.