# Does search work on the poster's name or their posting history? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 10, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922 "2013-10-10T21:36:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/1 "2013-10-10T21:36:36Z")
If I put CURRENTUSERNAME into the search box and ask the results to display in ascending order, I’ll theoretically get that poster’s first post on the boards. If they changed their username over the course of their membership, will that be reflected by the search results? As in, will the first post display as CURRENTUSERNAME in the results, their name in the thread be their current name, but wherever they were quoted or referred to it’ll be their old name? Or will the search results just return what if finds of their current username? I can’t remember anyone who changed their username or else I’d test this out myself. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/2 "2013-10-11T01:21:03Z")
\*\*Spice Weasel \*\*was **olives4march** (Hope I got the old name right) Search brought up all the posts right from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/3 "2013-10-11T01:34:07Z")
I just did the same thing for **TokyoBayer** , who used to be **TokyoPlayer**. It found threads back to 2005, with his old name. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/4 "2013-10-11T02:01:36Z")
Awesome, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/5 "2013-10-11T02:59:21Z")
And this class is why we normalize data. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/6 "2013-10-12T20:13:38Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > \*\*Spice Weasel \*\*was **olives4march** (Hope I got the old name right) Search brought up all the posts right from the beginning. I think it was **olivesmarch4th**. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/7 "2013-10-12T20:50:03Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > And this class is why we normalize data. > 😃 there is normal here? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/8 "2013-10-12T20:56:27Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I think it was **olivesmarch4th**. You’re right, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/9 "2013-10-16T23:17:18Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > I think it was **olivesmarch4th**. Smarch 4th already? Dammit, I’m late filing my taxes! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/10 "2013-10-17T02:23:00Z")
> [@](#): > > And this class is why we normalize data. [Well, it’s one reason](http://xkcd.com/327/). ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/11 "2013-10-17T14:15:47Z")
On searching, since we’re all here: Say I want to find all the posts/threads where I was involved and we were talking about Keyword “Thanksgiving.” Mods have told me Booleans can be used with impunity. But I’ve not been able to get even that simple example to work. The two sides of the search screen don’t talk to each other (at least as I’ve been trying to work it); the right panel has not only username default search options but ones for forum as well, which are dandy. Can’t stick a keyword there, though. What am I doing wrong? Everybody talks about Thanksgiving, but sometimes I’d like to find something brilliant by me or another poster in particular or the kinds of answers–for once I might follow in due diligence to GQ, for example–so as not to dupe threads or to find a corpse that is suitable to be zombied. I have gone outside and Google-Boolean site-searched, but I just like to know vBul or SD tech implementation a tiny bit better. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/12 "2013-10-17T14:37:39Z")
Dunno. I typed thanksgiving into the keyword side and Leo Bloom into the username side and I got 6 threads back and the top of the results box says “Search: Keyword(s): thanksgiving ; Posts Made By: Leo Bloom”. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/13 "2013-10-17T14:48:47Z")
Huh. Off to try… ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/14 "2013-10-17T15:00:50Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Sometimes I’d like to find something brilliant by me … In my case the Boolean works fine, but I still get no results. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/15 "2013-10-17T15:13:52Z")
Hey, new search page! Now it works! Or was/am I dreaming? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-search-work-on-the-posters-name-or-their-posting-history/670922/16 "2013-10-17T16:51:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > [Well, it’s one reason](http://xkcd.com/327/). nitpick: That’s not a normalization issue, it’s an SQL injection/input checking issue. 🙂