# Elasped Time Between Searches Increased To 2 Minutes **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 28, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967 "2007-04-28T18:15:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jdavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/1 "2007-04-28T18:15:49Z")
The search functionality has been temporarily disabled for Charter Members/Members until those abusing it today are found and removed. I apologize for the problems they have been creating. Jerry ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/2 "2007-04-28T18:22:57Z")
Thanks for staying on top of things, Jerry. We appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/3 "2007-04-28T18:25:44Z")
I hope I wasn’t the one abusing the search engine. What does search engine abuse entail, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/4 "2007-04-28T18:51:04Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] What does search engine abuse entail, anyway? [/QUOTE] Touching it in its no-no place. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/5 "2007-04-28T18:58:59Z")
I guess this would explain where the New Threads link went. I was about to ask about it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/6 "2007-04-28T19:07:57Z")
Two minutes between searches, I hope that’s temporary. ---
**Author:** ![jdavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/7 "2007-04-28T19:09:09Z")
Search has been re-enabled with an increase in the amount of time that must elapse between searches. ---
**Author:** ![jdavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/8 "2007-04-28T19:10:27Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] Two minutes between searches, I hope that’s temporary. [/QUOTE] We’ll see. 30 seconds between searches was getting abused. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/9 "2007-04-28T19:16:18Z")
[QUOTE=jdavis] We’ll see. 30 seconds between searches was getting abused. [/QUOTE] 😕 Isn’t the idea of 30 seconds between seaches so that it can’t be abused? If someone was running a seach every 30 seconds then it was working, otherwise they would be running them even more often? Of course if someone was doing searches for the sole purpose of taxing the system, then that’s different, but 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/10 "2007-04-28T19:23:17Z")
[QUOTE=jdavis] 30 seconds between searches was getting abused. [/QUOTE] That’s not possible. If you have a time limit between searches set, then using it that frequently is not abuse. It’s use. If you need to increase the time, fine, but don’t go complaining about abuse when it’s nothing of the sort. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/11 "2007-04-28T19:23:32Z")
Hmmm. Stretching out the length between searches is hardly an ideal solution. Finding the search keys that are going to yield the results you want is a trial-and-error process. You try something, realize that you are getting too many unwanted messages, or the one you wanted didn’t contain that keyword after all, scratch your head for a second, and try something else. I wouldn’t really consider, say, half a dozen searches in quick succession to tune your results “abuse”. I do the same with google or anything else with search capabilities. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/12 "2007-04-28T19:27:22Z")
Yes, I must admit I’m puzzled too. By abuse do you mean over-use of the search engine? I’ve never felt the need to search more than once or twice a visit, if that. But is there a limit to the number of searches one should make in any given period of time? ---
**Author:** ![jdavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/13 "2007-04-28T19:27:24Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] 😕 Isn’t the idea of 30 seconds between seaches so that it can’t be abused? If someone was running a seach every 30 seconds then it was working, otherwise they would be running them even more often? Of course if someone was doing searches for the sole purpose of taxing the system, then that’s different, but 😕 [/QUOTE] I’m sure they would have run them every second if they could. We once allowed frequent searches and then moved it to 30 seconds. Now it’s at 2 minutes. Next stop is a captcha to make life even more of a hassle for the innocent. It’s not like I like the situation but I’d rather have the boards functioning than not. It does nobody any good when the boards aren’t responding for hours at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/14 "2007-04-28T19:27:52Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Touching it in its no-no place. [/QUOTE] What about touching Google in its “I feel lucky” place? That’s just…creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/15 "2007-04-28T19:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=jdavis] INext stop is a captcha to make life even more of a hassle for the innocent. [/QUOTE] What on Earth is the point of this? Unless it’s bots running all these searches you claim are the problem, what’s this going to solve? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/16 "2007-04-28T19:38:52Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] That’s not possible. If you have a time limit between searches set, then using it that frequently is not abuse. It’s use. If you need to increase the time, fine, but don’t go complaining about abuse when it’s nothing of the sort. [/QUOTE] If someone engages the search engine every 30 seconds for the purpose of tying up the boards, I’d say that’s abuse. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/17 "2007-04-28T19:42:25Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] If someone engages the search engine every 30 seconds for the purpose of tying up the boards, I’d say that’s abuse. [/QUOTE] Is there any proof anyone has done that? And for that purpose? (For my part, I still think the only-one-post-every-60-seconds rule is unreasonable.) ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/18 "2007-04-28T19:48:28Z")
Frankly, I’d prefer a captcha with a 30 second interval to no captcha with a 2 minute interval. A 15 second interval would be better. Sometimes, I realize very quickly that my attempted search did not yield the type of results I wanted, and am prepared to try something else almost immediately. Entering a captcha isn’t that big a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/19 "2007-04-28T19:56:33Z")
[QUOTE=yabob] Entering a captcha isn’t that big a deal. [/QUOTE] Well, that was sorta my point. It’s not going to slow down the “abuser,” much, either. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967/20 "2007-04-28T19:58:26Z")
[QUOTE=yabob] Frankly, I’d prefer a captcha with a 30 second interval to no captcha with a 2 minute interval. A 15 second interval would be better. Sometimes, I realize very quickly that my attempted search did not yield the type of results I wanted, and am prepared to try something else almost immediately. Entering a captcha isn’t that big a deal. [/QUOTE] What’s a captcha? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elasped-time-between-searches-increased-to-2-minutes/401967.md?page=2)