# Is your search engine screwing with me? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 18, 2014, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399 "2014-04-18T07:32:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YoungKusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3e96dc/32.png) [@YoungKusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoungKusher)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/1 "2014-04-18T07:32:02Z")
Every time I go to use it, it tells me I have to wait two minutes in between searches. Guess what! I’m talking about my first search! Then, it has the nerve to add time to the ticker when I click search again! LOL I was just trying to see how much time I had left to wait… You don’t have to penalize me for it! ---
**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:** [April 18, 2014, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/2 "2014-04-18T10:20:30Z")
It’s not picking on you. It picks on everyone. There’s a two minute wait between searches for everyone. This was put in place several years ago to reduce the server load. It shouldn’t add time though. Usually you can click on it again to see how much time you have remaining. I’m not sure what happened there. You can also search the SDMB using Google, which has no time limit between searches. Instructions are here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/3 "2014-04-18T10:26:51Z")
This has been happening to me, but I get a white screen on “process” screen, and when I refresh, it tells me to wait 2 minutes. ---
**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 18, 2014, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/4 "2014-04-18T10:42:43Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > It’s not picking on you. It picks on everyone. There’s a two minute wait between searches for everyone. This was put in place several years ago to reduce the server load. It shouldn’t add time though. Usually you can click on it again to see how much time you have remaining. I’m not sure what happened there. > > You can also search the SDMB using Google, which has no time limit between searches. Instructions are here: > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) The OP seems to be saying he is being told to wait after he hits search the first time, not between searches. Maybe he had clicked New Posts before searching. Not everyone realizes that counts as a search, too. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/5 "2014-04-18T12:22:57Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever had the Search feature here result in a hit. And I’ve tested it by putting in queries that I KNOW should result in multiple hits. ---
**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 18, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/6 "2014-04-18T12:25:30Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever had the Search feature here result in a hit. And I’ve tested it by putting in queries that I KNOW should result in multiple hits. No kidding. I found that the grease monkey script someone wrote, which puts a google search box for the SDMB into your toolbar, the best thing since sliced bread. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/7 "2014-04-18T13:07:57Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Maybe he had clicked New Posts before searching. Not everyone realizes that counts as a search, too. That’s my guess as well. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/8 "2014-04-18T13:27:10Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > No kidding. I found that the grease monkey script someone wrote, which puts a google search box for the SDMB into your toolbar, the best thing since sliced bread. I’m unaware of this. How do I do this? ---
**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 18, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/9 "2014-04-18T13:37:36Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I’m unaware of this. How do I do this? Let me search for that for you! 🙂 ---
**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 18, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/10 "2014-04-18T13:44:13Z")
Holy cow, I found it. It wasn’t even a grease monkey script- even easier. Here’s the post: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16493388&postcount=4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16493388&postcount=4) > [@Can we add a Google custom search?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-add-a-google-custom-search/664014/4): > > 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](https://www.google.com/?q=site:boards.straightdope.com#q=site:boards.straightdope.com%20'+prompt(%22Enter%20your%20search%20terms:%22))) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/11 "2014-04-18T15:56:15Z")
That’s really nifty. ---
**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 18, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/12 "2014-04-18T17:51:06Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > That’s really nifty. It makes me very happy 🙂 ---
**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:** [April 21, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/13 "2014-04-21T23:12:38Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Holy cow, I found it. It wasn’t even a grease monkey script- even easier. > > Here’s the post: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16493388&postcount=4](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16493388&postcount=4) Now I can use this to find my ATMB OP where I was wondering if anyone remembered this great macro and script somebody had posted in ATMB and I lost it. :: On re-read: For **ECG** : :dubious: :: Where were you when I needed you? :: ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/14 "2014-05-06T15:03:08Z")
today and yesterday the search results show a blank empty screen. the usual refresh the browser brings up a ‘wait 120 seconds between searches’ screen. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/15 "2014-05-07T15:34:16Z")
The search engine built in vBulletin is not very useful at all. Use this one instead: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) (How to search the board using Google) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/16 "2014-05-07T15:52:01Z")
> [@YoungKusher](#): > > Every time I go to use it, it tells me I have to wait two minutes in between searches. Guess what! I’m talking about my first search! > > Then, it has the nerve to add time to the ticker when I click search again! LOL I was just trying to see how much time I had left to wait… You don’t have to penalize me for it! It sounds like there is something wrong with the recognition of your system. I don’t know if that’s tied to other problems mentioned with tracking threads that have been read or unread, etc. It might be cookies, but I really don’t know how this board works. ---
**Author:** ![YoungKusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3e96dc/32.png) [@YoungKusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoungKusher)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-search-engine-screwing-with-me/686399/17 "2014-05-13T02:31:59Z")
Thanks for the replies. I’m still not sure what causes this, but I figured out why it’s behaving the way it is. The first time I click search, nothing happens. So I think I didn’t actually click it. I click it again, and blammo, I have to wait two minutes. It could be my laptop, it is a Toshiba after all… Or it might be on the SDMB’s end, IDK.