# Search broken? 120 second timer **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 5, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076 "2015-08-05T16:57:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/1 "2015-08-05T16:57:35Z")
I tried to search for a couple of terms using the basic search box in the strip at the top of the forums. I got the “You must wait 120 seconds between searches. Please try again in another 116 seconds.” I wait (more than two minutes) then try again. “You must wait 120 seconds between searches. Please try again in 117 seconds.” never get search results, and it always seems to want me to try again in 116 or 117 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/2 "2015-08-05T17:02:28Z")
This has been reported previously. I simply go to Google now and type “SDMB: search text.” Obviously “search text” being the term you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/3 "2015-08-05T17:07:21Z")
seems to be triggered by searching for multiple terms. If I search for a single word it works. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/4 "2015-08-05T17:19:28Z")
FWIW I just tried it and didn’t have a problem. Is it possible you’re inadvertently double-clicking something or double-hitting the Enter key? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/5 "2015-08-05T17:49:40Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > This has been reported previously. I simply go to Google now and type “SDMB: search text.” Obviously “search text” being the term you’re looking for. This is the correct answer but you spelled “site:boards.straightdope.com” wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/6 "2015-08-05T19:04:33Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > This is the correct answer but you spelled “site:boards.straightdope.com” wrong. SDMB: works fine. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/7 "2015-08-05T19:53:34Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > SDMB: works fine. “site:boards.straightdope.com” only returns results from [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) ---
**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:** [August 5, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/8 "2015-08-05T20:37:00Z")
The search engine here is admittedly a bit wonky at times, and oddly it seems to misbehave more for some people than others. I have no idea why that is. Anyway, as was already mentioned, you can use google to search the SDMB. Full details with lots of helpful hints can be found in the sticky at the top of the ATMB forum: HOWTO: Search the SDMB using Google [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) > [@Leaffan](#): > > SDMB: works fine. While this does mostly work just fine, if someone else refers to the SDMB using those initials on another site, those results may show up in your search. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/9 "2015-08-05T21:25:53Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > “site:boards.straightdope.com” only returns results from [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > …While this does mostly work just fine, if someone else refers to the SDMB using those initials on another site, those results may show up in your search. OK. Thanks for that. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-broken-120-second-timer/727076/10 "2015-08-06T04:40:51Z")
The only bummer about searching the board via google is that you can’t search for terms used by a specific member. Yeah, you can include your terms plus the username, but the results are threads where the term is used AND the member also posted in the thread, but not necessarily where the searched-for member is who posted the searched-for term.