# Search function not working **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 12, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471 "2017-11-12T20:28:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/1 "2017-11-12T20:28:18Z")
Anyone else having trouble with the search function giving them an error message? I’ve tried three times in the last 15 minutes and I get nada. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/2 "2017-11-12T20:39:00Z")
Worked for me right now ---
**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:** [November 13, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/3 "2017-11-13T00:18:55Z")
The search engine here is admittedly a bit wonky. It seems to work better for some people than others. Some don’t have many issues with it and some find it almost completely unusable. Sometimes it barfs on certain words or certain word combinations. If you are searching for multiple terms, I’ve sometimes had success in getting it to work by simply re-ordering the terms. Then again, sometimes that hasn’t worked. The search engine is a function of the version of vBulletin that we use, so it’s not going to get fixed any time soon. If you’ve hit upon a combination of search terms that the search engine simply won’t find, your only real solution at this point is to use Google instead. See this sticky at the top of ATMB for details: HOWTO: Search the SDMB using Google [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/4 "2017-11-13T06:23:18Z")
Just tried again. Here is the message I got: This page isn’t working [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) is currently unable to handle this request. HTTP ERROR 500 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2017, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/5 "2017-11-13T11:53:10Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Just tried again. Here is the message I got: > > This page isn’t working > > [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) is currently unable to handle this request. > HTTP ERROR 500 Any chance you can list exactly what word(s) you were searching for? If you desire privacy, send a private msg. to me or **engineer\_comp\_geek**. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/6 "2017-11-14T05:04:09Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Any chance you can list exactly what word(s) you were searching for? If you desire privacy, send a private msg. to me or **engineer\_comp\_geek**. Election 2016 Night - error message Election Night 2016 - error message Election 2016 - that gets multiple threads. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2017, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/7 "2017-11-14T09:17:01Z")
“Night” alone also gets an error message. You’ve apparently found one of the words that makes the search engine barf. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/8 "2017-11-14T14:41:54Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Election 2016 Night - error message > Election Night 2016 - error message > Election 2016 - that gets multiple threads. These seem to be the kinds of searches the [alternate guidance](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) of [using Google](https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&ei=jP8KWq-ZFqm_jwTajo6QBQ&q=election+night+2016+site%3Aboards.straightdope.com&oq=election+night+2016+site%3Aboards.straightdope.com) was made for. (That particular Google search result gives 255 results, although I didn’t tighten up the search with quote marks, so it’s 255 hits on SDMB for “2016”, “Election”, or “Night”. Presumably, higher search results contain more and better hits.) > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > “Night” alone also gets an error message. You’ve apparently found one of the words that makes the search engine barf. Wow, the web search function is nyctophobic? Get those hamsters into treatment! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/9 "2017-11-14T23:22:30Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Wow, the web search function is nyctophobic? Get those hamsters into treatment! Or, break 'em on the wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/10 "2017-11-14T23:33:53Z")
Personally, whenever I use multiple words in the search field it gets that error message. It seems to work much better when I use a single keyword but that has its own limitations. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-function-not-working/801471/11 "2017-11-14T23:36:19Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Personally, whenever I use multiple words in the search field it gets that error message. It seems to work much better when I use a single keyword but that has its own limitations. That’s because you doubled your chance of using a “barfy” word.:smack: