How come when you press the search option, all it gives you is the post title, the originator, the forum and the date of last modification? Why doesn’t it give you the last poster or the exact time like it shows on a normal forum listing?
Is this due to lack of space? Because I would argue that the latter two are more important than even the thread starter, if you’re looking to switch one for the other.
Often times I search my own posts to see what’s been updated since I’ve been gone. It would make my searching a lot easier if I could see at least who the last poster is so I can search through the posts above the one that lists my name as the last poster.
Additional, but not as important question: how come the search option doesn’t allow you to go directly to page 2 through N of a thread?
Geez, you ask a lot of a search engine, don’t you? 
Short answer: because the system’s not set up like you want, that’s why.
But let’s take it a little further.
Searches are very resource intensive and we’re trying to balance between the demand searches make on the system versus the usage just to read and make posts.
Since many more people are reading and making posts than searching at any one time, the priority should be pretty clear.
It’s the old Star Trek rule, the needs of the Many are considered before the wants of the Few or the whims of the One.
It’s too bad everything you want and need can’t all be found and displayed on one page for you, but you’re gonna have to exercise that mouse a bit and click around.
Most people usually find what they need sooner or later. It’s not meant to make your life harder but it is what the software engineers made it to be and we’re just grateful that we have a search engine at all.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
And more grateful when it works, even.
Uh, 'cuz that’s the way the software is written? I don’t know what to tell ya, except to make your suggestions to the guys that actually produce the software. http://www.vbulletin.com
The vBulletin guys are very encouraged by receiving feedback like this.
Note their message board forum has the slightly misleading name of “COMMUNITY” and is at this direct link
** vBulletin Community Forum**
They don’t get nearly the activity of the SDMB, so be sure to ask for email when they comment on your ideas a week later. (Be sure to spell out Straight Dope Message Board and post the link, as most of their readers don’t know “SDMB”, any more than you know all the other message boards’ initials.)
Every one of my suggestions has received favorable comments from both other vB sites and the vB techs.
If you see an idea already posted that you like, be sure to support the other guy, to raise it on their “to look into” list!
The idea you have above is very doable, so it has a better chance than most suggestions they get.
One “extension” to on your idea which I like, but would be a much bigger change, is to have one button go directly to your desired result- a list of “All the threads since I was last here where someone added afer I posted.” (Yes, it sounds hard, but it’s not hard when stated as a boolean operation of items they can already select on.)
Good luck to anyone who suggests something there!
And tell us what you suggested in MPSIMS so maybe others can go there to support you.