# Search problem **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 24, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458 "2007-04-24T15:12:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/1 "2007-04-24T15:12:41Z")
I like to do a “vanity search” just to see if anyone has replied to any of my posts so I can be courteous and respond to them. However, whenever I do a search for my user name, the last one it shows is on April 11. I’ve found other since then simply by re-visiting threads I’ve posted in. Is it me? Or is there a problem with the indexing/search function? I have been able to search for other things (like other users’ names) successfully, but not my own. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/2 "2007-04-24T16:04:07Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] whenever I do a search for my user name, the last one it shows is on April 11. I’ve found other since then simply by re-visiting threads I’ve posted in. Is it me? Or is there a problem with the indexing/search function? [/QUOTE] The problem is that you can’t search on what people quoted. The search function won’t turn up the fact that your name is in the quote box above, but it will turn up where I type your name in the text of my message, here: TroubleAgain. That’s why your search brings up the thread from April. EddyTeddyFreddy used your name in a couplet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/3 "2007-04-24T19:02:24Z")
Huh. It used to work that way. Wonder when/why it quit? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/4 "2007-04-25T10:01:53Z")
Did you go to advance search and type your user name into the “find posts by” field? It worked for me just now. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/5 "2007-04-25T14:04:48Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] Did you go to advance search and type your user name into the “find posts by” field? It worked for me just now. [/QUOTE] Yes, that works, I just used to be able (unless I’m going crazy) to search on my name and see when people had quoted me. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/6 "2007-04-25T15:48:26Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] I just used to be able (unless I’m going crazy) to search on my name and see when people had quoted me. [/QUOTE] It works just fine for me. Maybe there’s a conspiracy to mess with your head. People could be out to get you. Crippling your computer is just part of it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/search-problem/401458/7 "2007-04-25T20:29:57Z")
It’s been like this for almost 3 years. Here’s an earlier thread about it. [Search returning quotes containing username. - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=256566) Here’s a thread where I was quoted and referred to in others’ posts. [RISE! Rise from your graves, & serve your Dread Master, GWB! War related. Link - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=402998) When I search by placing my userid in the “key words” field and select “show results as posts”, the post where I was only quoted does not show up in the search results.