# The search function is malfunctioning **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 2, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192 "2010-11-02T09:14:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/1 "2010-11-02T09:14:08Z")
Twice I tried to search, but both times I get this error message: Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 536870912 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 9 bytes) in /home/straightdope/boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php on line 1007 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/2 "2010-11-02T11:34:27Z")
it’s working for me ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/3 "2010-11-02T12:00:50Z")
It appears to be the same error with this thread: [Is Search Broken? - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583633) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/4 "2010-11-02T14:27:12Z")
For those having issues, just a friendly reminder that you can search on Google. Just add this to your search to make it SDMB exclusive: site:boards.straightdope.com ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/5 "2010-11-02T20:04:11Z")
Thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/6 "2010-11-02T21:50:23Z")
I’m actually guessing that it’s a temporary error caused by some sort of backup or other process that only occurs at certain times. It sure looks like an out of memory error. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/7 "2010-11-02T21:59:56Z")
I talked with Jerry. Search errors are an indication that we’re starting to bump up against our resource ceiling due to our ever-expanding message database. Last time we expanded resources was about 18 months ago. It was fairly painless then; Jerry is going to investigate and see what’s involved in expanding again. If it’s a question of changing a couple settings, that’s easy. If we have to move to a new server, not so easy. We’ll find out. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/8 "2010-11-03T22:35:16Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > Thanks for the tip. Apparently not all that useful or memorable advice: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584168](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584168) Guess what pops up when you do a google search on “site:boards.straightdope.com time traveler”? > **[Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aboards.straightdope.com%2Btime%2Btraveler&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a)** :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/9 "2010-11-03T22:36:49Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Apparently not all that useful or memorable advice: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584168](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=584168) > > Guess what pops up when you do a google search on “site:boards.straightdope.com time traveler”? > > [Google Search](http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aboards.straightdope.com+time+traveler&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) > > :rolleyes: 😕 Your link showed both threads. It seems to work just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/10 "2010-11-03T22:40:55Z")
> [@Nobody](#): > > 😕 Your link showed both threads. It seems to work just fine. Exactly. So why didn’t you do a Google search when the board search function didn’t work for you? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/11 "2010-11-03T22:41:36Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Exactly. So why didn’t you do a Google search when the board search function didn’t work for you? Because I didn’t realize I could, but now I do. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/12 "2010-11-03T22:43:36Z")
Nobody: “Thanks for the tip.” Yesterday, 03:04 PM Nobody: “Oh, and I tried to do a search to see if anybody posted about this already, but every time I try to use the search function I keep getting an error message.” Today, 01:01 PM Like I said - not that memorable, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/13 "2010-11-03T22:47:55Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Nobody: “Thanks for the tip.” Yesterday, 03:04 PM > Nobody: “Oh, and I tried to do a search to see if anybody posted about this already, but every time I try to use the search function I keep getting an error message.” Today, 01:01 PM > > Like I said - not that memorable, apparently. I searched for the words “Time Traveler” twice, both times I got the error. I posted a thread on the topic and then I posted here. After already posting about the supposed time traveler I saw the post here about using Google. Back in the post about the time traveler I mentioned that the search function didn’t work. But I was talking about what I did before knowing that I could search Google. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/14 "2010-11-03T22:53:05Z")
So the date stamps are incorrect? Or did you, after posting the time traveler thread today, actually travel back in time to yesterday when you thanked me for the google search advice? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-search-function-is-malfunctioning/559192/15 "2010-11-03T22:55:04Z")
Whatever. I don’t know why you’re getting so snippy. In the future if I can’t get the SDMB search function to work, I’ll use Google. BFD.