# What's the deal with the search function? Does it work or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 27, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038 "2002-11-27T04:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/1 "2002-11-27T04:57:02Z")
I just did a search for Bond in Cafe, over all time, and the top thread in there about Batman vs. Bond doesn’t come up in the search. So I did a search for Batman. Same thing. The thread doesn’t show up in the search resulsts. I have run into this before too. Does anyone know why this thing doesn’t seem to work? ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/2 "2002-11-27T04:59:38Z")
Because you have to give it four words to search on. This is why I I try very diligently to make my thread titles at least four full words long. Would that everyone did likewise. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/3 "2002-11-27T05:21:50Z")
Huh? Who says you need 4 words in your search? That makes no sense. 4 letters yes, but not 4 words. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/4 "2002-11-27T06:35:43Z")
It did for me **Stinkpalm**. First on the list searching for [bond](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=264418&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending). ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/5 "2002-11-27T13:42:16Z")
Worked for me, too. “Bond” in keyword, all dates, Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/6 "2002-11-27T22:58:35Z")
At least for me, the default option is to search posts since yesterday. That might be your problem. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/7 "2002-11-28T10:44:03Z")
Search has actually been working spectacularly well for me since **Jerrythetechgod™** worked his magic the other week. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/8 "2002-11-28T20:01:36Z")
One thing I don’t understand about the search - I tried to search for “Tad Williams” and I got a message saying “Tad” is only 3 letters long and can’t be searched. Is there any way around this? Just searching for “Williams” brings up Robin Williams and others that I’m not looking for. Thanks. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/9 "2002-11-28T20:14:22Z")
No, there’s no way around it on the SDMB. All words 4 or more letters long are indexed. They don’t index 3-letter words because that would greatly increase the size of the index and ultimately make for slower response on the entire board. However, [this search at BoardReader](http://www.boardreader.com/scripts/texis.exe/search/?query=straightdope+%22tad+williams%22&btnSearch=Search&sortbyresearch=descdate&selTopics=&selCategories=&lookfor=) found 20 threads, the most recent from Nov. 12. ---
**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:** [November 28, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/10 "2002-11-28T20:18:29Z")
One more thought. In your case, you could try an SDMB search on “williams not robin”. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-search-function-does-it-work-or-not/139038/11 "2002-11-29T01:41:50Z")
Thanks rowrrbazzle. 🙂