Improve Search results

Dave Jensen

The grouped by search result presentation is great. The results are also great. The problem that I'm having is that I don't know what to do when I get a search result.

Try #1: I clicked the name of the person who made a post. Not what I wanted.
Try #2: I clicked the avatar. Not what I wanted.
Try #3. I scanned around in the box and saw a non-descript piece of text labeled "posted." I wasn't sure it was what I wanted. It was.

The search idiom is not a new phenomenon. There are tried and true practices for returning search results. Can we stick to the current search results patterns that folks use on the internet instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, and poorly at that?

Thanks.

#my2cents

Note: for some reason, this post didn't appear to post the first time. Not sure what I did.

julian

@djensen47 I completely agree with your comments -- the search presentation should be straightforward, and the desired link shouldn't simply be a small anchor.

We'll try to take a look at this page soon. It's not a page that we visit frequently, so it does seem as though we give it less attention

Dave Jensen

Understood. I use it frequently when I'm involved with a community like this where I'm trying to find answers to my questions. Forums have a bad reputation for flaming redundant posts.

psychobunny

I agree with this one a lot. This problem persists beyond the search results, ex. our homepage where you have to click on 'posted' to get to the actual post. Doesn't make any logical sense, I think clicking on that block itself should take you to the post.

<baris>

I think at the some point the replies on home were inside an anchor tag but then the whole home page looks like one giant link fest with the link color of the theme.

psychobunny

Could just apply some CSS to make the .post-preview p a color the primary color and keep the "posted" link default

finid

@djensen47

I think the best way to avoid duplicate posting is to also implement a similar posts feature as a user is typing the subject to a new topic. Combine that with the same effect in the search box, and you can reduce duplicate posts by a lot.

trevor

@planner said:

@djensen47

I think the best way to avoid duplicate posting is to also implement a similar posts feature as a user is typing the subject to a new topic. Combine that with the same effect in the search box, and you can reduce duplicate posts by a lot.

I agree with this. With the addition of duplicate title and post content checks will keep the redundancy to a minimal.

finid

And I think it will even be better if the search box is right next to the New Topic button, with a message like, search before you post a new topic.

julian

@planner said:

to also implement a similar posts feature as a user is typing the subject to a new topic.

Sounds like a surefire winner for plugin weekend

finid

@julian

you have my vote, but shouldn't that be core?

Bri

@planner said:

to also implement a similar posts feature as a user is typing the subject to a new topic.

I love that about SO... still it's weird how many duplicates make it there (though I'm sure it would be a lot worse if there wasn't that feature in place)

julian

@planner said:

@julian

you have my vote, but shouldn't that be core?

It gets a bit more difficult because the search is no longer in core, so it has to hook into another search plugin. One thing at a time...