TiVo Community Forums Archives - Helpful Hints for New Threads

Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/avsforum/archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/archive_functions.php on line 31

Warning: include(http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/header.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/avsforum/archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/archive_functions.php on line 31

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/header.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/avsforum/archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/archive_functions.php on line 31
Pages:1

Helpful Hints for New Threads
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: JimSpence

With the seemingly increasing duplicate questions and thread titles that are at best uninformative, may I suggest that on the Post New Thread screen that some helpful hints be placed. These could point toward the search feature and to give hints on appropriate thread titles. These could be placed just above the Subject entry box. Also, a mention to not open threads in more than one forum. These would be very visible to all and not be obtrusive to seasoned members.

Thanks for a great forum. :D :up:

Edit: It also shouldn't be too hard to add to the screen and wouldn't require any special programming to implement.

Posted by: JimSpence

Just wanted to bring this up again. It is getting more and more obvious that we need something like this. :)

Posted by: David Bott

Hi Jim:

People will post duplicates no matter what. It is just that people what to ask their own question in their own way. So, no matter what I do, people will still do what you are mentioning I am sorry to say.

Their is a hack for doing a "like" thread check, but it is way to server intensive for this version of software. Ver 3, if we move to it, have this kind of option I do believe.

Posted by: JimSpence

I'm just saying that if a line of text were added within the area of the Subject box explaining a few things might help. No extra programming for the forum is needed. Just add some text. Maybe make it a different color.

Posted by: Dibblah

People will post *more* duplicates if the search engine is as broken as it is at the moment, IMHO.

Searching at approx 12-10-2003 8:30 AM

Look at these results for searching for 'disk':

Fast (WHICH IS THE DEFAULT):
all forums:
Oldest result: 11-23-2003 03:15 PM (2 weeks, 2 days, 17 hours)
Results: 396

Tivo coffee house:
Oldest result: 11-24-2003 12:42 AM (2 weeks, 1 days, 20 hours)
Results: 70

Tivo UK:
Oldest result: 11-23-2003 03:15 PM (2 weeks, 2 days, 17 hours)
Results: 70

Normal:
All forums:
Oldest result: 10-31-2003 12:43 AM (5 weeks, 4 days, 20 hours)
Results: 986

Tivo coffee house:
Oldest result: 10-31-2003 08:29 PM (5 weeks, 4 days, 12 hours)
Results: 137

Tivo UK:
Oldest result: 11-01-2003 09:42 AM (5 weeks, 3 days, 23 hours)
Results: 205

Since there's no difference between the forum selected, I'll leave that for now, and just give results for tivo coffee house.

Fast:
Oldest result: 11-24-2003 12:42 AM (2 weeks, 1 days, 20 hours)
Results: 70

Normal:
Oldest result: 10-31-2003 08:29 PM (5 weeks, 4 days, 12 hours)
Results: 137

Slow:
Oldest result: 09-14-2003 05:00 PM (12 weeks, 2 days, 16 hours)
Results: 256

Slower:
Oldest result: 08-02-2003 06:41 PM (18 weeks, 3 days, 15 hours)
Results: 337

Slowest:
Oldest result: 06-12-2003 12:01 AM (25 weeks, 5 days, 21 hours)
Results: 423

Crawler:
Oldest result: 04-01-2003 03:53 PM (36 weeks, 0 days, 17 hours)
Results: 528

As you can see, there is date limiting on these searches, which is a pretty easy optimisation to do, and quite cost effective on the database backend.

HOWEVER.

The database backend is *not* the resource that provides *revenue* to TCF. It's the people posting useful information. And if these people get bored with *exactly the same question* getting asked every 2 weeks, they are going to dissappear. And how many people want to visit a site with no answers?

Please. Look to see if there are any other search optimisations you can make, apart from this simplistic date limitation.

One easy one is to cripple the 'all forums' search - And instead point people by default to searching the forum they are in.

Any other ideas out there?

Cheers,

Allan.

Posted by: David Bott

You are only guessing it is a date limited search....it is not. It is based on the number of found returns for a word.

"The database backend is *not* the resource that provides *revenue* to TCF"

The site was not made to make money...The sponsors you see help to keep the site alive. The site continues to grow daily and we have no shortage of members on the site at all.

The search works the way is always has. I am sorry to say that people will ask the question usually anyway...for they want their own answer. I have seen this time and time again over the many years I have been doing this.

Posted by: Dibblah

I'm really sorry if I come across as putting the work you do down. We're all really appreciative of the service you provide.

I think I'm seeing how the search results make sense now.

It's doing a search from the current date backwards, effectively, looking for the string searched for. It terminates the search when it has the number of results specified.

However, if the search string is repeated multiple times in one post, it still counts towards the limit.

Is that what you're understanding is of what happens, or am I way off here?

Cheers,

Allan.

Posted by: David Bott

You are correct in the way you are thinking now. :)

The worst part of the way the software does this search is this...If your search has more than one keyword, say Black and White, it will first look up Black and find X results...then it will look for the word White in only the found results. No way around this at this time. Thus you can receive a different number of returns if you reverse the search words based on what it finds with the first word.

Did take make sense? :) Ouch!

Posted by: Dibblah

Errr... Youch. That's even worst than I thought. Is this any better in later versions of vBulletin (which after previous experience, I'm sure you are nervous about switching to)?

Cheers,

Allan.

Posted by: David Bott

Ver 3 has been in beta for like a year. Yes, very much scared of moving to it.

Posted by: dave redmon

I am new at TiVo and the forum. I am also very new to computers so I don't know the language or procedures to use. How do I ask a question or present a problem that I need help with.

Posted by: SolidTechie

quote:
Originally posted by dave redmon
How do I ask a question or present a problem that I need help with.

Welcome!

Well, pretty much as you have just done - in plain English, politely! ;)

You may find it useful to have a look through other posts first, to get a feel for it.

Pretty much try and give as much helpful information as you can - don't forget to specify your model number -if appropriate - , the folks here are all very helpful and friendly, but there aren't many clairvoyants!

Try to post in the correct forum, there's a description of each, on the main page.

Do visit the search pages first, there aren't all that many new questions, just new questioners!

Try to incorporate the problem in the title - there are many experts in different areas on the board, if you give a feel for what the problem is, you may get better, quicker responses. Thread titles like "Newbie question" may well get overlooked by some experts....

Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/avsforum/archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/archive_functions.php on line 37

Warning: include(http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/footer.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/avsforum/archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/archive_functions.php on line 37

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/footer.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/avsforum/archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/archive_functions.php on line 37