Please make your posts searchable: Common Abreviations

[burl0029]

I have had a tough time finding certain things due to the limitations of the search function. It's requirement of a 3-character minimum search term got in the way while trying to search for J pickup info the other day. While I searched for Jazz, most people just use J in their posts.

Thus, I propose everyone adopt the SX (Essex) method of posting: use the short term immediately followed by the phonetical spelling for the sake of those trying to search for those terms. Here are a few that I think we can use to get the ball rolling.

1. SX (Essex) gotta give the original its props by putting it first on the list
2. P (Pee)
3. J (Jay)
4. MM (EmEm) perhaps this is lame, but I couldn't think of anything better

Please add whatever you think would be useful. With as often as people tell others to use the search function, I think we owe it to them to make the search function as usable as possible.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by burl0029

I have had a tough time finding certain things due to the limitations of the search function. It's requirement of a 3-character minimum search term got in the way while trying to search for J pickup info the other day. While I searched for Jazz, most people just use J in their posts.

Thus, I propose everyone adopt the SX (Essex) method of posting: use the short term immediately followed by the phonetical spelling for the sake of those trying to search for those terms. Here are a few that I think we can use to get the ball rolling.

1. SX (Essex) gotta give the original its props by putting it first on the list
2. P (Pee)
3. J (Jay)
4. MM (EmEm) perhaps this is lame, but I couldn't think of anything better

Please add whatever you think would be useful. With as often as people tell others to use the search function, I think we owe it to them to make the search function as usable as possible.

FWIW, I never tell people to use the search function. Communication is ephemeral and consciousness is fleeting. That, and I can never find a damn thing with the search function myself.

[giacomini]

When I really want to find something here, I use the "Search Forums with Google" function.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

^+1

Google search works well enough for me.

Now, if You had made the suggestion about a year or so ago when the TB didn't use Google advertizing and all the benefits that came with it, the abbreviations would've perhaps sunken in better. Then again, The Google "site search" was something that was discussed regularily to help people to search on vBulletin based forums.

Regards
Sam

[puddin tame]

Personally I don't understand why everyone's so cranky at redundant/semi-redundant threads.

Especially to the point where you want to re engineer threads to be more searchable. I could understand for the big topics that would get posted every day, but come on.... no one's forcing you to read it

[bassybill]

Using quotes and limting the results to this site in Google can be very effective. Try copying and pasting the following into the Google search box on the Google main page, WITH the quotes:

"j pickup" site:talkbass.com

Also try the same for "MM bass", "P bass" or "SX bass".

Adding other terms outside the quotes to limit resluts further whilst not searching for an exact string of characters works well too. Try these two, noting the different position of the quotes.

"P bass nitro finish" site:talkbass.com
"P bass" nitro finish site:talkbass.com

Use of the minus sign to exclude terms can also be handy:

"P bass" nitro finish site:talkbass.com -vintage

More info here:

http://www.google.com.au/support/web...?answer=136861