Replacement for Apolyton Search

[mrmitchell]

Since the Apolyton Search doesn't work, and I was trying to find a person's post so I could see a new sig, this is what I did:

(1) Go to http://www.google.com
(2) Type in as your search:

[whatever] site:apolyton.net

(3) Click on the most relevant result!!!

I don't think it works so well for more specific stuff but I was able to find one of the guy's posts.

Let's see how long each one takes.

Let's try to find one of Frozzy's posts using the Apolyton Search.

Steps:
(1) Start Time, New Window for Search page
(2) Type "Frozzy" (w/o quotes) in "Search By User Name" space
(3) Hit Perform Search
(4) Click on Result
(5) Result Loaded
(6) Ctrl-F User's Nick Until Post is Found, Stop Time.

That one took 3 min, 40sec.

Now let's find a post of Frozzy's using Google:
(1) Start Time, New Window (doesn't matter for what as you will be Stopping it)
(2) Stop Loading New Window
(3) Go to http://www.google.com
(4) Search for:
"Frozzy site:apolyton.net"
w/o quotes
(5) Click Result
(6) Result Loaded
(7) Ctrl-F User's Nick Until Post is Found, Stop Time.

That one took 1 min, 50sec.

---

In both instances the very first result was clicked, that created an additional delay on the Google side becuase a forum page opened instead of a thread page. Still, Google won out by a long shot.

---

As I research this more, I'll try to figure out whether Google can be tweaked to get to exact posts, etc.

(Markos, you can finally pitch the Search function once and for all. )

[mrmitchell]

Update:

Search

"greek sun" coffee site:apolyton.net

did not work. This is probably to do with the forums database not being searchable or something like that (IIRC forumdatabases can't be searched. Dunno. )
---
BTW, there was a 2600 a while back with an article on Google tricks. IIRC it was entitled "Stupid Google Tricks". Could someone please direct me to a text of that article online or the issue number? Thanks in advance.

[EDIT]
Update:
Apolyton Searches

"greek sun" coffee

and

greek AND sun OR coffee

returned nothing:

The search term you specified (sun) is under the minimum word length (4) and therefore will not be found. Please make this term longer.

So that's a tie between Google and Apolyton so far.
[/EDIT]
[EDIT again]
Sorry, that's not a tie, that's Google-1, Poly-0. (Google was faster in one test and neither could run the other test.)
[/EDIT again]

[Static Universe]

Stupid Google Tricks:

http://store.2600.com/spring2002.html

[Static Universe]

Re: Replacement for Apolyton Search

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Since the Apolyton Search doesn't work, and I was trying to find a person's post so I could see a new sig, this is what I did:

(1) Go to http://www.google.com
(2) Type in as your search:

[whatever] site:apolyton.net

(3) Click on the most relevant result!!!

I don't think Google searches more than half of Poly's forums, but it's better than nothing.

I once did a search on someone's sig and it only came back with Poly returns (and one porn site).

[tniem]

How much does google charge for their search feature on a site? It certainly increase search finds on the forum.

[Hueij]

Now let's find a post of Frozzy's using Google:
(1) Start Time, New Window (doesn't matter for what as you will be Stopping it)
(2) Stop Loading New Window
(3) Go to http://www.google.com
(4) Search for:
"Frozzy site:apolyton.net"
w/o quotes
(5) Click Result
(6) Result Loaded
(7) Ctrl-F User's Nick Until Post is Found, Stop Time.
That one took 1 min, 50sec.

In Opera this will only take 5 steps... Less then 10 seconds (I copied and pasted your search terms though )

[MarkG]

the "google on apolyton" search you are describing is the "apolyton" option in the search box at the top part of all forum thread pages

[mrmitchell]

Static23
Thank you for telling me what issue that was, I think I remember where I put that one now.
Heuij
All tests were done in IE.
However, in Mozilla, the Google test brings back a result of 50 seconds.
MarkG
D'oh!
First time I searched with your suggestion, I got this though:

Server Error
The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request.

Please try again in a minute or so

So I tried again:
Same result. Waited a few minutes, and....
Same result.

I decided seeing if Google at all was working, heading to the trusty google.com. :MAJOR-EEK: Same thing.

I guess something is very wrong with Google at the moment, as only 1 search (Frozzy on threads list) out of 5 attempts worked.

So I'll figure it out later .

(You know the world is ending if google is down. )

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by MarkG
the "google on apolyton" search you are describing is the "apolyton" option in the search box at the top part of all forum thread pages

I did not know that! This is very useful.

[Panag]

hi ,

"google"

no thanks , it keeps to many files on the users , ........

the apolyton search is good enough , ....

and Markos should charge them if "google" links up with Apolyton , .....

have a nice day

[mrmitchell]

Tests on the Thread-Page Search Box

(1) New Window
(2) Type "Frozzy" in Box
(3) Scroll to "Apolyton" in Drop-Down Menu
(4) Hit Search
(5) Click on Most Relevant Result
(6) Most Relevant Result Finishes D/L-ing
(7) Ctrl-F "Frozzy"

1 min, 41 sec

Uh...Markos...going through http://www.google.com was faster

Eh, it depends on many factors though, so I guess it means it takes about the same amount of time. However, if the Search feature is useless anyways, and the little search box at teh top of each thread-link page uses Google, why don't we just go ahead and throw away the search feature? Is it embedded into vBB or something?

[Frozzy]

My question is why did you use my username

[Rasbelin]

Maybe he's so fond of you?

Mitch, how bored where you when you started to fool around with this useless stuff?

[Lemmy]

Originally posted by panag
hi ,

"google"

no thanks , it keeps to many files on the users , ........

the apolyton search is good enough , ....

and Markos should charge them if "google" links up with Apolyton , .....

have a nice day

What files?

[mrmitchell]

I was going to try to find one of Ming's posts, but Google returned all sorts of interviews **** on him. So the next person I thought of was Frozzy. Strange...

Rasbelin, shut up
To illustrate my boredom, however, imagine the most boring thing you can think of in the world. Then multiply it a few infinity times.