Finding Stuff

From Barbelith

One thing you should do before starting new threads is to make sure that the topic you wish to discuss has not already been started by someone else. If a thread exists, read it and make a decision on whether you want to revive it or whether you want to start a new one to cover something that you feel was missed out on.

You have three (well, four) options for your search activities:

I. The internal search facility (http://www.barbelith.com/search.php) that you see at the bottom of the main page that gets you ten results, a list of the total results but no means to access anything beyond the first ten results (fairly limiting).

II. The New and Improved Quick Link Thing. The shiny new yahoo search facility as developed by Tom and yahoo, or something. Thread about it here (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/23569), if you want to make any comment or ask any question about this one. Otherwise...
	Click here to search Barbelith with Yahoo (http://www.barbelith.com/newsearch.php)
(note - using this is really is probably the best option right now)

III. The Not as New but Still Improved Quick Link Thing. (Thanks to Jub for pointing this out.) If you click on the link below, you will be taken to a Google page already set up to search within Barbelith (just make sure the box next to 'Search barbelith.com' is marked)
	Click here to search Barbelith with Google (http://www.google.co.uk/custom?domains=barbelith.com)
This gets you a whole cart-load of results, plus the ability to access more than just the first ten and the ability to search within the results.

IV. The Not New at All but Still Improved Search Facility does the same thing, only by hand, so you don't have to find the New and Improved Quick Link Thing if you've misplaced it somewhere.

Steps to follow:

1. Enter site:www.barbelith.com in the Google search field, followed by whatever you are searching for.

Example 1: You wish to find all posts made by Sax in 2004. You would enter:

site:www.barbelith.com Sax 2004

and then hit the search button.

Example 2: You wish to find all threads concerning Sleeping Wombats. You would enter:

site:www.barbelith.com Sleeping Wombats

and then hit the search button.

2. Find the page you want and open it.

3. Ta-daa, you have completed your search. If you haven't found what you're looking for, adjust your keywords and try again. If you're presented with a veritable cornucopia of results, try focussing your search criteria.

Example results, searching for 'pirate':

1. 'pirate' = 931

  2. 'pirate parrot' = 21

    3. 'red pirate parrot' = 7

      4. 'flatulent red pirate parrot' = 0 (always a good sign!)

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This page has been accessed 3954 times. This page was last modified 19:49, 12 Sep 2006.