One of our posts is missing

[rjbull]

I remembered an illuminating post by the magisterial CarolHaynes on how to cancel subscriptions from companies that make cancellation excessively difficult.  I didn't seem to have a local copy, so I went looking for it using DC's search feature.  I couldn't find it, despite a fairly determined attempt.  CarolHaynes remembers the message herself but also couldn't find it, and  points out that she thinks SMF has been occasionally losing messages.  Obviously searching wouldn't turn up a message that was no longer in existence.

So...  has anyone else seen this problem?  The search facility may not be very good, but it should have turned up something.  Has anyone else found that posts they know they made have quietly disappeared?

[nudone]

the times i thought things had been deleted because i couldn't find them using the search feature were always found if i went through my actual post list - very time consuming i must say.

the overall conclusion (for me) is that the search function doesn't appear to be perfect. the posts are there (at least the ones i was looking for) but the search couldn't locate them.

also, i did use search keywords that were definitely in the post i was looking for.

[kimmchii]

you can also use google search:

site:www.donationcoder.com "cancel subscriptions"
or
site:www.donationcoder.com cancel subscriptions

there is no such post.

[mouser]

smf search leaves much to be desired; they say they are improving it in the upcoming release.

nevertheless, for this and other reasons i have decided to add a new feature; you will soon be able to check a box in your options to have the forum email you a copy of any post you make, with link back to it on the forum.  i'm guessing many of us would like that, for our records, for backup, for searching, etc.

[rjbull]

you can also use google search:

site:www.donationcoder.com "cancel subscriptions"
or
site:www.donationcoder.com cancel subscriptions

there is no such post.

-kimmchii (August 07, 2006, 10:00 AM)

There may not be such a post now, but there was once.  True, I can't remember the exact form of words.  But if the post was deleted, it won't be there for Google to search, and may have disappeared from Google's cache.

Nobody could expect CarolHaynes to go through her post list one by one - not with 2482 posts and counting...   

<Later edit>

kimmchi,

Tried Google search again with keywords that did appear in the original post, and it found it OK.  Good idea, thanks.  The problem is remembering the right keywords...

[Ampa]

Here is the link you are looking for...

https://www.donation...88.msg28858#msg28858

It is part of the thread of interesting links by Thunder7.

Oh and here is that article it points to...

http://www.boingboin...o_cancel_a_serv.html

Ampa

[rjbull]

Here is the link you are looking for...

https://www.donation...88.msg28858#msg28858

It is part of the thread of interesting links by Thunder7.

Ampa

-Ampa (August 07, 2006, 10:20 AM)

THAT'S THE ONE!!!   

Ampa,

How did you find/remember it?  I couldn't use just the word "cancel" because it threw up far too many hits.  I see the post didn't contain any of the other words I tried, so no wonder search didn't find it.

[Carol Haynes]

Thanks - I did do an 'advanced' search on my user id and the keyword 'cancel' (amongst others) that were in the post and it didn't appear in the results list. Strange as you would think search routines are pretty basic things to implement on a database (it was an exercise I used to teach quite early on in classes when I taught programming).

By the way Mouser has replaced the Search button on the button bar (Cody took it away for a while for retuning) which now takes you direct to the SMF advanced search (much use it may do you - but you never know it might work occasionally!).