Your feedback on the Community Search page

[Marjo]

Hi guys, I hope you're having a good day today!

As you may know, we've been doing some work in the background to improve the community forum and continue doing that in 2018. One of the areas we will be looking at is the Search page of the community. 

Since you guys as community members are using the search the most, we'd like to ask what you think of the current forum Search, and if there's anything that you would improve?

We're especially looking for your opinions on how to improve the search results page.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

[jonsie]

I can sum it up in one word... useless! Many of us prefer to use Google, much quicker and most community topics are on there.

The community search gives you stress, it brings up threads which mention the words in pays rather than threads and then you have to filter them by date or you see threats and posts from years ago. Just replace it with A Google search box.

[Glory1]

I agree. I find it a nightmare and resort to Google too. I think most of us do. A Google search box js a great idea @jonsie. Would certainly reduce all the hassle.

[Bambino]

@Marjo If you think the Community Search page is useful at the moment, then tell me why so many first time posters ask the same questions over and over and over and over again? I am in total agreement with @jonsie.

[Marjo]

Thanks for your comments so far guys, please do keep it coming!

@Bambino We want to improve the search page indeed to also help new members find what they're looking for so please do let us know if you have any additional feedback.  It would be really great to hear specific examples of what you think is not so great when you search on this forum. And e.g. if you have examples of websites with search results pages that you really find useful, would love to hear about those too and what you think is good about them.

Thanks for mentioning about the posts instead of threads being displayed in the results - you would prefer if it only displayed the first post of each thread instead, if I understood correctly?

Any other thoughts?

[MI5]

Something I find useful on giffgaff’s forum is the suggestions that drop down when you start a new post.
So, for example, if someone titles their post “How to sim swap” a number of posts relating to sim swaps will be shown which the customer can read to see if they help before posting their own question.

[Marjo]

Awesome thanks for this example @MI5! 

[Cleoriff]

@MarjoI rarely use the search function for the reasons given by @jonsie

It really is useless and outdated. I use google all the time.

1) The search box re-enters your search with a question such as 'do you mean blah blah' ...No I don't actually!

I wanted it to search for what I typed exactly One example Rewards...and I got Records.

2) It also brings up information from 2008 (for instance)...totally outdated

3) Then we have the split thread issue. For instance The Formula 1 thread was split . We now have three.  2016, 2017, 2018. If I search Formula 1 2018, I am immediately shown the one from 2016. It NEVER shows 2018. So I just give up and go into Off Topic . Its the same with the Virtual Lounge. Always takes you to the old one and never the new version

I would suggest we get rid of old outdated posts from the search box. Other than that I have no idea how to improve it, other than replace it with Google.

Currently it is unfit for purpose.

[Anonymous]

@Marjo I tend to search on google because the community one is useless. Try typing in what you want & it comes up with what you don’t want & takes forever to find exactly what you need. It’s basically rubbish 

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymouswrote:

@Marjo I tend to search on google because the community one is useless. Try typing in what you want & it comes up with what you don’t want & takes forever to find exactly what you need. It’s basically rubbish 

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Additionally. if you know something was definitely posted a week ago and you type in the search box... I find the times greyed out ie a week, a month etc. I am only presented with the ALL option..Extremely frustrating.