Answers to using the TDIClub Search

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
The TDIClub Forums have a search function that allows one to easily locate threads, without having to dig for a long time to find a relevant thread. One should use it BEFORE asking a question - if your question has already been answered, it saves everyone a lot of time to look it up.

However, the searching system that is in place on these forums is known for being difficult to use. Unlike a search engine like Google, locating relevant content is difficult. Part of this is because of the way the search engine here works - it sorts the results by how old they are, not how relevant they are. Also, it assumes that either word is acceptable, whereas a normal search engine assumes that the searcher wants documents with BOTH words.

Before starting a new thread, click the search link:



When clicking it, a menu will come up. This menu will contain a search field, and an "Advanced Search" link, like so:



Click that link, and you will get the "Advanced Search" page. This page will include the following element:



Note the circled "Boolean" button. Whenever you are searching these forums, you will want to click on that.

When searching, it helps to be as specific as possible. If you know what section to search in, tell it to search in that section. If you know who posted the post you're looking for, put their username in the "Search for Posts by User" field. If you know how long ago it was posted, you can adjust the time range.

To look for multiple words, you use the words AND, OR, or NOT between the words. AND makes it such that both words are required, OR makes it such that either word can appear, not necessarily both, and NOT makes it such that the word following it cannot appear. Do not attempt to put + or - before a word, as it will not work.

Below are some examples of searching for posts containing the words diesel and pollution, but not nitrogen.



This screenshot depicts a search that an average user may try to use. He or she tried to use the +es to signify that a word should appear, and the -es to signify that a word should not appear. Attempting to search using this method will most likely be fruitless.



This screenshot depicts a search that will likely find the relevant posts quickly and easily. First, the user used the Boolean keywords (AND and NOT) to tell the search engine what to do (and enabled the Boolean option). He or she also focused the search - such a topic would likely be found in the TDI Emissions section, so the search can be restricted to there without worry that important information is being missed.

Hopefully this guide helps with your searches on the TDIClub Forums!
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
The problem with that button is that it uses none of the tricks I mentioned, and gives crappy results. Try that button to remind you to do what I said ;)
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
bhtooefr said:
The problem with that button is that it uses none of the tricks I mentioned, and gives crappy results. Try that button to remind you to do what I said ;)
Use that button with "Oil in intercooler" as search criteria.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Also, if you want to drill the results down further, you can search by posts from only one user. As you start to type, you'll get a drop down list with usernames that start with what you've typed thus far:



Also, if you want to always do a Boolean search, you can save the setting by using the save search preferences button:



-Jason
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
Note that if you save the Boolean preference, it'll allow you to use Boolean searches in the drop-down search box. You won't have to go into the Advanced search.

However, the advanced search is still handy for other things.
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
This drop down is very useful too:



Obviously searching Titles Only returns far fewer results, but they tend to be more relevant. Try it first.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
Actually, the VWvortex search by default works in a titles only mode.

It can be quite effective, assuming that the threads that have the information you are looking for have good titles.
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
I nominate this thread for sticky status because I find it VERY helpful :) .




A few more tips:
  • when searching, change the 'Sort Results by' to relevance.
Also, often when I am having a car problem of the classic type (MAF, idle shudder, anything that seems likely to have ocurred umpteen times before and be well covered territory here,
  • I will search by date, ONLY stuff 2 years or OLDER, as most of these problems were hashed out and well-described by the older veterans in days of yore.
  • Even if I were an owner of a newer MarkV car, I would still look to the older posts for basic factual information on failure types, unless I knew my failure type to be platform-specific.
Also,
  • try changing the sort by to 'oldest first' (IOW: ascending sort order by date), as older threads generally have lots of traffic, lots of good stuff, and also gems of links that may have been forgotten by us newbie 'veterans' such as myself.
 

dave333

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2005
Location
SE US
TDI
Did own... None right now!
I used boolean, entered "door AND squeak" and at the very top of my search results, it says:

Search: Key Word(s): door OR squeak


Am I doing something wrong?
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
dave333 said:
I used boolean, entered "door AND squeak" and at the very top of my search results, it says:

Search: Key Word(s): door OR squeak


Am I doing something wrong?
I don't think so. I came up with the sme results with -coolant and valve -.:confused:
 

peanutschaffuer

Active member
Joined
Dec 23, 2005
No search type

Nowhere on my advanced search page does it show or say anything about "search type". in other words I cant choose Boolean. Anyone run into that?
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
peanutschaffuer said:
Nowhere on my advanced search page does it show or say anything about "search type". in other words I cant choose Boolean. Anyone run into that?
It's not right above the button that you click to search?
 

peanutschaffuer

Active member
Joined
Dec 23, 2005
search by type missing

My screen looks exactly like that presented earlier in the thread by Bhtoofer but it is missing the "Search by type" area. Who knew?
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
I double and triple-checked mine, and it has it...

This is odd... I'll send an e-mail to Fred...
 

spoilsport

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 3, 1999
Location
Houston TX
TDI
2000 Golf GLS Silver (Sold). 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon Tiptronic (daughter's)
somethings wrong with advanced search

I just tried an Advanced Search (Boolean) for "koni and red" in the TDI Discussion Area.

I selected Search Entire Posts, at least 0 replies, any date and newer, and it came up with
Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.
Next, I did a standard search, typing in the same "koni and red", and got 49 hits. The 3rd thread's title was "Updated Koni Red Price". :rolleyes:

I have been experiencing this problem ever since the changeover.
Any ideas? :confused:
 

scurvy

Good Ol' Boy
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Chicago IL USA
TDI
2006 Golf
Too tired or lazy to read and understand how to use boolean searches?
Not satisfied with the results from the vBulletin search function?
Thirsting for real knowledge and only coming up with a Tang-like substitute?

With Dr. Scurvy's Patented 18-in-1 All Natural Homeopathic TDIClub Search
and Salve, never again shall you go crawling under a hot, oily TDI without the knowledge that you seek.

Rejoice, brothers and sisters, for you shall be delivered from your questions like the Phrygians from their fog. The tool you shall utilize... is Google.

Do this: open up a google search window or use the handy built-in search box in Firefox and figure out how you'd search for whatever you want using google. Use "quotation marks" to search for a particular phrase or add +plus +signs to include specific words in your search or -minus -signs to exclude ones. But before you hit enter or click "Google Search", append this phrase to the beginning of your search: "site:forums.tdiclub.com " and shown in pictoral form here


How many hits did I get? From the horse's mouth: "[SIZE=-1]Results 1 - 10 of about 18,200 from forums.tdiclub.com for PD +engine +oil. (0.19 seconds)"

A few caveats, however - this will search on individual posts, not threads. If you're not good with google, this will not help you. It only searches on the forums as they were last time Google crawled through them, which may or may not be up to date.

If this does prove useful, please send cash donations - no scrip, wampum or pelts; promissory notes OK - to the Sawtooth Nat'l Bank of Tallapoosa GA (formerly Possum Snout), c/o Them Diesel Car Word Pages and I shall see that our Canadien overlord gets the sum when the coffers overflow.

scurvy
[/SIZE]
 
Last edited:

Canadian_Grizzly

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Location
British Columbia, Canada
TDI
02 Jetta TDI
Recommend that this thread be a sticky on TDI 101 as most newbies go there first and many of us "veterans" tend to go only to select portions of this wonderful site. Took me a couple years to figure out the search function properly.
Just a thought...
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
A larger problem with scurvy's method is that it it's not necessarily up to date. vBulletin search searches TDIClub as it is now, whereas Google searches it as much as a month ago. Still, I've used it when I can't find anything on vBulletin's search.

Canadian_Grizzly: Good idea... this thread might have to be moved there, somehow... or could a redirect be stickied up there somehow?
 

paramedick

TDIClub Enthusiast, Vendor
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Location
Versailles, Kentucky
TDI
2015 Audi Q5 TDI
Thanks for the reply, Fred. Tooef, thanks for the Boolean hints. I wondered why +, -, and " wouldn't work.

I also found it easier to search by posts instead of thread.
 

BioThomas

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2006
Location
Humble, TX
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
paramedick said:
Thanks for the reply, Fred. Tooef, thanks for the Boolean hints. I wondered why +, -, and " wouldn't work.

I also found it easier to search by posts instead of thread.
Same here. I wonder too why +, -, and " do not work. But I guess some search engines are just that way.

I also prefer to use the search by posts.
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
dave333 said:
I used boolean, entered "door AND squeak" and at the very top of my search results, it says:

Search: Key Word(s): door OR squeak


Am I doing something wrong?
+1

I'm sure this used to work, but it doesn't now.



 

scurvy

Good Ol' Boy
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Chicago IL USA
TDI
2006 Golf
P2B said:
Anyone know how to make AND work?
Simon -

I believe it defaults to AND when doing a query. That is, putting in "API AND moron" would be the same search as just "API moron". I just tried it and it lists the search words the same.

Searched for "API AND moron" with boolean search:


Searched for "API moron" with boolean search:


Maybe some background database wonkiness going on? Seems to work fine now.

Cheers,

scurvy
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
It doesn't work that way for me - I do a boolean search for "API AND moron", results page says "Key Word(s): API OR moron". Same thing if I do a boolean search for "API moron" - in other words it defaults to OR for me :confused:

I've tried every combination and I can't get the results page to put commas between the keywords (or "AND").

Simon
 
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