Site Feedback The Search Engine

[dirzted]

Ok I see "use the search engine dumbass" on a TON on OD/BDD threads, and I would like to say that those comments are (to me) not justified whatsoever because the Search engine feature for easily accessible general info is (to me) pretty impractical for first time user's.

I know using the advanced settings is fairly easy and also works fine but for most of BL's drug crazed population, this is a somewhat more difficult task, I would also make the point that it seems reasonable for one to expect to not have to use the advanced settings page since it's pretty rare to use those kinds of features on other sites. The main problem with the SE is that it links your search with ALL words typed in a thread, instead of those only included in the title, which to me seems fairly ridiculous honestly but who am I to criticize probably THE greatest harm reduction site on the web.

My main point I guess is that just because someone's asking a question that's been answered a million times before, doesn't mean they deserve some arrogant lecture on how they should've done more research, if the questions keep getting asked, then somethings wrong with who's telling the answers. I mean that goes up to a point, no matter what you're going to get some pretty unintelligent remarks but if someone asks, for instance, if it's bad that they have a minor hive breakout from a shot of Heroin, which we all know to be only temporary and relatively harmless (as far as IV use problems go) and someone instead just answers with "you should've known better stupid... blah blah blah..." and said user freaks out not knowing what to do, putting him at a high likelihood to make a poor, impulsive decision, causing him harm, than who really cares if he could've used the search engine or not? All the answerer had to do was just type a couple sentences and the user (who's probably already in pretty bad circumstances if they're using BL to answer questions regarding intravenous heroin use) can be put in a better position to not do as much damage to his internal/external environment.

So ya i guess i had to get that off my chest since it's been bothering me a lot lately and it'd be hilarious if this had already been brought up and I didn't see it since i didn't search this topic well enough...

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Beside the Keyword text box, notice the drop-down menu. The default is Search entire posts; hit the down arrow & you will see the option Titles only.

 

[alasdairm]

My main point I guess is that just because someone's asking a question that's been answered a million times before, doesn't mean they deserve some arrogant lecture on how they should've done more research, if the questions keep getting asked, then somethings wrong with who's telling the answers.

that is one (of many) conclusions.

another is that people can, generally speaking, be very lazy and demand to be spoon-fed information to which they have the same access as everybody else (if they just spent a second or two looking).

i believe in the axiom that "you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

it's interesting to me that you chose to characterise the responses as "some arrogant lecture". that seems like hyperbole and that speaks to your point.

one man's arrogant lecture is another's pragmatic response.

if you feel that questions on bluelight deserve better answers, then stick around and help us by writing them?

welcome to bluelight.

alasdair

 

[sekio]

Sometimes the BL search engine can get kind of cantankerous, I use Google and type in "site:bluelight.org" before my query, and it works well for things I have trouble finding with the BL forum search.

 

[dirzted]

haha thanks for the replies guys, I personally know how to use it for my own interests I mainly was just talking about users who are somewhat new/unfamiliar with the site

that is one (of many) conclusions.

another is that people can, generally speaking, be very lazy and demand to be spoon-fed information to which they have the same access as everybody else (if they just spent a second or two looking).

i believe in the axiom that "you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

it's interesting to me that you chose to characterise the responses as "some arrogant lecture". that seems like hyperbole and that speaks to your point.

one man's arrogant lecture is another's pragmatic response.

if you feel that questions on bluelight deserve better answers, then stick around and help us by writing them?

welcome to bluelight.

alasdair

Notice the next sentence is... "that goes up to a point."

Also, I didn't mean to "characterize" ALL of the responses to previously answered questions, those were just the only ones that were relevant in the context of my argument. I should've put "dumbass* use the search engine" in the beginning of that paragraph to be more specific, in no way was i trying to say that anyone who tells a user who didn't use the SE to use it was somehow giving them an arrogant lecture.

I agree completely the majority of the time its totally the users fault haha
I was just trying to give some of what to me seemed overlooked justifications for it to encourage less un-constructive criticism and therefore more harm-reducing type answers.