OMD! Our search feature SUCKS! Try this one out...

[ClarkP]

Hey there!

Thanks so much for all of you that filled out our survey.  It has helped us figure out some stuff.  Adina will post more about the survey results later.

Some stuff you told us about we had been avoiding thinking about.  Like... OUR SEARCH FEATURE REALLY SUCKS.

Ouch.

It had to be said.

We knew search wasn't great, but didn't know it affected you this much.

So I am testing something else:  Scrapping our search completely and just using Google for our own internal search.

But I'd like your opinion on it first.

If you guys like the Google search results better, we will replace the search result that you currently see on DK with results from Google.  You would search in the same places on DK, but just get a different results page.

Try this for me.  Do searches on DK and then do the same searches here:
http://www.google.com/cse/publicurl?cx=009170712849504475131:pu1tn0...

Do you like the results better?  Or do you like the current results from the DK search?

(Note: This link is to our custom search test page.  You WON'T have to go off site to use this... but I wanted to know if you like the search results you get from it better.  Make sense?)

If you like the Google search results better, we will replace the internal DK results with these results.

So let me know what you think.

Thanks!
/Clark

[Adina P]

Got it.  Hopefully with a better search engine within the site the actual searching will be more fruitful and members who know there are good past discussions on the very topic being asked about will be more willing to paste the discussion links as answers.

[Star and Goldie]

I can finally comment on this with some experience! I love love love this new search feature. It is so convenient and provides much better results. I love that its powered by google but that you don't have to leave the site. It's the same search process just behind the scenes it's a different engine producing the results. It sounds like some people may have thought they had to leave and actually go to google which isn't the case. For us, nothing is different. We just get better results and a whole less frustration.
Yesterday I was looking for anything about best types of food storage containers and really didnt want to have to post a discussion for it. With the new search I found my answer in less than a minute! It took me right to 3 perfect discussions. Previously I would have searched until I was blue in the face and finally give up and just post it!
Thanks Clark for the time you put into this!

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

I can not get the DK seach function to work. This one (the Google search) works much better. Can you make it a "permanent" part of DK?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The group searches aren't working either. I have to try to locate this discussion so i can use this link every time i want to do a search. Can we have an easily accessible link somewhere else? 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I saved the link on my toolbar because I had trouble finding it also.

[Adina P]

Soonish is what I understand.

[Bug <3]

New to the site (and to the doodle world), and never seemed to be able to find what I am looking for when using the DK search... just been playing with the google one... and it is A LOT better!  My vote is the google search that you have listed above.  Thanks for working on this :o)

[F, Calla & Luca]

The search feature is now terrific. However, we don't have any search function in the discussions in some of the groups, the Photography Group being one of them. I am not looking for photographs but merely searching for words and I get "no results found". Thanks for any help you can give us, Clark.