Using The Search Function

[IanDMacDonald]

I've noticed quite a few threads recently that may have upwards of three pages of the same question asked in thirty different ways, with the same generous members answering in the same patient manner.

This site is a knowledge bank, an encyclopedia of questions and answers saved on this site prior to it's formation, going back to Yahoo user groups days.

Odds are, if you have a question regarding your bike, it's been asked and answered already. Not to say there are not questions that have not been asked . . .

But, if many on here are members of other forums, you're definitely aware of how frustrated the members and moderators are when the same question is asked, and sometimes it's a few threads below their's.

So, by all means, explore the site. Spend countless sleepless nites reading thread after thread. Realize how many are still around, and how many are moved-on. It's a great site, and the "Search" feature keeps the forum less-cluttered, and allows questions with more detail to be answered much quicker.

[natemoen]

But then at the same time, I would rather someone start a new thread rather than drudge up a 4 year old thread to ask for details about something.

Plus the search function is difficult to use at first. It is just kind of weird to use.

[3Phase]

I use Google instead of the site's built-in Search because it's a little more flexible and it doesn't suck up site cpu cycles (go on, say that five times fast!).

The Google search string for results only from xs11.com would be:
your_search_terms_here site:xs11.com

The Google search string for results only from xs11.org would be:
your_search_terms_here site:hitechkc.dyndns.org:78


You can also use a minus sign to do the same trick but in reverse to exclude sites:
your_search_terms_here -site:annoying.search.hijack.site1.com -site:annoying.search.hijack.site2.com -site:annoying.search.hijack.site3.com

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[alaskey2]

In the google box I type "xs11 [the thing I want to read about]" Works every time and I don't have to remember code.

I know it's one line of code, but my way is actually less keystrokes

[3Phase]

Down with globalism -- search local!

In the google box I type "xs11 [the thing I want to read about]" Works every time and I don't have to remember code.

I know it's one line of code, but my way is actually less keystrokes

Yeah, you can use the default global Google search but Ian was talking about searching this site, xs11.com, not the entire freakin' planet. Sure, restricting the search to just one site will cause you to miss things like the UK and Aussie sites along with the excellent yamahaxs1100 Wordpress site and global search results will -- usually -- have exactly what you wanted anyway but eventually one or more of the search-aggregator/hijack sites will latch onto your search terms.

When that happens you'd probably have been much better off using the built-in XS11.com search engine. Pay attention and be careful with global searches so you don't end up at some subverted site that wants a fee to decrypt what used to be your files.

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[alaskey2]

I usually read this site at work, so it's not my computer

Kidding, thanks for the tip!

[3Phase]

At work -- LMAO!

Google and the other search companies try to get rid of the bad stuff, that's what the "malicious websites" setting in most browsers is for but as fast as the sites get swatted, new ones crop up like some sad game of Whack-A-Mole.

Then people complain about search engine companies tracking them everywhere, using up their bandwidth and trying to take over their machines and their lives. <sigh>

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