Smart search, dumb user?

[maxfrost01]

I guess I really should have asked about this a long time ago....but how do I use the search facility for the forum to best effect?

Here's the specfic query.

Let's say I want to find topics on 'using search'.
I enter both words in the search box and can then select 'search for any terms or use query as entered' or 'search for all terms'.
Seems to me that both do the same thing and search on any of the entered words thus giving me any topic where content includes the word 'using' OR 'search'.
Makes it kinda hard to refine the search.

So, dumb search engine or dumb user? Which one is it, guys?
And you can be honest.........

[sjj1805]

Search for Keywords:
You can use AND to define words which must be in the results, OR to define words which may be in the result and NOT to define words which should not be in the result. Use * as a wildcard for partial matches

The best way to search is to use less to find more.
By this try searching for a single word and you will get lots of hits.
Search on two (or more) words and you get less hits.

Search the whole of the forum again gets more hits but if you specify a particular forum such as VideoStudio you get less.

You can also search just the previous day, past week, last 2 weeks and other time frames going back to a year.

You need to play around with the various drop down lists.
The less specific your search the more hits.
the more specific your search the less hits.

[maxfrost01]

Thanks, Steve.

It's the use of 'and' & 'or' etc that will make the big difference!

I guess I really should have thought of that.