When to change oil
#21
02-01-2010, 02:25 PM
It's called the search function. Every forum as one. Some are better than others. Either way, as I frequent many different forums this is a universal problem. People are either too lazy or too dumb to search first. So instead they peddle out these hashed over questions, which often times are of controversial nature.
Q. What are you, stupid? These things aren't bad designs! You're just too dumb to figure out how to use them! You have no common sense. You're too lazy to read instructions.
A. Things designed for common use should not require that people have an above average intelligence and should not require them to expend a lot of mental energy or time learning, problem solving or reading instructions. These requirements are obstacles that dramatically decrease the number of potential users. If designers want their products to be widely used, they are well-advised to design them so that they are easy to use.
A. Things designed for common use should not require that people have an above average intelligence and should not require them to expend a lot of mental energy or time learning, problem solving or reading instructions. These requirements are obstacles that dramatically decrease the number of potential users. If designers want their products to be widely used, they are well-advised to design them so that they are easy to use.
As a systems librarian who worked with, implemented, and helped design sophisticated search systems for 30 years, I can say with some confidence that the main problem is that this forum (and most like it) has very rudimentary search functions.
Here's a specific example. Search for: "first oil change" [with the quotes]
Response: Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.
Drop the quotes, and you get 150 hits, but the search engine discards oil (because it's only 3 characters) and change (because it's too common)
Response: The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search: first, oil
Further, the results are arranged chronologically (LIFO) rather than by relevance, so if a topic hasn't come up in a while, it gets buried. Ignoring DeeGee's query from Saturday, the first relevant response (as of 1400 EST today) is #69, appearing on the third page of results. Google, and many others who have researched user behavior, have found that if a result doesn't appear on the first page, most people give up. In actual fact, it's much more effective to find the answer to DeeGee's question in this forum by searching Google for honda fit first oil change. Google's first result is 20 posts from fitfreak.net.
Last edited by Selden; 02-01-2010 at 02:38 PM.
#22
02-01-2010, 02:55 PM
Google's domain specific search function is easier to use than vBulletin's. example. But I don't expect people to need to use it.
How about the scholarly database searches? I'm in the IT biz and those things give me hives.
Rather than being all huffy, people should provide links to the threads if they know they exist. Unless of course they recommend changing oil every 3,000 miles.
How about the scholarly database searches? I'm in the IT biz and those things give me hives.
Rather than being all huffy, people should provide links to the threads if they know they exist. Unless of course they recommend changing oil every 3,000 miles.
#23
02-01-2010, 03:04 PM
why do most people get upset when someone new to the board wants to discuss a topic that's already been posted previously. how are they supposed to know it's been discussed before? if you're so upset by it, don't respond to the thread. i'm sure there are people on here that don't mind helping out, so leave it to them to answer the question. stop acting so high and mighty because you got your FIT way before someone else.
Watch this video :
YouTube - Steam Forum Rules
#25
02-02-2010, 12:41 AM
It certainly is worthless is you never use it. As anecdotal as it may be, I have never had the search on this forum fail me. I have always been able to find what I need with relative ease.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Brisscoe
2nd Generation GE8 Specific DIY: Repair & Maintenance Sub-Forum
23
07-31-2014 09:33 PM
spinnb7
2nd Generation (GE 08-13)
19
11-05-2008 05:24 PM
