Search facility 8 October 2021 at 4:12PM in Site feedback 4 replies 91 views

Blulu

Hi, I would be grateful for an update on how the improvements are progressing. It's still a major problem for me and others wanting to post competitions, but struggling to search to see if they're already posted.

Thank you

Blu XXX

MSE_Laura_F

Hello Blulu,

Thanks very much for your message - I'm always grateful for your contact and can appreciate everything you've said, here and on the Comper threads.

I’m afraid I don’t have any more updates just yet on the search function. The ‘back button’ issue has been resolved but the other things I raised (following the compers’ feedback on those couple of threads) have gone into a prioritisation queue - I've not been updated yet on which will get the go-ahead. Our tech team has to balance all requests against each other and has to be able to commit to supporting new features as they’re added so they don’t cause anything to go wonky.

I know one of your main concerns, though, is the number of steps it takes to search for recently posted competitions. This isn’t likely to change I'm afraid, because the search function is for the entire Forum, and we’ve added lots of filters to facilitate all the different kinds of search. I saw the useful workaround posted in a couple of the threads (and in your signature) and the suggestion of bookmarking it:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search?domain=discussions&query="(md)"&page=2&sort=-dateInserted&scope=site&Search="(md)"&categoryOptions[0][value]=72&categoryOptions[0][label]=Competitions Time&categoryOptions[0][data][parentLabel]=Forum Home&includeChildCategories=true&types[0]=discussion&types[1]=comment

We’ll work to add this to the sticky posts on the Competitions Time board so hopefully this will help all Compers who need to use the search.

Best,

MSE Laura F

Blulu

Thank you for that Laura. I do appreciate that the comps board has to function as part of the whole forum and definitely understand the need to prioritise. I guess we have to accept the number of steps involved aspect. It is a hard one, because I honestly do believe it will continue to put people off posting comps here, meaning fewer comps posted. But it is helpful to know that this is unlikely to change. At least it means that compers can make an informed decision whether to stick with the comps board here or not.

As always, I appreciate your time and kind comments.

Blu XXX

Blulu

Hi Laura,

I have been thinking about what you said and want to be honest in my response. I realise that you speak on behalf of the MSE team, and what I am saying here is directed at the team, not at you personally.

I think it is incorrect to say that there aren’t any more updates ‘as yet’ on the search function. What you said contained a highly significant update. That being that the search system is now, pretty much, as good as it is going to get, in respect of our comping needs.

While I am sad about this, I have no issue with it. MSE remains a fabulous and important resource. It is run ethically and as close to being independent as it is possible to be.

I have consistently acknowledged that the comping forum is just one section of the site, that we don’t pay anything to use it and that we don’t have the right to expect MSE to modify their systems for our forum alone.

For me, the real issue is, and always has been, about communication. This is also something I have referred to consistently.

We were told that the search would be adapted to suit our needs, and this would be done by the end of July. That didn’t happen, or at least not as far as I can see. I am not cross about that, but I am cross about feeling misled. If I had known, I would have accepted it, as I now, finally, do.

From what you said yesterday, I am now, at last, in a position to make a decision about whether I want to continue to use the forum as it is, or not. I only wish I had been in that position sooner.

I hope that none of what I have said comes across as being mean. That is not at all my intention. I feel that I now have closure with the issues here that I have been trying to address for a very long time. Saying all this is a part of that closure.

With sincere best wishes 

Blu XXX

MSE_Laura_F

Hello Blulu,

I appreciate your thoughts and your honesty and I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. I do hope that you'll still continue to use the Forum since you are a huge asset to the community.

I'm hopeful the search will still improve in the future based on the requests I've sent our developers, such as the ability to filter out replies. But you're right that the basic way the new search function works will remain the same. It's simply because it needs to be a universal search function, fit for every part of the Forum, so cutting down any steps in the filtering process will only make it less fit for other areas of the Forum.

Small fixes not withstanding, we've adapted the search as much as we've been able to alongside other tasks running a Forum of this size and it's been an incredibly busy time for our team. But we've read all the feedback by the Compers and will continue to do so - we're grateful for the input.

Thanks again for your thoughts and your time.

MSE Laura F