I am a paid up MRR subscriber and I have been unable to search the MRR Community Forums using the “Search the Community” function for some time now. Whatever the terms of my search on the MRR Community Forums, I always get the same “0” results. I have tried using different computers, different operating systems, different search engines and different search terms. But, no matter what I search, I always get the same “0” results even when I search terms I can see are visible in “current” posts. Does the “Search the Community” function no longer work ?
It doesn’t work at all for me any more, however, even when it did work, using Google still worked better.
This question pops up about every other week now!
No, the forum search function does not work!
We are all waiting for the promised upgrade of the forum software.
The search function on the forum hasn’t worked for months for both subscribers and non-subscribers alike. Until the promised upgrade materializes - whenever that actually takes place - Google is your best friend for finding specific topics on the forum you’re interested in.
Tom
And I keep asking myself the same question over and over again. How could the forum search function suddenly stop working and why doesn’t Kalmbach get it fixed?
Rich
Don´t even attempt to find a good reason! Any answer to that question won´t be favorable.
I know of a forum software where not only the search function works really well, …it will even take you to an individual posting, not just the page of the discussion.
It also notifies any participant in a discussion that a new posting has been added to the discussion they are participanting in,…something I think this site use to do [*-)]
Lion explained it once, but I’m not sure I can explain it well. Programming has evolved. Legacy programs that worked with Windows 97 no longer in Windows 10. The same thing happened to various functionalities in the forum. It might have something to do with software security issues, but I’m way over me skiis here.
We can only guess at the later question. It either wasn’t seen as a significant benefit to the sale of MR subscriptions and products, or the cost of providing a free forum was hurting the bottom line.
Recently MRVP sent something, that they were going to be more active on Facebook, perhaps. Perhaps that reflects a change in business strategy.
edit having said that, I do not see that MR put out the usual monthly magazine preview video. So maybe they are just playing catchup with the software before the forum is unusable.
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I think we only see the layout preview video a few times a year. It seems a lot of months get skipped.
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Maybe I am just missing them.
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-Kevin
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The problem is, they are now stuck with whatever this forum software vendor can do. There generally isn’t a way to transfer content to a completely different program, even if there are superior ones out there (I’m on some). So while it might be possible to get something better, we’d lose all the historical message content. After all these years - do we want to start over from scratch again? Probably not.
ANd based on the latest Ask MRVP, it appears there is a lot of integration in whatever they are using here, more so than a typical forum-only program, since David Popp mentions the previous epsidoe comments all being lost when the glitches happened a few weeks ago. There were definitely issues with the database, seeing there were fairly regular database errors reported when trying to access the forum. A series of posts were lost as well, which tells me they had to restore the database to an earlier version. Based on how much was lost, I have to say they probably have a decent balance set up between cost and storage requirements and the level of importance the database has. These forums are provided free, so to expect bank-level redundancy and backup is a bit much. I suspect the process to create and maintain the search index is causing other issues and thus is simply suspended for now.
–Randy
I’d be real tempted to vote Start Over.
It would put an end to the necro threads where newbie with 2 posts wants to tell Mr Anonymous how to attach his track to the roadbed 15 years after the question was asked and all the threads with dead links to pics and internet sites.
Having no idea how data bases work, will the new system be able to search the old posts by poster, date, forum?
No doubt some valuable info would be lost, but if it can’t be found with an ordinary search, maybe it’s lost already, except for those newbies that find the darndest things.
I think I’d have very few regrets about wiping the slate clean and starting afresh. Given the frequency of redundant topics, it would probably take <1 year for all the usual questions to be asked…and asked again.
I wouldn´t mind starting with a blank canvas, either. This could have the benefit of a better structure of the various subforums, which in turn could generate more interest.
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I would just repost the big STRATTON AND GILLETTE projects.
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All the discussions would just be refurbished and brought up again.
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-Kevin
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Easiest search function is Google.
Type “cs.trains” then whichever topic you are looking for.
Yes, the search the forums function has not been working.
Yes, that is old news. And it frequently pops up in threads. Just like the woe is the hobby threads. And the nobody shops local stores anymore threads. And the this item is too expensive threads.
Maybe a sticky announcement on how to search the fora?
Not too sure I would want all the prior informative threads to go away with starting over…
I was once active on several other train forums, but these days on this train forum and a tractor forum.
The tractor forum just got new software, from a different vendor, and had no problem transfering all the history and photos.
On the tractor forum I have posted a lot of technical info, if lost I would not have the time to reconstruct it…
Same is true here. While I have not posted anywhere near as much tech stuff on here as on the tractor forum, some of what I have posted on here has been brought to the top repeatedly by others for reference.
I have no problem with “necro” threads, I don’t get why that bothers people so much?
On the tractor forum my technical improvement thread about my improvements to my tractor is now nearly 9 years old and curently on page two, with activity just a month or so ago. it is the second most viewed and posted in thread on the GRAVELY section of the forum - why? because it contains information people need and want, that is timeless for those who own GRAVELY 4 wheel riding tractors from the 70’s thru the 90’s.
My Bachmann improvement tips on this forum have received many positive responses when they re-appear from time to time.
When I get my track plan ready, I will post it in the thread I already started about my design, if that is possible. And if I am able, I will post my layout progress all in one thread as well.
Just my thoughts…
Sheldon
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I don’t either. I do not understand why people act like it is a personal face-slap when an old thread gets brought up to the top.
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Weird.
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-Kevin
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Quite often I will do a search to find an answer to an issue I may have and most of the time I get the answer without starting a new thread, I am in and out quick. If I dig up an old thread and want to add to it or get further clarification I don’t see why that should be a problem but with some it is.
I’d like to see that, as well.
But that could be done without dumping the existing history…
Sheldon