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 Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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 Search engine glitch 
#10210575 - 04/21/09 09:00 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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I'm having problems using the search engine for specific word inquiries.
Example: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/10075258#10075258
This was a result given in a search for the word 'universals' with me as the author. The word universe appears, but not the word universals. I am looking for the numerous arguments I have produced in the P&S forum on the immateriality of the mind. Each time I make the argument I use two specific words, 'universals' and 'particulars'.
I was able to find the first time I presented it, and none of the other times. And I've searched using both words together and separately.
What is wrong?
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Ythan
٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶
Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 14,933
Loc: NY/MA/VT Border 
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The search engine makes use of porter stemming to help provide relevant results, even if you search query has minor misspellings or unusual word forms. Typically this is desirable, but as you can see if you are looking for a particular form of a word then the stemming can get in the way. "Universals" has the same root as "universe", "universes", "universally", etc. whereas "particulars" has the same root as "particular", "particularly" and so on. This is the reason for the erroneous search results. Unfortunately there is no way to disable stemming for a single search; the setting is at the index level. But luckily it's a rare case where it gets in the way, and if you're willing to sort through a few more results you can still usually find what you're looking for.
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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Re: Search engine glitch [Re: Ythan]
#10211075 - 04/21/09 10:24 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Thanks. I didn't think the search could be Boolean. That's a serious disadvantage in my view, but we'll have to live with it.
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Ythan
٩(●̮̮̃•̃)۶
Registered: 08/08/97
Posts: 14,933
Loc: NY/MA/VT Border
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The search does support boolean notation but I don't see how that's related.  Anyway for what it's worth, we've been using the current search setup for a little over two years now and this is the first time anyone has complained of a stemming-related problem.
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Mr. Mushrooms
Spore Print Collector
Registered: 05/25/08
Posts: 13,018
Loc: Registered: 6/04/02
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Re: Search engine glitch [Re: Ythan]
#10211451 - 04/21/09 11:33 PM (3 years, 1 month ago) |
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Maybe I don't understand a Boolean search then. If I were to search for "universals" would the results be the same?
Don't misunderstand. I am not complaining. I am reporting. My guess is that most people do simple searches like: wbs, subbs, grain to grain, panaeolus, etc.
As long as the search engine works for those searches I don't think there is any reason to fix it or make it conform to the types of searches I am doing. Evidently they're too rare to bother with.
But thanks for the explanation. 
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