Suggestion for Hack Creators
 

If you write a hack for the private message system, please do not name it with "PM" in the title instead of Private Message. Members cannot search for PM because it is too short. Therefore, your hacks are difficult to find.

I guess this is true for any hack you write. Make sure the title is searchable and logical.

Amy

thats why there is a section in the hack db:
Private Messages Enhancements

I know. However, not all hacks that PM people are enhancements to the PM system :D They just use the PM system. Besides, many newbies don't even think about using the database to find what they want.

Agreed.

An alternative would be to allow two-letter searches. I know I've been frustrated by it before not knowing the title of the hack persay, but knowing it had "PM" somewhere in it, but being told I couldn't search easily for it. :( Of course, "PM*" would probably do the trick, too...

hehe, we want to change that issue to involve the db even more ;)

perhaps certain two letter words can be allowed Stefan?

Like vb, pm and a few others...

- miSt

That would still blow up the database size, and increase server load tremendously during searches.

Guess so... :p

- miSt

The way I see it, hack writers want their hacks to be used. Therefore, it behooves them to put the effort into their posts about their hack so that people who are interested in that kind of hack can find it. It's sort of the same as optimizing our web sites for Google.

Of course, if 36 people a day don't post asking where to find or requesting somebody to write existing hacks, that would probably save Xenon's and Erwin's sanity as well. ;)

Amy

*cough "and mine" cough* ;) hehe

But i see your point. Well to be honest i don't mind replying to people saying where to find a hack. It takes me at the most 30 secs to find an answer. But we simply can't moderate the titles of all hacks as some people prefer using the word PM. I myself can't remember the last time i wrote private message :)

- miSt

Using the wildcard helps (as in PM*).... but by the time a new person has figured that out, he/she has already installed 50+ hacks and doesn't have such a hard time finding stuff here anymore.

Here's another one that's really awful..... searching for IP bans or proxy IP addresses.

Nobody will ever spell that out in a hack title or posts in a discussion thread.

So.... maybe a suggestion might be to add a text line on the search display page giving PM* and IP* as specific examples of how to do wildcard searches?

(Oh darn. I came across this thread while looking for something. Wondering now -- what was I searching for?? I think it was important, too..... :cross-eyed: )

If user's want to find hacks with the words PM in they should search in the hacks database because AFAIK 2-letter words work:)
And that's what they should be using anyway, not the forum search.

Exactly, Mr. Assassin. :)

Actually steve, they should use the forum search;)

The hack database:

a.) does not have every vB hack in it (I know it does with newer ones;))
b.) does not have hack requests modifications in it
c.) does not have general hacking discussion modifications in it

Anyway - @Xenon & Erwin - I am sure that you could make the search allow 2 letter words like IP and PM right?:)

And if not, you could edit the search template to show *PM* or *IP* as examples as suggested;)

Satan

But unless everyone has taken Amy's advice and successfully mastered how to work the search engine, then the hacks database is the best thing to use. I would guess 1/2 of the user's here wont know how to use the search efficiently and effectivly:p

That's why they should use the Hacks Database.

And what about the half of them who don't know how to use the Hacks Database?

Besides - What makes the Hacks Database more efficient or effective? It searches less options, less areas, brings back less results, some of which people won't want - The Forum Search searches ALL forums for the query - Yes it brings back alot of results sometimes, thats why you either narrow it down or view every topic to see if it corresponds to what you are searching for;)

Satan

But as I mentioed some people dont' know how to use it. The hacks database is more precise and 9 times out of 10 finds what you're looking for. Since its searching for hacks only, which is what the user wants.

Maybe not - There are some decent coding finds in the Requests forum;)

Perhaps in your sheltered "I cant use a search" world you miss out:p

I know from replying to / doing requests that there are some really useful codes lying there;)

And like I said before - Searching the Full Releases will return all the results, as the Hacks Database has not got all the hacks in it;)

Satan

Muppet.

But, honestly, how many newbie users do you ifnd that use wildcards in their searches?:-p They should use the hacks database search:) Discussion closed mofo:)

How? Do you not read what people post?:eek:

What have wildcards got to do with using a forum search?

What kind of a closed mind do you have? As a "Master Hacker" you of all people should realise the importance of the Forum Search over the Hacks Database - It returns more results, and searches all forums, all threads, all posts, therefore making it more accurate...

For a newbie who has come to hack vBulletin, no matter what search device they use most of them will have questions about the hacks and their functions, so that is not of importance...

And for the last time - The Hacks Database does not contain all the hacks in the Full Releases forum!

Satan

Giving the fact that they help your forum search by a 100000000% its what people should be using if they do use the forum search. Which they shouldnt.

/me is bored of this conversation and leaves

The search is almost as accurate without wildcards as it is with them;)

Satan

I have to disagree my friend:p Wildcards are like what....kentucky is to chicken. Searches + Wildcards = nice:)

In all truth, I do not use wildcards, and still usually find what I want;)

It depends whether you are searching for some in specific or something of a broader scale;)

Satan

Yep:) And what is the thread about. Finding hacks with the words PM in, so you either use the hacks database or wildcards in forum searches.

I know what I said has some meaning but I can't think what.:confused:

But you cannot search for anything worthwhile in hacks database either;)

Satan

Except for hacks which everyone is after and what this thread is about:)

And hacks that are not in the database which is what I am on about:)

Satan

But that's only small ammount, like vB1 hacks or Beta.

No...

There are alot of vB2 hacks that are not in the database as well:)

Satan

Actually I believe they aren't in the forum.

I'm not sure but dont certain hacks older than x amount of days disappear?

I don't know Erwin and Stefan would want to bother with further hacking of Hack DB but IMO:
a) Hack DB search should be using a different algorithm and it should be possible to remove 3 letter restriction for hack DB searches only. Since hack db has very few records (compared to huge post db), it will return results in a blink even you search single letters.
b) In hack db search form I believe that either:
i) * are appended in the keyword automatically.
or
ii) There should be a checkbox (selected by default!) to decide whether to append * in the keyword.
or
iii) At least a warning&info line about wildcards..

The existing searches are confusing and does not return any results for many users, not only newbies.

For instance when you are searching for my Birthday Greeting hack, very surprisingly neither "birthday" nor "greeting" returns any results because script waits you to enter "birthdays" or "greetings" as hack title is plural. This is very confusing to everybody and I strongly believe that appending wildcards should be automatic to avoid such confusions.

This applies to all hacks where hack title keywords are not seperated with space. For instance there is no way for you to match hack "Fast Access to Visibility/Invisibility" if you search "visibility" or "invisibility" (because they are not seperated by space but /). Or keywords "Webtemplates" does not return you hack "WebTemplates: Your Vbulletin powered non-vb pages" as it has a : appended in the word webtemplates.

I learned these tricks and now naming my own hacks more wisely (like using name "WebTemplates : Your Vbulletin powered non-vb pages") instead of "WebTemplates: Your Vbulletin powered non-vb pages"), but well how many other author's are careful about it anyway?

I think this is one of the reasons why we are having so many "I know it exists but I couldn't find hack X" posts in requests forum.. :)

we won't hack up the hack db anymore like Logician said.
We really have a lot to do, believe us ;)

with vb3 we have to rewrite the whole hack system, so, we will see how we can avoit such problems :)