[eoc_Jason]

Yeah, compiling & installing sphinx shouldn't require root access (though it would be preferred to setup proper init script, log rotate, etc...)

I'm attaching my stopword list that I use for sphinx, feel free to modify & use it as necessary. You can define a custom stopword list in MySQL too, but it would require re-indexing (ick).

I don't know if I'm wrong for saying this, but isn't Search the most intensive operation on the forum, and the one that brings most of our big boards to their knees? If so, then, why aren't we given more options to choose alternate search engines?

Yes, search IS the most intensive feature. Especially because vB is relying on MySQL to handle a job that it's really not designed to do (in such a capacity)! It's like MS Access... It's a great beginner database and for small projects, but you wouldn't try to run the Stock Exchange off of it would you?

Rather than adding blogging, personal pages, and all this other crap, vB needs to focus more on the CORE of their PRODUCT. People join a forum to EXCHANGE INFORMATION. If a person can't find that information then everything is for not... Search speed & relevance should be fixed as their constant #1 priorty... with every new vB update...

I have to agree, it doesn't have to be core code... vB like to brag about their plugin/proudct system to allow "flexibility"... Well why not make some freaking plugins for various search products?!?!?!

I would love to see Sphinx (open source) & dt-search (commercial) as a bare minimum... Lucene and mnogosearch would also be popular choices.

Heck, I would almost bet money that vBulletin could work out a deal with dt-search for a special forum-only search engine product that would be affordable to most (and somehow work out a split on the package sales).... It would boost both company's sales! dt-search could even continue that line with other forum packages and fulfill an ever growing market that really needs it!