Searching Suggestion

[bdazel 0]

Dropzone.com has accumulated a substantial amount of information on almost any skydiving-related topic. There is so much good info in the forums - it is a very valuable database. But there are quirks that can prevent people from finding useful information or cause people to assess information more deference that it really deserves. Two changes that can help are the following:

1. Add a feature to allow the searcher to organize search results by date. Often I search for current info on the latest technology. But I have to sift through results from the last 10 years, and I know that I sometimes miss recent, and relevant information.

2. Add a feature that freezes the poster's jump #'s at the time the post way made - but this would only apply to that particular post. For example, when I was new to the sport, I contributed to some forum discussions with what I now know was bad information. When someone searches those threads, they may see my bad information alongside my current jump numbers and give it more deference than it deserves. I know we should always be skeptical of info on this site, but this feature may help raise the credibility level of the site.

[PhreeZone 15]

#2 is a really hard thing to do. In fact with the current code base as I understand it I'm going to say that its not possible. It is an interesting proposal, especially for someone like me that made thousands of posts as a newbie that now are outdated or not fully the answer I would give today. I eventually became a moderator and now all those old posts appear to have been made by a moderator with 1500 jumps also when in fact some of those I had 100 or less jumps.

I'll defer #1 to J_ung since he is already working with people to look at the search function and see about revamping it.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[j_ung 0]

Thanks Phree. You're correct on number two. The date of the post will have to suffice, I'm afraid.

Number one, I'm happy to report, is already out there. From this page that you are currently on, check the secondary navigation bar at the top, under the masthead. Click "Search." You'll get an advanced search form that will allow you to sort by date and also arrange the results in date order. What I really need to do is put that advanced search form atop search results, so if you don't see what wanted, you can adjust on the fly. Yes. Yeeessssss...