Can't Search...help

[52plan4]

Can't seem to use the search option right now,is this a problem that will be corrected soon? Or is it operator error on my part?

[Towncrier]

Search is turned off right now. I'm sure that Alex will get to it once things on the boards settle down.

[mmouse37]

It was posted about a week ago (before the site went down) that the problem with search would take about a month to fix. I do not know if they is still the case.

MJ

[Towncrier]

A little explanation is in order. All of the threads that we post on the DIS are stored in a database. In order to search the more than 1,223,751 posts, the contents of the posts must be indexed. That is to say that each word in each thread must be cataloged so that it doesn't take forever to find every thread that contains the word "DCL" for instance. With an indexed database, searches take much less time. But the price that you pay for this speed is that the server must search for every possible word exactly once in order to form the index. I believe that it was pointed out that it would take over a week to create such an index. I assume that the index was being rebuilt when the DIS boards crashed last week (although I have no direct evidence to either prove or disprove this statement).

So sooner or later the database indices will be rebuilt and we will once again be able to search. In the meantime, if you are looking for information that was previously posted, just ask. The odds are pretty good that someone will remember what thread and what forum has the information that you are looking for.