How to use the search function?

[jpwu]

"How do I use the search function? For example, I'm looking for the busiest period on the Camino Francés. What's the best way to type that into the search function without getting too many unrelated references?"

 

[Tincatinker]

No need to search. The answer is now! And it’ll be “now” again in September.

Edit: you could try searching for “numbers”, “statistics”, or “crowded”

 

[jpwu]

No need to search. The answer is now! And it’ll be “now” again in September.

Haha, in fact i am searching the least busy, it was only an example.

 

[Tincatinker]

Try “winter”. From March to October the Frances is busy

 

[Bradypus]

I think you will have trouble narrowing down posts on that topic with the search function. Partly because it depends on which part of the Frances you are talking about. May and September are the busiest months for people leaving SJPDP and Roncesvalles. But August is the busiest month on the section from Sarria to Santiago.

 

[J Willhaus]

June, July are less busy on the CF than May. August is busy especially from Sarria as Spanish people take their summer vacations. September is very busy. As you get into October, November, etc. the crowds will thin. I walked in December and January early this year and Sarria to Santiago was deserted most of the way. Around Easter is a very busy time although timeing varies from year to year.

 

[jpwu]

"Maybe I didn't phrase my question correctly. I'm actually trying to figure out how to use the search function properly. My question was just an example. When I type 'busiest period Camino Francés' into the search function, I get everything about that Camino, but I want to search specifically. How do you do that?"

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

"Maybe I didn't phrase my question correctly. I'm actually trying to figure out how to use the search function properly. My question was just an example. When I type 'busiest period Camino Francés' into the search function, I get everything about that Camino, but I want to search specifically. How do you do that?"

Yes you could have phrased the questions somewhat better. Heading the thread ' Frances, busiest period ' is also perhaps not the smartest, because those are the answers you're going to get. You might wish to consider changing the heading or ask a moderator to do that for you. Unfortunately a lot of people will answer the question they think you should be asking, not the one you actually have : "How do I use the search function? "

Whilst I love the forum the search function is terrible to say the least. I use the advanced search function, often limited to first post or heading only, and if I remember who the OP was include that too but even then get a hundred and one responses.

@dougfitz has written several responses on this, I'm sorry I can't point you directly to them at present. His suggestion was along the lines of using Google or duckduckgo, narrowing the responses to the forum and then going from there. You might consider sending him a PM, he's very good with this type of question.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Found it ! I remembered I'd asked a similar question:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/forum-search-problems.81299/

 

[jpwu]

Found it ! I remembered I'd asked a similar question:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/forum-search-problems.81299/

Thanks, thats it. I will take the time to read it. How did you find that so fast?

 

[trecile]

Are you concerned with the busiest time in St Jean Pied de Port or the busiest time in Santiago? This thread can help:
A tale of two Caminos - What about those crowds?

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Thanks, thats it. I will take the time to read it. How did you find that so fast?

By doing what I said above.

Advanced search
Entered 'forum ' as keyword
Selected 'search title only
Posted by: my name

I just got lucky in that the moderators (@C clearly ) had used the word forum in the heading when establishing the new thread (she kindly moved it from another thread)

EDITED TO ADD: less is more. Try and avoid using a sentence, search literally by keywords. At present the forum search function even searches for every little joining word - like 'the' for example.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

"Maybe I didn't phrase my question correctly. I'm actually trying to figure out how to use the search function properly. My question was just an example. When I type 'busiest period Camino Francés' into the search function, I get everything about that Camino, but I want to search specifically. How do you do that?"

You use Google

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Are you concerned with the busiest time in St Jean Pied de Port or the busiest time in Santiago? This thread can help:
A tale of two Caminos - What about those crowds?

This is precisely the problem if even you are misreading it. The OP was just giving an example : what they're really trying to do is actually figure out how to use the forum search function properly. Hence why I suggested they ask somebody like your good self to change the heading (See post's 7&8)

 

[trecile]

This post in a current thread is helpful

Interestingly, one of the reasons that so many people walk in Spring and Autumn from St. Jean is because of a lack of information.

Before I walked my first Camino I went looking for information about when the busy times were on the Camino Frances and I found the statistics that are published by the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela.

That shows that the peak months for completing the Camino Frances is July and August and so I thought that I was being very clever by starting from St. Jean on the 15th May.

Of course, the joke was on me!

The 15th May 2019, the day I left, still holds a record for the number of pilgrims leaving in one day during Spring and is one of the busiest days of all time.

Listening to posts by other Spring pilgrims over the intervening years I have noticed a similar pattern.

By and large people either don't know that Spring and Autumn are peak times for St. Jean and this Eastern end of the Camino Frances or went looking for information and because of confusion misunderstood when this Eastern end is busiest.

In addition, in general, people fail to grasp the consequences of this particular Camino being 800 klms long and as a result that different parts of this Camino can be very busy, moderately busy and not at all busy all at the same time.

Some time ago I suggested that the portion of the Camino Frances from Sarria be called a different name.

My suggestion was that by differentiating this part of the Camino Frances from the other parts it would immediately become obvious for people who take the time to look, that the busy time from Sarria is July and August while the busy times from St. Jean are April/May and September.

If people know before they start then they will have more realistic expectations. Those who can only start from St. Jean in Spring and Autumn will know to expect crowds and can, perhaps, adjust their behaviour to take this into account.

Those people who are more flexible with their starting times can also be aware and if they don't want crowds then they can start from St. Jean at other times of year (and if they also don't like rain then they can choose June and July).

Every time someone on this forum publishes finishing statistics from the Cathedral authorities without differentiating the differences between Sarria and St. Jean then those people are adding to the confusion of future first time pilgrims.

Once you have walked once or twice you figure this out for yourself but sometimes experienced pilgrims forget how it was to walk for the first time and then they forget how important this distinction can be.

 

[trecile]

This is precisely the problem if even you are misreading it. The OP was just giving an example : what they're really trying to do is actually figure out how to use the forum search function properly. Hence why I suggested they ask somebody like your good self to change the heading (See post's 7&8)

The question is really too ambiguous for the forum's search function. There are too many "correct" answers. In a case like this it's probably best to create a new thread to ask the question.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

This post in a current thread is helpful

Oh dear, can one of you beloved moderators change the heading please before we get more such answers .

"Maybe I didn't phrase my question correctly. I'm actually trying to figure out how to use the search function properly. My question was just an example. When I type 'busiest period Camino Francés' into the search function, I get everything about that Camino, but I want to search specifically. How do you do that?

 

[trecile]

Oh dear, can one of you beloved moderators change the heading please before we get more such answers .

Okay, I changed the title.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

The question is really too ambiguous for the forum's search function. There are too many "correct" answers. In a case like this it's probably best to create a new thread to ask the question.

But that is precisely the problem: we end up with a hundred posts on exactly the same questions Time After Time - sometimes two or three even in the same week - because people don't know how to use the search function. I don't know if it's part of the advice they receive when they first join the forum or not, I firmly believe it should be.

We often advise newcomers to use the search function but the search function simply doesn't work, as you have just pointed out.

The search function appears to individually separate and search for every single word in the question you input. Potentially giving a thousand and one answers.

There are strategies to limit that as per the example I've given above.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Okay, I changed the title.

Dare I suggest you shorten it to just :

'How to use the search function' .

Hopefully that will help others find it (and therefore the appropriate answers) at a future point. And then it won't come up every time somebody simply enters in 'Frances'. Which, at the moment, it does.

 

[jpwu]

"The reason for my question was precisely to learn how to use the search function better, so as not to have to ask the same question again in a new topic. Therefore, it's good that the moderator adjusted the question, for which I'm grateful."

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

You use Google

Once again @DoughnutANZ and I are in competition as this was going to be my answer also. I sometimes use Google Search's features to look for information on the forum that I can't find using its own search engine. At Google you enter your search terms but add site:CaminoDeSantiago.me to restrict Google's search to this website. However you will get links to threads instead of the forum's links to posts.

 

[billC]

Thank you for this. I find the search function not very useful in its current state.

 

[C clearly]

Dare I suggest you shorten it to just :

'How to use the search function' .

Done. But dare I point out that
there is an existing thread pinned on the "How to Join and Use the Forum" section. It is titled Forum Tips - Search. The tips are quite basic, but that would be good place for new members to start and then ask further questions.

Nevertheless, it is true that the Search function is not great. That is probably in large part due to the many human factors/variables and "too many right answers" mentioned by @trecile. It might be an interesting challenge to find or develop a better search, but the forum is more focused on the community approach. This is quite inefficient at times but has its own benefits.

 

[J Willhaus]

Sometimes we encourage newer members to "use the search function" for a topic that has had many conversations such as bed bugs, shoes, socks, poncho vs raincoat, hiking piles, to book or not to book, bag transport, etc. But the search function isn't all that helpful and mainly people just want to interact anyway. I appreciate that it is there, but I find the search function of limited use.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

The tips are quite basic, but that would be good place for new members to start and then ask further questions

Agreed, as I asked above are newcomers automatically sent that link when they join? If not, it might be useful

too many right answers" mentioned by @trecile.

Yes, the problem seems to stem from the fact that the search function locates every word you search for - including 'the' -rather than searching for the complete phrase or sentence. So for example in the search function I just looked for 'how to use the search function' without narrowing it down any further. Because you have kindly changed the heading that is now the first thing that comes up, however the next few options are all there simply because the search function highlights the word 'the'.

If even people like Janet and myself find it of limited use ( and we're here daily!), perhaps this is something that could be addressed in future updates.

 

[C clearly]

If even people like Janet and myself find it of limited use ( and we're here daily!)

Some of us have grumbled about the Search for years. But as time goes by, I realize that it might not be worth much effort. We could do more extensive tagging and complex taxonomy, but that would require more maintenance. Will many members use the improvements? Will the knowledge transfer really be improved?

 

[David Tallan]

Agreed, as I asked above are newcomers automatically sent that link when they join? If not, it might be useful

Yes, the problem seems to stem from the fact that the search function locates every word you search for - including 'the' -rather than searching for the complete phrase or sentence. So for example in the search function I just looked for 'how to use the search function' without narrowing it down any further. Because you have kindly changed the heading that is now the first thing that comes up, however the next few options are all there simply because the search function highlights the word 'the'.

If even people like Janet and myself find it of limited use ( and we're here daily!), perhaps this is something that could be addressed in future updates.

I think the "too many right answers" wasn't just that there is a lot of chaff with the grain (as it were) which is what your response is dealing with, but the fact that a broad question (like "what is the busiest time on the Camino") doesn't have a good answer. It is too broad. Should a good search engine return results that say "May and September" (true for SJPP but false for Sarria) or results that say "July and August" (true for Sarria but false for SJPP)? And that is just for those sections of the Frances. Other Caminos and their sections may have different answers. For example, I wouldn't be surprised if on the VDLP and Mozarabe the busiest times were March and November.

Some questions lend themselves to search queries more than others.

 

[Bradypus]

Some questions lend themselves to search queries more than others.

True. There is also the problem that for most questions that are not narrowly factual if you ask 100 pilgrims you will get 200+ answers.....