Good thread index (new and improved)

Comments

• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2006-10-09 23:25 edited 2006-10-09 23:25

  empty
  
  Post Edited (Graham Stabler) : 1/6/2007 10:56:41 PM GMT
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2006-10-09 23:25 edited 2006-10-09 23:25

  empty
  
  Post Edited (Graham Stabler) : 1/6/2007 10:57:02 PM GMT
• Newzed Posts: 2,503

  2006-10-09 23:40 edited 2006-10-09 23:40

  Graham, I have essentially the same thing, except my index only lists those threads in which I have an interest.· It's an Excel file.· Here is a sample:
  
  
  
  When I want to use it, I just paste the link into my browser.· Works quite well.
  
  Sid
  
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  Sid Weaver
  Don't have VGA?
  
  Newzed@aol.com
  ·

  

  

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  750 x 266 - 8K

  p609071-1.gif 8.5K
• Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514

  2006-10-09 23:46 edited 2006-10-09 23:46

  Graham,
  
  It looks like the trailing [noparse][[/noparse]/url] is missing from the ones that didn't form links.
  
  -Phil
• Paul Baker Posts: 6,351

  2006-10-10 00:02 edited 2006-10-10 00:02

  Graham, when you are talking about frustrations with the search engine, are you refering to the dotNetBB search utility, or http://search.parallax.com ?
  
  The latter works wonderfully if you know how to massage it a little.
  
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  Paul Baker
  Propeller Applications Engineer
  
  Parallax, Inc.
• parsko Posts: 501

  2006-10-10 07:07 edited 2006-10-10 07:07

  Paul,
  
  I know I've complained before about this, but I've had issues with both as well. Care to share any massage techniques???
  
  Graham,
  
  At home, I use Firefox, at work IExploder. With firefox, I use the "links" feature, where you can have folders at the top of your browser window. One of those folders is named "Prop_links". I have, in the past month or so, orgainized this into a quick reference bookmark folder. I have noticed that I am faster to supply a pertinent link (to either myself or someone else) since I created this. It has worked much better than I thought it would. One clever feature is that links can be located in multiple places, so that critical SPI Assy thread can be in more than one subfolder! Maybe the same would do for you?
  
  If interested, I can export it and attach it to this post...
  
  The problem with this thread, is that it ends up like all the others, buried, and needed a permanant bookmark in you bookmarks folder...
  
  -Parsko
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2006-10-10 09:24 edited 2006-10-10 09:24

  Paul, with all due respect it (the search.parallax.com egine) doesn't work wonderfully, I struggle even to find posts that I made. For example, Chip's thread about making the propeller hurl, I searched for the word hurl and nothing. I have searched for "posted by" to find things and after putting in my name have had posts by others come up.
  
  Parkso,
  
  The url tag is there, that why I don't get it. In terms of this thread getting buried, well personally I am going to bookmark it. I made a post about starting a thread of this type before, I was hoping someone with more knowledge than me would do it or that the moderators would take an interest. You can see that the FAQ section holds a lot of the stickes that currently clutter the forum, a thread like this one could be used as a central index, it doesn't take much effort to maintain it either.
  
  I also use firefox but I use it on three PC's and don't want to have carry it around with me, it also pains me that so much useful info is being lost and that the forum front page has more stickies than threads. The search engine no matter how good does not do any filtering of relevance nor is there a "search for cool projects" function.
  
  I'm interested in anyones exported links and or excel spreadsheets though I think the threads have to be of general interest not just hold one juicy tipbit that you are interested in.
  
  Graham
  
  Post Edited (Graham Stabler) : 10/10/2006 3:50:37 PM GMT
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2006-10-10 09:28 edited 2006-10-10 09:28

  I have moved the latter links into a placeholder reply, it seems that there is a maximum number of urls allowed per post or at least it breaks
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2006-10-15 22:48 edited 2006-10-15 22:48

  Stick a fork in me I'm done.
  
  43 pages of posts is a lot. I hope to have got most of the good ones. Each post can only display 16 urls, I've reported this so hopefully it will get fixed and you will be able to click on all of the links.
  
  Graham
  
  p.s. I need to get a life [noparse]:)[/noparse]
• Paul Baker Posts: 6,351

  2006-10-15 23:36 edited 2006-10-15 23:36

  Graham, Im not sure why you are having so much difficulty. Your example produces the result as the very first (and second) hit: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=596989·(sorry the search engine wont allow links to a search results page)
  
  There is an art to searching, when I speak of massaging, I am refering to providing varying degrees of context to the search. For instance say you are looking for threads that talk about interfacing a servo to a Propeller, simply typing servo is going to provide a whole bunch of Stamp and other Parallax product related servo threads. So obviously you include Propeller in the search term.
  
  Things which help narrow searches are: limiting the domain to forums.parallax.com, poster names you know participated in the thread, any·additional products used or refered to, and any specific language you remember was used. But for the most part the google search box works well, just remember that it sometimes omits searches it thinks are duplicates that really aren't, but you can see those too by clicking on the "include omitted results" link. It is a breeze compared to the old search utility. I would would be happy·to show you a particular search (that you are having difficulties with) and the steps I used to get the results. I was more or less a professional searcher in my last job (Patent Examiner), my worthiness was mostly determined by the ability to find related subject matter in technical journals and general internet searches(even when companies used different terminology). My search histories would frequently be a 100 search phrases or more where they were broken down into permutations of different terms and analogous terms. So when somone is talking about using an EEPROM I would also have to search PROM, EPROM, NVRAM, flash, FRAM, MRAM, and "non volatile memory". This isn't ususally· required but when you have multi-million dollar revenue generating IP on the line, you can't miss something. Unfortunately there isn't a quick and dirty hack that applies in all circumstances.
  
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  Paul Baker
  Propeller Applications Engineer
  
  Parallax, Inc.
  
  Post Edited (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 10/15/2006 11:47:57 PM GMT
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2006-10-15 23:55 edited 2006-10-15 23:55

  Doh!
  
  I didn't realize that the forum search engine was the dotNetBB engine and assumed that search.parallax.com/ was. The dotNetBB search truly sucks, I'll stick to the google based one in future.
  
  I suggest a link the the google one on the other search page too.
  
  Graham
• Paul Baker Posts: 6,351

  2006-10-16 01:01 edited 2006-10-16 01:01

  For those reading this thread, to clarify Graham's revelation: The forum search utility (the little button in the upper right that says "Search") should not be used. Instead use the Google search utility http://search.parallax.com detailed in this thread:· Improved Search Engine Available For Parallax Forums & Website. This directs searchs of the forums through a blue box housed in Parallax that runs a dedicated·Google-based search engine on Parallax's forums.
  
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  Paul Baker
  Propeller Applications Engineer
  
  Parallax, Inc.
• paulmac Posts: 51

  2006-12-09 10:31 edited 2006-12-09 10:31

  You could also use inurl:f=25 which seems to limit it to the propeller forum.

  Paul Baker (Parallax) said...
  ... limiting the domain to forums.parallax.com ...

  as well if need be.
• Forrest Posts: 1,341

  2006-12-09 12:45 edited 2006-12-09 12:45

  I'd like to take Graham's idea to the next level. I like the Propeller object exchange - but it needs two more columns.
  
  Once column is a link to the DEVELOPER thread - where discussion on the next version of the object takes place - this is an area for experienced developers only.
  
  The second column that need to be added to the Propeller Object exchange is a link to the SUPPORT thread - where the object's use is discussed. This is where a new programmer would go to find out how to use the object and talk about the use of the object.
  
  I'd like to see a Propeller Application page added as link from the main Propeller page - currently's their only 1 project listed in Propeller customer applications.
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2007-01-05 15:42 edited 2007-01-05 15:42

  Updated
  
  Now 85 links but they need sorting.
  
  Check if your favorites are on there, if not let me know them,
  
  Graham
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2007-01-06 23:00 edited 2007-01-06 23:00

  It should now be much easier to find things with more logical groupings
• Graham Stabler Posts: 2,510

  2007-03-27 20:07 edited 2007-03-27 20:07

  110 links and still counting.
  
  Graham
• RinksCustoms Posts: 531

  2007-07-02 13:52 edited 2007-07-02 13:52

  this link: http://search.parallax.com/ , should be added within the main forum guideline thread warning about the "junk" serch button that comes with the forum. Just a thought, as i moved to another PC and just spent the past 1/2 hr looking for this link, not to mention getting sucked into dotnetBB search h*ll for HOURS.
  
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  Definetly a E³ (Electronics Engineer Extrodinare!)
  "I laugh in the face of imposible,... not because i know it all, ... but because I don't know well enough!"
• StefanL38 Posts: 2,292

  2007-07-04 09:32 edited 2007-07-04 09:32

  Hello,
  
  this linklist is very useful but still improvable:
  
  How about adding the date when a link was added to the list ?
  
  without the date everybody has to check through the complete list
  or compare with older clip&paste copies
  
  best regards
  
  Stefan
• mosquito56 Posts: 387

  2008-01-09 00:05 edited 2008-01-09 00:05

  THE MOTHERLOAD!!!!!
  I just found this page and WOW!!!!. NO more dumb questions from me for a while. Nice job of hiding it btw. LOL
  
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  Mosquito: An animal which buzzes in your ear and never stops. He may byte you, he may nibble you, but you will know you were bit.
  
  
  Technologically challenged individual, Please have pity.
• Paul Baker Posts: 6,351

  2008-01-09 00:06 edited 2008-01-09 00:06

  It's linked to in the stickies [noparse]:)[/noparse]
  
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  Paul Baker
  Propeller Applications Engineer
  
  Parallax, Inc.
• mosquito56 Posts: 387

  2008-01-09 00:10 edited 2008-01-09 00:10

  i know, but I just found it, sorry. So much I just overlooked it I guess.
  
  Post Edited By Moderator (Paul Baker (Parallax)) : 1/9/2008 6:40:35 AM GMT
• simonl Posts: 866

  2008-01-11 13:06 edited 2008-01-11 13:06

  @Paul: I think the stickies are suffering from 'banner blindness' - many people seem to be 'blind' to differently shaded 'stuff' at or near the top of web pages. Not really much you can do about it tho@ (unless you can change the background colour on every other visit, or something like that.).
  
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  Cheers,
  
  Simon

  ---

  www.norfolkhelicopterclub.co.uk
  You'll always have as many take-offs as landings, the trick is to be sure you can take-off again ;-)
  BTW: I type as I'm thinking, so please don't take any offense at my writing style
• rjo_ Posts: 1,825

  2008-01-25 00:47 edited 2008-01-25 00:47

  Simon,
  
  I think it is just plain old fashioned target blindness... you open up the forum and sitting right there are any number of topics that you were just thinking about and someone else has asked just the exact question you were about to ask. So, naturally you go there and completely miss the top of the page.
  
  AND the contributors not only answer that question, but they answer the next question before you can even formulate it... I swear, some of these guys are psychics[noparse]:)[/noparse] or really great teachers... take your pick.
  
  What is really helpful is when someone goes to the trouble to try to keep track of it all and organize it[noparse]:)[/noparse] Sort of like whats at the top of this page... which is worth remembering... or if you haven't discovered it... stop reading this and go to the top of this page... it is fabulous.