Re: [boost] boost and google search

Subject: Re: [boost] boost and google search
From: Rene Rivera (grafikrobot_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-11-30 09:13:34

On 11/23/2011 10:46 AM, Nathan Ridge wrote:
>
>> I am sure it is pretty common for users of boost to use google to search
>> for documentation/tutorials on their favorite library in boost. I have
>> found that the top hits are typically not the latest documents. For example
>> I just searched for boost,foreach and a documentation from 1.35 was the
>> first hit. It would be great if there is a way to tell google to update
>> their links to the latest version. Anyone knows whether this is possible,
>> and how to make it happen?
>>
>> This problem probably applies to any search engine but I can only comment
>> on google search.
>
> I have a related gripe: suppose I search google for "boost fusion". The first
> result is:
>
> Chapter 1. Fusion 2.1 - Boost 1.48.0
> www.boost.org/doc/libs/release/libs/fusion/
>
> So far, so good! But when I click on it, the address in my address bar is:
>
> http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_48_0/libs/fusion/doc/html/index.html
>
> When I then navigate to some page in the documentation, and copy the
> link to post it somewhere (perhaps in a stackoverflow answer or a forum
> post), the link is to the 1.48 docs, not the latest docs. When someone then
> looks at the answer/post two years later and clicks on the link, they are
> looking at a very outdated Boost version!

I would argue that in this case the behavior is actually good. Your SO 
question and answer is dated and hence fits having a dated link. 
Otherwise the link might point to non-existent documentation or totally 
changed behavior on the referred page and hence invalidating your answer.

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