[Boost-users] [boost website] Inconsistent search?

From: Delfin Rojas (drojas_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-03-02 15:38:29

I just wanted to report something I just found with regards to searching on
the website. When I go to www.boost.org there is a search box in the top
right corner. Next to the search box there is a dropdown to select between
searching "Boost", "Documentation" or "Mailing Lists". Upon starting the
search, the user is redirected to a customized Google page with results.
That Google page also let's you choose between "Search WWW", "Search
www.boost.org" and "Search lists.boost.org". This is what I found:
 
case a) 
            1. In the boost.org main page selected "Boost" under search
dropdown.
            2. Searched for "thread priority".
            3. Got Google results page. Results did not include matches in
boost mailing lists (as expected).
            4. Selected "Search lists.boost.org" at the top of Google
results page. 
            5. Clicked search again (same string).
            6. No results were found.
 
case b) 
            1. In the boost.org main page selected "Mailing Lists" under
search dropdown.
            2. Searched for "thread priority"
            3) Got results.
 
In summary: if you start a search from the boost main page and then try to
change the search "scope" in the Google results page the scope does not
change correctly. However, if you go back to the boost main page and select
the new "scope" there then the search shows correct results.
 
This may not be at all a boost problem (may be a Google bug) but I think it
is confusing (particularly for newbies). If changing the search scope does
not work as expected from the results page then I think it should not give
you the option. 
 
-delfin