What we CAN do about the Yahoo search engine (was: Quantity vs quality)

Fri Aug 13 03:52:33 UTC 2004

Alla asked:
<snip>
Is it even possible to improve the search engine somehow?

Pat (hollylawrence67) added:
<snip>
I have tried several times to use the search engine, and really 
haven't had any success--I've tried putting in the numbers of topics, 
and also the titles of topics--neither is very helpful.  In  the end, 
I have resorted to scrolling back, page by page, looking for specific 
threads.  That's very time consuming, and as a result,  have just 
skipped some things altogether.

Neri:

I don't have a clue about the mechanism of the Yahoo groups, but I 
assume that if a better way than the current horrible search engine 
would have been possible, ADMIN would have been already applying it.

However, there is no reason we should continue to live with this 
situation. We can easily generate ourselves something even better 
than a search engine. We can build favorite links lists and FAQ lists 
that will be very easy to navigate and search. Simply ask members to 
contribute links to their favorite posts, each link with a subject 
line that describes it and maybe several additional key words that 
will help finding it. For example:

---------------------------
The scar connection - possible effects on the war (long thread)
(key words: Harry, LV, mind link, Occlumency, possession)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/90939
---------------------------

I already keep such a list to help me find again posts and threads 
that I liked. It's almost no work at all creating and maintaining it 
(whenever I come across a good post I just paste the URL in the 
list). I suspect many other members keep similar lists. It's very 
easy to search such a list, using the search engine of the browser or 
Word or the e-mail program you use. I keep my list in MS Word, so 
when I'm online I can get to the original post with one mouse click 
on the link.

The example below naturally reflects my own skewed personal interests 
and limited knowledge, but with additional 5 or 50 or 500 members 
contributing links it should become much more inclusive and 
interesting. Such a list can be easily added to the website, or even 
posted by ADMIN:

An example of a (post-OotP) HPfGU link list
-------------------------------------------

THEORIES AND PREDICTIONS

LV is Tom Riddle possessed by Salazar Slytherin?
(Chamber of Secrets, "in essence divided", powers)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/108664

The scar connection - possible effects on the war (long thread)
(Harry, LV, mind link, Occlumency, possession, terror)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/90939

Suspicious issues regarding Sirius' death (long thread)
(death arch, veil, DoM, Bellatrix, Lupin, DD)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/91486

DD's secret agenda for the WW (some TBAY, long thread)
(MAGIC DISHWASHER, Order, phoenix, pureblood, MoM)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/81010

Will Harry vanquish LV with good magic or Dark Arts? (long thread)
(Aveda Kedavra, Unforgivables, DoM, locked door, love) 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/85848

Did James and Lily know about the Prophecy? (long thread)
(Potter, LV, DD, Harry, prophecy, Ancient Magic)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86575

Who's going to betray the Order in Books 6 and 7?
(Ron, Percy, Lupin, Snape, Tonks, Mundungus, Molly)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75704

PROPHECY INTERPRETATIONS

A long thread about possible meanings of the Prophecy
(Harry, James, Lily, LV)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75035

The "Other" can't be a third person in a grammatical way
(Prophecy, Harry, LV, Neville)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/108241

HARRY POTTER

Will Harry be an Auror after Hogwarts?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/74897

Shouldn't everybody know Harry can cast a Patronus? (long thread)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75968

HERMIONE GRANGER

The development of Hermione's character throughout the series
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/105616

Hermione's parents and background (long thread) 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/102644

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

Is DD a calculating puppet master?
(James, Lily, Sirius, Harry, Aveda Kedavra, Ancient Magic)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/95458

Does DD see and know everything at Hogwarts?
(Quirrell, Ginny, Marauders, Scabbers, Crouch Jr., Crouch Sr.)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/96085

SEVERUS SNAPE

Snape as a double agent (long thread)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86384

More Snape as a double agent (long thread)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/89443

What is Snape's position in the DEs' hierarchy? (long thread)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/92436

Snape's actions during the night of the DoM battle (long thread)
(Harry, Sirius, Umbridge, Kreacher, Forbidden Forest)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/107699

Harry in any of Snape's classes in Book 6? (long thread)
(DADA, Potions, OWL, NEWT)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75779

REMUS LUPIN

Did the ESE!Lupin kill Sirius?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/82860

Why Lupin couldn't have killed Sirius
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/82814

VOLDEMORT

How did Tom come by his diary? (extremely long thread)
(LV, Vauxhall Road, London, orphanages, World War II)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86506
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86517
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/87431

LV as the classic fascist dictator (long thread)
(ideology, racism, pureblood, DEs, Slytherin)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/108762

Does LV takes his magical power from people's fear?
(Voldemort, Dark Lord, Snape, Bellatrix) 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/104274

LONGBOTTOMS

Snape, Agnes and the Longbottoms - possible connections
(Neville, St. Mungo's, poison)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86305

MINOR CHARACTERS

TBAY: Quirrell lives in Scandinavia?
(Durmstrang, trolls, unicorn blood, elixir of life)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/87645
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/87646

Is Aberforth the barman of the Hog's head?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75569

Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa on the Black family tree
(12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius, Ted Tonks, Rudolphus, Lucius Malfoy)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/106729

Some new suspects of kissing Florence and hexing Bertha
(Rudolphus, Frank, Evan Rosier, Wilkes, Snape, Bellatrix, Alice)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/105599

ESE!Bill (TBAY thread)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/85610
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/85729
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/85922

DEATH EATERS

DEs: who, how many, and where are they now?
(Malfoy, Avery, Rockwood, Bellatrix, Dolohov, Azkaban)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/74825

Do the DEs know that LV is Tom Riddle?
(Lucius Malfoy, Snape, Wormtail, Bellatrix, diary)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86502

HOGWARTS

How safe is Hogwarts?
(defenses, protection, aparation)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/86499

Hogwarts in the context of RL British Public Schools tradition
(prefects, head boy, head girl, houses, headmaster, governors)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/105610

HOUSES

Should the House of Slytherin be abolished? (long thread)
(Sorting Hat, pureblood, racism, unity)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/99200

CLASSES, EXAMS, ETC.

The (un)fairness of Snape grading Harry in OotP (long thread)
(Potions, OWL, exams)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/74576

Does Snape use drill sergeant methods to make his students better?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/94413
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/94631

MAGIC

Questions regarding types of possession
(LV, Quirrell, Tom Riddle, Diary, Ginny, Harry)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/74992

How does the Pensieve work?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/74777

Classification of spells
(charm, curse, hex, jinx)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/71220

Is the Imperius curse mind programming or remote control?
(LV, Unforgivables, Crouch Sr., Wormtail, Moody, Lucius Malfoy)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/93300

How does the Mirror of Erised work?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/105670

TIME TRAVEL

Different types of Time Travel and how JKR might use them
(time turner, paradoxes, DD=Ron theory)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/88794
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/88636

PLACES

Who will inherit 12 Grimmauld Place (long thread)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75450

What is Godric's Hollow and who should inherit it?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/75508

JKR AS AN AUTHOR

JKR's narrative strategy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/106967

A long thread about conspiracy and ESE theories
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/96577

Why is Grawp so huge?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/102442

Any need for more main characters killed in Books 6 and 7?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/89866

FLINTS, INCONSISTENCIES AND ERRORS

Is Hermione's age a flint?
(birthday, cutoff date, school, September, Harry)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/92319

Three characters saying "Voldemort" is probably JKR's mistake
(Wormtail, Crouch Sr., Crouch Jr., Dark Lord)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/109098