Database search?

What just happened? Now if you are searching in the dayliles database you are seaching all of the database and getting all kinds of google links,not to mention getting error messages.

LOL Mystic, you beat me to it! I got Googled! What happened?

Yes ... this just happened to me too!

Good then I am not losing my mind. I have to say I don't like it much!

Neither did I. New experiment Dave? Time to vote?

I vote NOPE. Sorry, hope that didn't hurt your ears!

So if we get dumped over into Botanary, should we assume that no plants in that species exists, and we should add it?

And I was thinking up my plea to make the PDB easier for me to use: if the results come up negative, can you add a link to "Add a New Plant" on that page? I'm on a dial-up, kinda slows me way down.

This message was edited Wednesday, Jan 22nd 8:40 PM

It's an experiment, but at the same time a solution to a temporary problem. Tonight the searches were dragging the site down - big time - and I had to do something.

Either I disabled the search engine altogether until I could fix it in the morning, or I switched over to my experimental google-engine and see what reaction I get.

Well, I dunno...

dave

About the only *good* thing with the new approach was that I was easily able to get back to DG. I like how I can search the forums again this way. I really missed it.

Also it seems like some plants are missing??? Especially varieties/cultivars?

The one problem I see is that Google isn't updated real-time. So some plants that are in there won't show up.

But if you search for a plant and come up empty handed, try searching on just the genus (or even family) name. Then when you get an entry for that genus, open it and click on the genus name to get ALL the entries for that genus.

A few extra clicks, but it'll work, and if it keeps the site operating without major slowdowns it could be a good temporary solution.

(It took me by surprise, too!)

Well, I kind of liked it. Saves doing two searches if nothing is found on the database.

I hope the slowdown can be fixed without this Google thing being made permanent. It is a real bear and I don't like it at all. When I search to see if a particular plant is already listed Google gives a lot of individual photo entries before finally listing the old PDB 'general listing' page (sorry, I don't know what the technical name would be) that used to show up under the old Search, where I could scan quickly for a specific cultivar.

I know that 'critical mass' in database software is a technical nightmare, but is there any way to get Search back to something more like it was before? I've noticed a fair number of duplicate entries showing up (yes, I've been guilty of it too in my first few attempts) and I think this will only make it a worse problem; if Searching is too much of a hassle to sort through the entries to see what's already been posted, newbies will just post an entry without bothering to check first. Which in turn will compound the database size problem!

When you see a duplicate, please (please, please please) tell us. Hit "report an error" while you're on the entry in question. I try to watch the new entries coming in, but on busy days I don't have time to look at each one as carefully as I'd like to.

What I've found has happened is that most duplicates occur because the second entry is incomplete, or things are in the wrong fields (usually the person enters a common or genus name, skipping family and species, and then lists the variety/cultivar name. Or the genus and species are listed together in one field.)

While I'm pleading, let me add one other plea: If you don't bother to look for an existing entry before creating a new one, then it's doubly important to completely and accurately complete the family, genus, species and cultivar (if appropriate.) By doing that, the system has a better chance of catching the duplicate before it gets posted.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who got Googled... eek! I thought it was a problem with my computer! I find it confusing, I echo jkom51 in I hope we can fix it without Google.

Well, much as I use and browse the PDB (always my first stop) and Google this way is VERY difficult and repetitious. I was looking for A dentata...not remembering what the A stood for. Nothing in this new search led me in the right direction. I finally used the regular Google to come up with the plant Alternanthera dentata. It seems easier just to use Google in the first place.

As a temporary solution it's fine but it's too hard to use for a permanent feature.

I find it off putting.

okay, I put the old search back. :)

Out of curiosity, is Google experimenting with selling their search engine to websites? During the experiment you did, I saw one major drawback in that they haven't done a recent index of the PDB. And when information changes rapidly (as it does on our sites), I would think it's imperative that the search engine be able to find everything that's been posted - at a minimum, within the few days, if not daily.

Then there's the issue of their formatting, which is radically different from what we're used to (change is hard), but I'm wondering if they'll allow for modifications in the way the results are returned.

Like I said...just curious. (And yeah, I'm very familiar with the expression about curiosity and its affect on cats, lol)

Google has allowed what I did for quite some time. You probably noticed that I was even able to stick the PDB logo up there, too.

But the formatting and lack-of-control over the results are the two serious downsides. These downsides are overcome with their commercial offerings that companies can pay for to use, including an entire API (application programmer's interface) that one can use to develop a googlized search engine for their site, with results looking exactly how you want them.

That offering is still very much in beta.

Dave

I user Atomz search engine at my website. Mine's NOWHERE as big as the PDB, but do you think this might help there? http://www.atomz.com/ It has customizeable search results and you can make the results fit seamlessly into your site design with templates.

It's Google or nothing for me.

dave

Thanks Dave!

WWWwwhhoooopppeeee!! Now back to our sponsor ...

I tried doing the freebie Google search on my blog a little while ago, but it did not bring up search results other than the sponsored ones from Google. I was having it search my site, though...Not sure what was wrong. It could be because I told it my subdomain blog.gardenwife.com in the URL rather than giving it as a standard URL gardenwife.com/blog - would that make a difference, Dave?

The DB seemed to be running a little slow again tonight, back under the good format, but not anything worth squawking about, especially after the Google searches (and searches and searches)

Thanks, Dave :) Hope it doesn't get too slow again.

Thanks, Dave! Appreciate all your hard work. You're a doll, and all of us at DG bless you for your patience and responsiveness.