MG-Cars.com
MG TD TF 1500 'Check the Archives' BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
MG-Cars.net
Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.
Recommendations
Parts
MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.
MG TD TF 1500 - 'Check the Archives'
| Will you give me some tips on searching the archives? I have been on the BBS for a few months, but I am still struggling with the BBS program. > Can the threads in the results of an archive search result be sorted by date instead of alphabetically? > Can I search by BBS poster? > Any special search tips that I should know? Seems like most BBS members say "Check the Archives" to questions by members. An actual link to a thread in the archives would be more informative. However, I tried to link a thread in the archives into a new post, but it could not be viewed. > I found a work-around to link some threads in the archives, but not all. 1) Click on "Search" to search the archives 2) Find a relevant thread 3) Note the subject of the thread 4) Go to http://www.mg-cars.net/mgtd-mgtf1500-bbs.htm and find the thread subject in the alphabetical list. (not all threads are listed) 5) Open the thread in #4 and copy the URL 6) Paste the URL into a new post. 7) WHEW! There has to be an easier way. What am I missing? Thanks for your help, Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Me too! I'd like to find threads started by a particular poster, but the search returns ANY thread with a post in it by that person (or any mention of their name)... at least, as far as I have been able to figure out.... |
| Geoffrey M Baker |
| I use the "Archive" thing, not the "Search" thing on top of this screen. They do different things. Don't ask me why?? And I've never had any luck using the date range criteria. Ed |
| efh Haskell |
| You can also do a 'search" with the posters name,, |
| STEVE WINCZE |
| I have never had much success at all, just have to keep digging around. I often know something was discussed in the past, but likely have no idea when or the thread title. Does not work like Google. George |
| George Butz |
| Lonnie, What were you searching for in the archives??? SPW |
| STEVE WINCZE |
| To search the archives: 1. Select the Archive at the top of the screen 2. Select the TD/TF BBS as the thread (it may be preselected) 3. Enter your search words or phrase 4. Choose ONE of the following: this phrase any of these words all of these words 5. Press the Start Search button 6. Look through the mess you will receive. I never mess with the year thing. |
| Chris Couper |
| I think to only thing that does not help when searching the archives is that every one makes a title for their thread, sooo for instnce you can fine something on a pump under a variety of titles: Pump Water pump 1952 TD Water Pump TD Water Pump TF Water Pump 52 Water pump Noisey Pump etc.. Use the archives and you get used to it,,, |
| STEVE WINCZE |
| Wouldn't it help searching if there was some standardisation in thread titles. Perhaps we should start with the major component and then the query or issue. For example "Dynamo Checking Volts Output" rather than "Checking Dynamo Volts Output" A search on "Dynamo" in titles would list all there was on Dynamos. Jan T |
| J Targosz |
| The ideal would be a 'keywords' field when creating a thread. Then you could give it any title you wanted like "My XFsf@$@#%@ thingy blew" and add keywords "ammeter", "electrical", "wiring" and "1951 MGTD". A search by keyword would give radically better results if done correctly. |
| Geoffrey M Baker |
| Well not to steal from Twitter but you could do this by convention. Just put a '#' in front of any term in your text (#radiator #ammeter #wiring) and then when you searched you would put these in as key words. But this would require us all to do this and I must admit I would not bother. Its no big deal to get back more than I wanted or things that are not quite relevant but had one of my words in it. In fact sometimes they take me to lateral places I would not have gotten to if it was more structured. :-) |
| Chris Couper |
| I feel guilty complaining about the search and archive capabilities because I have learned so much from information in the archives and from responses to my questions. ++ Steve - See my notes under ">> RE: SEARCH FOR POSTS BY A MEMBER", below. ++ Steve - not searching for anything specific at this moment. I am just trying to improve my searching abilities. ++ Chris - I understand the process of using the Archives. It's a wonder that I haven't melted the server with all of the searches (and finds) that I have made since I bought my TF last December. >> RE: LINK ARCHIVED POSTS INTO NEW POST The answer that I am most wanting to hear from some of you is how to link archived posts into a new post. It is very difficult or impossible to directly link a great archived post/thread into a new post. That's why the response is usually "Check the Archives." The reader may or may not read the correct archived post even after an exhausting search. This is the only forum that I visit that does not allow linking old posts. For instance if a member posted a question about fasteners and I wanted to answer the question and include information that Steve Wincze wrote in a post about Dzus fasteners a few years ago, how would I write the link so that the reader could just click and view it? The work-around that I mentioned is the only way that I have found. It is time consuming and does not work for all posts. >> RE: SEARCH FOR POSTS BY A MEMBER I have been playing with the Search and the Archive buttons and discovered a way possibly find some of a forum member's posts. Not simple, but possible: If a member uses any phrase or unique word consistantly, then you can search for his posts in the archives: For instance, I sign my posts with ... Lonnie TF7211 I can search for archived posts that I have made by ... > Click "ARCHIVE" > Enter "TF7211" Results will be all posts in the archives that I made using "TF7211" in the signature line. It will NOT SHOW my posts that are still in the Active BBS. To find posts that I have made in the Live BBS > Click "SEARCH" > Enter "LM Cook" (My name at the top of a post) Results will be all posts in the Active BBS that I made. It will NOT SHOW posts in the Archives. Confused? So am I. A "SEARCH" or "ARCHIVE" of member's name "DAVE" will return posts by a lot of different Daves. >> RE: THREAD SUBJECT NAMES I am trying to title most of the subject lines in threads that I start with the major theme, then a description. Such as "Brakes - Adjuster shim" It won't help search, but may help you choose the archived threads to open and read. Mandating a uniform method of creating subject lines or hashtags in a post is not practical and could result missing a lot of great archived posts by members who did not use the correct convention. I appologize for stirring the pot. This is a great forum and source of information. I'm am just trying to maximize the value that I can gain and contribute to it. Thanks, Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| OK. Sorry for the confusion. But there is a bit of an issue you need to be aware of. If you search the archives with you browser that is set with your ID and then copy the link of the item it will contain an element that is access= That 'some number' is YOUR unique ID. If you then post the link and others access it, they will become you. If their browsers remember their session (most do) and they come back in again they will be you until they exit the BBS and log back in again. So whatever you do with links, make sure you do not include the access= element of the URL |
| Chris Couper |
| How should I write the link so that the reader can click and view it? Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Chris, if someone else becomes me, do they inherit my debts as well? If so, this could work out well. |
| Geoffrey M Baker |
| I have alerted the Webmaster, Mike Plumstead on this issue. Gord Clark Rockburn, Qué. |
| Gordon A Clark |
| Steve, "You can also do a 'search" with the posters name" How? If I type "efh Haskell", my 'name" into the Archive or the Search boxes it pulls up 7 entries. I posted hundreds of things over the years! Yea, it w/b nice to be able to see all my old posts in one place. Am I missing something? Ed |
| efh Haskell |
| Just copy whats in the address bar at the top but delete the access= The webmaster is aware of it but I think its a limitation of the current BBS software. This happens frequently and it happened to me a few months back. Geoff: I am sorry but it only assumes your persona for this BBS so it won't get you very far. But you could hijack someones ID and start a bunch of slanderous threads just to amuse yourself. Wait, we already say slanderous things on our own so that won't get you very far. |
| Chris Couper |
| Chris, please pass along to the webmaster my best wishes and if he is looking to expand or develop the board, he could contact me. I've been doing web design since 1994 and would be happy to help... |
| Geoffrey M Baker |
| Hey Chris - Well, here goes a test of linking the thread that contains Steve Wincze's 07-March-2006 post about Dzus fasteners. (Third response in the thread "'54 TF - Screws for Louvre Panel") > Search the archives for "Dzus fasteners", choose " '54 TF - Screws for Louvre Panel". Then click on the address bar to see the full URL including your unique access number. > I removed the words "&access=> Which leaves this URL to see the thread. Click on it to see if it takes you to the thread '54 TF - Screws for Louvre Panel http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&subject=8&subjectar=8&thread=200603061949244694 >>>>>> IT DIDN'T WORK. The URL takes me to the Live BBS page of the BBS but says "You are not currently logged in as a member ..." It did not take me to the thread that I wanted. > I tried a number of other combinations of deleted sections of the URL. None worked. > The thread " '54 TF - Screws for Louvre Panel" is not in the MG TD TF 1500 index http://www.mg-cars.net/mgtd-mgtf1500-bbs.htm , so I couldn't use that as a link to the thread. Thanks for the insight, but it's back to the drawing board. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| UPDATE - The software deleted my Unique Number and all words after it on the same line in my previous post. I guess that the Unique Number is the key to the problem as Chris suggested. Just don't know how to get around it. I won't pursue the problem any farther. Thanks, Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Lonnie: The problem is that without being logged in you cannot get access to the archives. Kind of a Catch 22. I am not certain how to post a link to the archives but there is a fairly simple solution until we find out (I will ask the webmaster). If you just copy the thread number at the end of the url (in this case 200603061949244694) and post that, then people can use that number in the search terms while logged in the BBS with their ID and up will come the post. They just need to copy the number from your post and then go to the archive and paste the number in ONLY. Its not as elegant as a link, but given the limitations of having to be logged in and not wanting people to pretend they are you, its the best I can think of to date. |
| Chris Couper |
| What I finally learned. Archive, TD TF, Type in subject (transmission rebuild), and here I got lost until I realized the response is alphabetical (!). Scroll to that thread, add a comment and that thread is brought back to life for discussion under that subject. Peter 54TF. |
| Peter Dahlquist |
| Chris - You da man! I used your suggestion to click the ARCHIVE button and insert a thread number into a search. Not as fast and easy as on most forums, but it works and is a lot easier that it appears in the steps that I outline below. I personally feel that linking to specific threads in the archives can improve the quality of the already great knowledge that we share on this board. We can instruct the reader to look for a specific post within the thread. Perhaps the webmaster can show us a way to insert a link to old threads directly into new posts. Here is my recap of how to link old threads into a new post: TO LINK TO A THREAD THAT IS NOT IN THE "LIVE BBS" > Preferred method: ++ copy the numbers at the end of the URL (after "thread=") of the thread ++ paste the number into the text of your post ++ ask the reader to search the ARCHIVE for the number ++ the reader must copy the number, click on ARCHIVE, paste the number into the "Search this archive" box, and click "Start Search" ++ the thread will be the only choice in the list that will appear. > Alternative method: ++ copy the Thread Heading of the thread ++ paste the Thread Heading into the text of your post ++ ask the reader search the ARCHIVE for the Thread Heading ++ the reader must copy the Thread Heading, click on ARCHIVE, paste the Thread Heading into the "Search this archive" box, click the "all of these words" button, and click "Start Search" ++ a number of threads may appear if they contain the same phrase as the heading of the target thread. TO LINK TO A THREAD THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE "LIVE BBS" (similar to the "Alternative method above) ++ copy the Thread Heading of the thread ++ paste the Thread Heading into the text of your post ++ ask the reader search the SEARCH for the Thread Heading ++ the reader must copy the Thread Heading, click on SEARCH (not ARCHIVE), paste the Thread Heading into the "Search words" box, click the "all of these words" button, choose "T Series TD-TF" in the "Subject" box, then click "Start search" ++ a number of threads my appear if they contain the same phrase as the heading of the target thread ++ after the thread is no longer in the Live BBS, readers can click on "ARCHIVE" and paste the Thread Heading into the "Search this archive" box as described in "Alternative method" above. AN EASY WAY TO COPY THE THREAD NUMBER FROM THE URL + Activate the thread + Left-click on the URL address + Touch the "END" key on the keyboard to move the cursor to the end of the URL address + Hold the "SHIFT" key on the keyboard while tapping the left arrow on the keyboard to highlight the number + Move the mouse arrow over the highlighted number and right-click the mouse. + Click "Copy" in the drop-down menue + Move to the post that you are writing and paste the number into the text HOW TO MAKE IT EASY TO SEARCH FOR ARCHIVED THREADS THAT CONTAIN POSTS THAT YOU HAVE MADE (Unfortunately, this will work for new posts that you make in the future, but not necessarily posts that you have made in the past) ++ always use a specific unique word in all of your posts, such as your MG's chassis number after your signature, eg TF7211 ++ search the ARCHIVE for that unique word. ++ all of the threads with your posts will be listed I hope that this information will continue to improve an already amazing forum. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Hate to hijack, but does anybody know how to bring up a list of "all MY posts"? In other words, I want to see all the posts that I have been the initial author of. This would be better than a keyword search in the case that I know I asked about "XYZ" topic 3 years ago but I can't tell you the exact keywords that I may have used. Ed |
| efh Haskell |
| Type your name in and select these exact words. Should bring up everything you commented on. |
| MG LaVerne |
| Update to the linking process. Let see if this works as advertised. http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=thread&access=&subject=8&source=T&thread=2014042316302331724 |
| Chris Couper |
| Chris, worked for me. LaVerne, "select these exact words". What "exact words"? Also, if I "type my name" I just get a list of 7 recent posts I commented on. Why only 7, who knows? I want a complete list of all posts I initiated, not those I commented on. Ed |
| efh Haskell |
| Chris - You da man ... part Deux!! Yes, it works. It opens as an unregistered user. Thanks for getting the website updated. I feel that it is a big improvement. Lonnie TF7211 |
| LM Cook |
| Testing the link: http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=mgbbs&mode=archiveth&archiveyear=8_2014.dat&access=&subject=8&subjectar=8&source=T&thread=201402141635465877 |
| Mike Plumstead |
| Mike, the link worked for me! While you're "on the line" is there is an easy way to bring up a list of all my own posts (the ones I initiated, not ones I commented on)? Something like a "My Posts" button? Thanks for all your efforts! Ed |
| efh Haskell |
| Ed. He is working on it, but said "don't hold your breath". That is not as easy as this fix was :-) |
| Chris Couper |
| Please excuse my ignorance, but I have no idea about this 'fix' that has been installed. What was broken that has been fixed? Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Bud: If you posted a link of a BBS thread it had your account ID embedded in it and that could cause others to assume your identity. If you stripped the account id off first then the BBS would not let you get to the link because you were not logged in. So Mike created a routine that stripped off the account info automatically when you post a link using your ID. Then when others who are logged in access it, they can still see the thread and are not told they must log in. |
| Chris Couper |
| Fine. That's a good change. Thanks. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| OK It took a while, but now I understand what was done,, I agree,, it is a GREAT, useful modification,,,, THANKS MIKE!!! SPW |
| STEVE WINCZE |
This thread was discussed between 21/04/2014 and 24/04/2014
MG TD TF 1500 index
This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.