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#1 2005-11-07 23:04:22

squaredeye
Member
From: Greenville, SC
Registered: 2005-07-31
Posts: 1,495
Website

To search or not to search...that is the question?

Pretty dumb I know, but it’s been a long day and all my quips are caput.

So, I am considering including a search on the multi-user community portfolio / critique site that I am launching over Christmas, if all goes well. I have played around with search and livesearch, and have had a ton of fun styling things and getting livesearch to output thumbnails instead of titles, etc, etc. BUT

Is it necessary? Visitors can’t search for a specific artist, they can only search for titles. Often artists don’t title their works with content specificity (necessarily), they title their works as a part of the work. ie: this piece

I can’t see a visitor searching for “wash it off” randomly, the way they might search for painting? or sculpture? or design? or Matthew Smith, or Bill Viola?

I already have category lists (similar to a browse tab), and a author list (which links to their section).

So, what do you think? Is the search worth it?

Just thought I would start the discussion and see where it goes?


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#2 2005-11-08 06:22:23

thebombsite
Archived Plugin Author
From: Exmouth, England
Registered: 2004-08-24
Posts: 3,251
Website

Re: To search or not to search...that is the question?

I tend to think a search facility is important for a site but in this case I think you are probably right in thinking that it would be a tad useless. Searches can’t look for images and you have very little text to search through. The important bit for artiswork would be the combination of organisation and navigation and I think you have that pretty much sorted. I wouldn’t bother with a search for the site.


Stuart

In a Time of Universal Deceit
Telling the Truth is Revolutionary.

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#3 2005-11-08 11:58:33

squaredeye
Member
From: Greenville, SC
Registered: 2005-07-31
Posts: 1,495
Website

Re: To search or not to search...that is the question?

stuart,
Thanks. That affirms what I was thinking. Maybe in the future if there were a new kind of search that I currently don’t imagine, perhaps then I would use one.

Maybe when I am ready for launch, if you are willing, I would have you take a look through it at “lets see yours then?” and make sure you feel that the navigation is indeed clean.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Helpful.

Matthew


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#4 2005-11-08 16:37:05

thebombsite
Archived Plugin Author
From: Exmouth, England
Registered: 2004-08-24
Posts: 3,251
Website

Re: To search or not to search...that is the question?

No problem. :)


Stuart

In a Time of Universal Deceit
Telling the Truth is Revolutionary.

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