How about allowing a natural query and some boolean capabilities to the search function.

People in here complain about the search function, and it does leave a lot to be desired.
If , with some simple syntax, you allowed a query to embed some natural query and Boolean directives in the search box, power users would certainly love it, and others would be able to learn it quickly. Delimit it with something like nq, /nq or whatever. Just about any database has a handler for this, and to me, anyway, would not be a large engineering feat.

Being obviously afraid of bot's, you could implement a random word bit-mapped challenge. So much open source out there for all of this.

I think it would be a win, so what would you say to this? Thanks.

I dont really understand any of that, but if it makes the search function better I am all for it. I just had a thread closed yesterday because it was already posted, and I spent at least ten minutes typing all combinations of key words on the story with no luck. Of course had I simply clicked the breaking political news forum I would have seen it. How the hell would I have known that though, i posted it in civil unrest forum. Search did not help me at all though.

While you're making suggestions, would it be possible to include the year at the beginning of the replies that show up? Sometimes there are just too many to sift through and it would help a lot to be able to select what we are looking for. Thanks for considering it.

I stopped using the ATS search function years ago.

Just go to google. Type "Above top seceret" and then the phrase/keyword (s), you are looking for.

Example: "above top secret" area 51

That will find any topic posted on ATS about area 51. you can use boolean search functions on google to search ATS. It's not like Google spiders haven't archived ATS...

You may run into issues with searching ATS with very new threads via google, but not often.

a reply to: charlyv

A couple of years back they had Samuru, which was pretty awesome. I am not sure what happened to it. It was once the ATS search engine.

a reply to: jackjoedoe

Thanks. That is useful for ATS and works quite well. Not as elegant as having it built in,but functional.

a reply to: Bybyots

Not exactly sure, but heard that security was hard to adapt to it, so it had to go.

I LOVE ATS's structure and discussion contributors.
I HATE the AboveTopSecrect.com website.

Just to post this message, I had to do crazy stuff with the IE-11 browser. Before 2015, a little annoying pop-up would appear on the screen for a few seconds. Now, when I click on "reply" to a thread, I'm redirected an advertising page. I have to hold down on the "back" arrow to get back to the listing of threads page, find the topic again, then hit "reply". Took me 4 attempts to get to this window in order to type a reply!!!

It's a good thing that ATS is filled with awesome members who freely share important info and insights!

a reply to: carewemust

Just to post this message, I had to do crazy stuff with the IE-11 browser. Before 2015, a little annoying pop-up would appear on the screen for a few seconds. Now, when I click on "reply" to a thread, I'm redirected an advertising page. I have to hold down on the "back" arrow to get back to the listing of threads page, find the topic again, then hit "reply". Took me 4 attempts to get to this window in order to type a reply!!!

I would recommend downloading a better browser like Chrome or Firefox.

Most companies don't support IE because it is a pain trying to get a website to display/function properly in that horrible browser. I use Chrome and Firefox and I've never had the issues you mentioned.

originally posted by: jackjoedoe
Just go to google. Type "Above top seceret" and then the phrase/keyword (s), you are looking for.

Example: "above top secret" area 51

I prefer to use something like:
"area 51" site:abovetopsecret.com

a reply to: carewemust

Sounds like you may need to do a malware scan on your computer as well.

originally posted by: DYepes
I dont really understand any of that, but if it makes the search function better I am all for it. I just had a thread closed yesterday because it was already posted, and I spent at least ten minutes typing all combinations of key words on the story with no luck. Of course had I simply clicked the breaking political news forum I would have seen it. How the hell would I have known that though, i posted it in civil unrest forum. Search did not help me at all though.

Basically, there's more to a search than just typing in words. You can put things in quotes to force that phrase or word to be within the search, in the order of the quotes, you can use the -word feature to remove results with a certain word or phrase, you can use * as a wildcard so that over* would find over, overpass, overture, or Bill* would find Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton (and billiards), and there's a few others as well.

I never use the ATS search because ghostery blocks it so I just use Google. Frankly, I'm amazed these things aren't available features if the OP is accurate.

a reply to: jackjoedoe

When you use our integrated search, you're doing the same thing since it's powered by Google.