I type "AND", search comes in "OR". Can't take it anymore.

cuteusername

cuteusername

O.G.
Mar 5, 2006
1,104
24
#1
Does anyone know what the secret is to not getting 300 pages of search results that include either of the words you put in rather than BOTH of the words? I use AND, I get back OR. I've tried quotes, no quotes. The only thing that works is exact phrases, but that's no good because people don't always describe what they're posting about with the words in exactly the same order as you do.

I've posted this before, and sometimes it appears to be fixed, only to start happening again.

Is this problem only with people in the MP?

It's so frustrating, because PF is such a great resource. But searching has become so useless here I end up using google search and adding purse forum to the other words, hoping that will take me to what I'm looking for.

Sorry to post this again, but I can't be the only one.
 
#3
Okay, for example:

In the Balenciaga forum I type in "anthracite" AND "day" (with or without the quotes around the words - doesn't seem to matter, but using the word AND) The search comes up with anything containing "anthracite" OR "day." In fact, the search results page will have even magically changed my "AND" to an "OR". Right there on the top left!

In the handbag forums, I type in "patent" AND "nightingale". I get anything with patent and anything with nightingale. And my little AND that I typed now says "OR" on the top left of the search results page.

I used to do it, ages ago, without the "AND", and the old default seemed to be that I'd find all posts containing ALL the key words I had indicated. But now the default seems to be an "OR" search.

Does this make sense? Am I doing something simple wrong? This seemed to begin when I joined the MP, if that helps at all.
 
#6
No. I get 300 pages of posts with either "patent" OR "bag", and if I look at the left hand corner of the my search results page, it says OR, as if that's what I searched for. But I typed AND!!!

As for searching in titles only, do you mean threads rather than posts? I don't see the titles option. I had it set for "threads".

UPDATE: I found the "titles" option - doesn't matter. same thing. 300 pages of titles with EITHER word and search results page says "OR" even though I used AND.
 
#7
okay, here's what DOES work:

I type in: patent,bag

That got me 49 results and all had both words. Does AND work for everyone but me? I don't really care, as long as there a way to do it. I hope this is helpful, Vlad. If you're anything like me, you like to have things working properly.
 
#8
oh dear, I may have spoken too soon about the comma solution. When I type
{ black,day} in the balenciaga subforum I once again get any post with either word. Useless.

It may be that "patent" just doesn't appear much without "bag," or there aren't that many posts with patent, so it looked like that worked. I was assuming all results had both words, but I didn't check very carefully. Back to you, Vlad.
 
#9
Vlad, if you're reading this, I think I've found the answer. (After spending way too many work hours playing with search on PF). What seems to work is the plus sign, no spaces, between the two words you want to find TOGETHER in a post or thread. I haven't tried it with three words yet.

I just can't imagine I'm the only one whose AND's transform into OR's the moment I hit the search button, so I hope this helps others.
 
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