Last modified: 2014-11-04 22:50:50 UTC
Erik Moeller (bug 577), user interface blogs and usability initiative test subjects may claim contrarywise, but some people who edit Wikipedia think that the Go and Search button are perfectly logical and useful and find it hard to impossible to search Wikipedia without them. If the Holy Book of Vector says that they must not exist, they can be disabled by default, but please let editors and readers who happily used them for many years enable them as a preference. I am marking it "critical", because in the current state of affairs it is completely impossible to search Wikipedia using the search box. Example: search for "begin". You'll get to the page "Begin". There's no way to actually search Wikipedia for the word "begin" using this search box, except going to Special:Search manually (there's no link to Special:Search anywhere). So, until the search box can be used for searching, the Go and Search button must be restored ASAP. When the new search box with the AJAXy bells and whistles actually works as designed, feel free to lower the priority.
Rewording summary to be a factual representation of what the reporter wants rather than the reporter's opinion.
I think we must hear other user's opinion
(In reply to comment #0) > > I am marking it "critical", because in the current state of affairs it is > completely impossible to search Wikipedia using the search box. Example: search > for "begin". You'll get to the page "Begin". There's no way to actually search > Wikipedia for the word "begin" using this search box, except going to > Special:Search manually (there's no link to Special:Search anywhere). Full text seach is still possible. Please read http://techblog.wikimedia.org/2010/05/simplified-search-for-vector/
(In reply to comment #3) > (In reply to comment #0) > > > > I am marking it "critical", because in the current state of affairs it is > > completely impossible to search Wikipedia using the search box. Example: search > > for "begin". You'll get to the page "Begin". There's no way to actually search > > Wikipedia for the word "begin" using this search box, except going to > > Special:Search manually (there's no link to Special:Search anywhere). > > Full text seach is still possible. Please read > http://techblog.wikimedia.org/2010/05/simplified-search-for-vector/ Full text search is not possible, because the “containing” option doesn't actually appear in the suggestions.
(In reply to comment #1) > Rewording summary to be a factual representation of what the reporter wants > rather than the reporter's opinion. For the record, it was "Go and search button are not confusing", a paraphrase on the summary of Bug 577. Consider rewording that one, too :)
I agree with Amir that this is a serious concern. Among many things, it will have a direct impact on the complexity of instructional materials associated with Bookshelf and the Public Policy Initiative. It seems to me that there is a pretty standard and functional way to address this: simply put a small text link saying "Advanced Search" next to the search button. See ebay.com, britannica.com, corbisimages.com I'm sure there's been some usability research done around this sort of feature, so I'll just state this as my personal opinion: a small "advanced search" button seems to present all the functionality of the former "Go/Search" setup, while eliminating the confusing choice. For whatever it's worth, I discussed this usability issue in depth about a year ago with Pete Kaminski, who has a pretty extensive background and reputation in the realm of wikis and usability, and he agreed with this approach.
I'm also rather tired of having to type Special:Search in the search dialog if i want to actual SEARCH....
Agreed that the current state of affairs – neither “Search” button nor the “containing…” functionality – is wrong. However, you do not need to type Special:Search into the box – just click the magnifier icon without typing anything (with the empty search box).
(In reply to comment #8) > Agreed that the current state of affairs – neither “Search” button nor the > “containing…” functionality – is wrong. > > However, you do not need to type Special:Search into the box – just click the > magnifier icon without typing anything (with the empty search box). Interesting, thanks. I tried pressing the magnifier when there was text in the box and it did the same thing as pressing Enter - "Go" and not "Search". Pressing Enter in an empty box also brings me to Special:Search. This may point at a possible solution: * Pressing the Enter key and clicking the magnifier in an empty should bring the user to Special:Search. * Pressing the Enter key in a box with text should do "Go" if a page by that name exists and "Search" if there's no such page. * Pressing the magnifier in a box with text should do "Search" in any case.
I can confirm that something is broken: I can't get the search option ("containing…") in the scenario described in http://techblog.wikimedia.org/2010/05/simplified-search-for-vector/ I've tried it in Google Chrome 4.1.249.1064 and IE 7, neither works. Amir's suggestions in #c9 seems logical, too.
Enhanced simple search by Roan Kattouw is staged on prototype: http://usability.wikimedia.org/wiki/Prototype * Search suggestion expands infinitely to the left * "containing" feature is restored * A tooltip is added for the advanced search Please give it a spin, and provide feedback.
Changed importance to enhancement - the full text search works now.
I was about to close this bug, because it generated no interest since full-text searching was fixed, but today i noticed something that made me think that maybe it should be fixed. The current mobile Wikipedia is really only for Wikipedia. I tried using Wiktionary today from my phone, and i couldn't run a search - i can write the word in the search box, but my phone doesn't have a way to send an Enter-like event. This is true for my Samsung Monte, for Symbian-based Nokia phones and maybe for many others. On the iPhone the SimpleSeach drop-down works, although not without issues. On the Mobile Wikipedia this is solved by putting near the input box a button that actually runs the search and can be pressed by the Symbian "mouse"-like pointer, by the Samsung touchscreen or by whatever there is in the other phones. Until there's a new mobile WikiMedia app, this button should be added to Wikimedia projects. Marking this as High priority - it's nearly impossible to search non-Wikipedia projects on many mobile devices until it's solved.
Added Mark the bugmeister and Hampton the mobile expert. Please see my last comment. Thank you.
The loupe icon is actually a clickable button that triggers a search
(In reply to comment #15) > The loupe icon is actually a clickable button that triggers a search OK, but then again - it functions as "Go" and if i want to run a full-text search i have to go to Special:Search. I can bookmark Special:Search at my phone, but most users aren't aware of that trick.
Created attachment 8486 [details] screenshot of loupe icon issue on Safari Mobile Well if the loupe is visible. I just checked on my iPod and to be honest the loupe icon is only half rendered or something when the page is in "full width" mode. Kinda weird. See screenshot
This should really be a new bug, but see comment #13 for the current issue. Retitling and giving to Tomasz since he is heading up the new Mobile effort.
closing this to open Bug #28799 to focus on comment #13 from here.
