Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
This is a cut/paste from a thread the other day, but becasue we have so many new members, I think it bears repeating. Here are my step by step directions on how to search for something. If you have a question-look first. Chances are the answer is waiting for you already! Yes, it is tricky sometimes, and you have to play with words (like cloth and fabric) to get just the right match, but most stuff you really need to know is already here! LOL Hope this helps!
if you want directions on how to do something (like use pearlex, make candles) or want a comparison on products (like classic vs. craft pads) here is how to find out the inormation:
If you have questions on a specific subject from the home page:
go to forums
and then search.
Type in a few keywords (for example pearl+ex+direction* or candle+how+to* )and click "search all terms"
The * at the end of a word allows the search to be done for all words that have similar suffixes-for example directio* will pop up threads for direction as well as directions
If you are looking for how to do something-some good words/phrases to try are:
direction*
technique*
how to*
It will bring up a lot of good threads for you to search. Sometimes you have to play with the wording until you find the right one to answer your question. For example, sometimes you have to type in pearlex instead of pearl ex, or add words in to make it more specific or more general. For example, if asking about Staz-On on wood, you might try more than Staz-On and wood-you might try something like wood boxes or even trays to get more ideas.
In the gallery, the easiest way is from the home page to go to gallery, and there is a search button there. This is where you go if you want pics of what someone is talking about. Yesterday, someone was asking about post-it note ramps from frames, for example. I went to the gallery and typed in "post* note* and found some. Yes, they were mixed in with other post-it note ideas, but I was then able to narrow down my search by adding another word (I think frame?) Anyway, you get the idea.
Okay-I hope that helps, at least a little. Another note-when you want written direction, search the forums
When you want visuals, search the gallery
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I'm guilty!
Sometimes it's just easier to post a question than to research for it.
:oops:
But than it ends up that other SCSers do the research for me!! OPS....guess that shows a little lazyness on my part. But thanks to those who are always willing to help out! Everyone here is sooo helpfull.
I promise (holding up my right hand) to RESEARCH from now on! There are soooooo many discussions on this site, it would be pretty impossible not to find what I'm looking for.
I'm a lurker and this is my first post, but I felt like I needed to speak up. I love this site and the resources it provides. Not to be hyper-critical, but the search feature doesn't always work. Usually I find that I can only look at whatever posts are listed on the first page. When I click on the second or subsequent pages, I get a message that states "No topics or posts met your search criteria." Since there are so many messages posted on the forums, I'm sure the duplicate questions have been answered, but finding the answers can be rather difficult and even if you wanted to wade through all of the answers, you can't.
Okay, I just tried your example Britta of searching for pearl ex directions. I followed it to a tee and when I clicked on search 1600+ posts came up and in the first page there was nothing about pearl ex. Actually, these were all just posts, nothing about the how to's etc. I just wanted to see if by doing a search directions for Pearl Ex would come up and it didn't. There must be an easier way to search for something. Granted I know if I go to the techniques forum, I will find it, but I wanted to check out your example and found that to not be what I was looking for. Thanks for all of your instructions though. I do appreciate them.
__________________ Sandy~
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Among the titles of threads were:
Pearl-Ex Newbie - which assortment and how to use?
Great ideas here for Pearl ex
i just got my pearl ex...now what?
Pearl-Ex for dummies...
yup-it is tricky sometimes-but I promise when people ask questions, that is how I find the answers for them.
The not being able to go to page 2 is a bummer-however if you have a whole page of info and NONE of it works, try re-wording your search.
**edited to add-my link just stakes you to the search option-but I promise it worked! LOL **don;t forget to click "search all terms"
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
Thanks for posting this, Britta! I confess I'm not a very patient person (must be the firstborn in me), and it sometimes bugs me to log on to the site and find that the entire list of newest posts on the right side are ALL questions on the same thing! Ack! I try to be patient with the newbies, as I was one myself at one time, but I see this happen at TV show fansites that I visit as well and it drives me nuts to see three new threads on a single topic asking a question that's answered at the bottom of that same page.
Whew! Okay, vent over! :lol:
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
I agree the search tips are great and bring up loads of information. Two thoughts on "the other side" though:
- it would be a shame if anyone on SCS felt intimidated to ask a question (Britta, I don't think your request was at all intimidating, but just trying to look at it from a newbie's viewpoint) I subscribe to SUDSOL (a forum for demos) and wouldn't ask on question or post on that thing to save my life, for fear of getting my hand e-slapped by the SLB (SUDSOL Leadership Board - how intimidating is that! :shock: )
- We have just a huge influx of new members monthly who may not have had a chance to post on the previous threads because they just joined or came out of lurkdom. Think of all we've learned from Princess Ink just recently. If nobody asks a "new" question, these "knowledgable newbies" don't have a chance to share what they know.
I have printed out just about every post on stamping on tiles (not that I have actually done any myself! :shock: ) and I learn something new from just about every thread.
well-my intention was not to intimidate-but actually to empower.
Every morning I go through all the posts from the last time I was here. If any posts have 2 or less responses, I open them up and try to answer the question if I can (and sometimes I have no idea nd just have to let it be, LOL).
What I found was that *many* of the questions that have been awaiting an answer for 10 hours could have been found by doing a search, so I put out there how *I* do a search. Many times people have gotten a response from me and PMed me to say-how did you find it? I just want to let everyone know that all the wonderful people who help out by answering questions and finding threads do not have a crystal ball or are able to just remember where the post was-there is a actually a method to my madness! LOL
**edited to add** I changed the title lest it be considered intimidating**
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
Somehow I wasn't the slightest bit surprised to find that Britta had originated this thread.
Britta, I wonder how many of your 5000+ posts were made to answer a question? (and how many of those questions did you answer by doing a search?)
I think some people just have a knack for searching.....I can find things online easier than my mom or friends can.
Britta - I can't imagine the amount of time you (and all the SCS team)must spend helping people out on this board. And to make sure everyone gets a response on top of that! Wow!
Your search tips are great and I think your change to the title of the thread is perfect.
i want to thank you... i have been here for a couple months, and knew you could search in the gallery, but couldn't figure out how to search the forums. so i always ended up asking a new question if i didn't find my answer in the first few pages of forum topics. now i can at least TRY to find the answer myself - thanks!!!
__________________
Marni - SCS #14788 and SU Demo
My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate. Thornton Wilder
Britta - scary - you've been reading my mind again!!! :shock: Even though I've been around awhile I've been thinking about asking you to post instructions on how to search. I always try to search when I have a question and often try to search to answers other's questions, but am often frustrated with not finding what I'm looking for. Your instructions with the * and the + should be very helpful! Have you made this thread a sticky? I think this info should be a sticky in the getting started forum!!!
Ok, when I first started reading this thread I thought "yeah right, I've tried that before and it doesn't work". Just this evening I wanted to look up RSVP pens and could not find a thing. This thread helped. I tried what you said and it worked. I still think it gives you a bunch of stuff that it shouldn't but this info was so helpful.
Having said that, I have to say that Rubbernecker was right about new people having input and getting new responses.
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
Oh yeah, one more thing... this definitely needs to be a sticky. I've been here for a while now and I am very guilty of just asking because the search feature annoyed me. People don't search because they don't know how to. Maybe they can actually add that to the search page itself. I did a test. I did a search for Pearl Ex, RSVP pens, and embossing powders. On ALL three searches the first 10 matches were practically the same on all three. But that's because I didn't click on check all terms.
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
I'm off to do a search on Gamsol...why not just use a blender pen...I'm not understanding exactly what Gamsol is....please don't respond to this...don't want to be a thread killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I use the search option, and find a gazillion posts regarding what I am looking for, once I click a post , find out that it isn't the one I need, and then hit the back button I have to re-enter everything for my search again - am I a dork, is there a better way, I often give up searching....
I haven't invested the time to really explore the site. The digest emails are sort of annoying and difficult to track (although there is a way to make this easier - I have to figure that out too.)
I would say join it for 6 mos and see how you like it. No where near compares to here though!
When I use the search option, and find a gazillion posts regarding what I am looking for, once I click a post , find out that it isn't the one I need, and then hit the back button I have to re-enter everything for my search again - am I a dork, is there a better way, I often give up searching....
Thanks,
Valerie
You can choose whether to return search results as "posts" or "topics" -- just change the little toggle selection (near the bottom and to the left). You can also choose to return results with any one of the search terms you typed in, or only results that have all the words. Try putting a + sign between the words (no spaces), and that will narrow things considerably!
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
Ok I tried it your way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am looking for a Monthly Club flyer. I want to start a club now that I am trying to become more of a Business Demo instead of a HD. So can someone point me to a thread where someone has shared their Monthly Club flyer?
Thanks!
__________________ Me in my YUCKEE old Hilton room at Convention 2005. WOO HOO WOO HOO HOO
When I click on your link I get an empty search screen. I just wanted to check out what it would come up with. But I will go back and fill it out and see what it says.
__________________ Angie
Mother of three wonderful children (Brayton-17 months, Brianna- 5 & Kyle-eight) and one grown man (my DH).
Try a SEARCH so you don't have to WAIT
