Request to be able to search by State

[AgentSmithers]

What is the name of your state? California
Hi FreeAdvice! Is there a way to search for Topic by state other then fuzzy string matching via the search bar. Some Boolean way to say California = TRUE so we don't get a mix of post not relevant to that state's law?

 

[Zigner]

We can't even get half the posters to tell us what state their matter related to in the first place.

 

[adjusterjack]

What is the name of your state? California
Hi FreeAdvice! Is there a way to search for Topic by state other then fuzzy string matching via the search bar. Some Boolean way to say California = TRUE so we don't get a mix of post not relevant to that state's law?

Yes, there is. Use the search feature in the upper right corner. Use parameters that include the name of the state and the topic.

For example, I just searched Arizona landlord tenant and came up with 297 results in .32 seconds.

https://forum.freeadvice.com/search/126954/?q=arizona+landlord+tenant&o=date

Try it with an example of your own. No need to get fancy.

 

[AgentSmithers]

Wonder if we can add a fixed Combobox with the US State's and make it a required field. It would fix that issue Zigner is talking about. Adjusterjack, If you should that way it does a fuzzy name search and any post with the word "Arizona" in the topic will come up vs. the OP state. We would still get a few false positives.

 

[quincy]

Curious: Why do you want to do the search of previous threads, Agent Smithers? Laws change so threads from 2000 will have information provided that does not apply now.

 

[HighwayMan]

It would fix that issue Zinger is talking about...

After all this time you STILL can't spell the guy's name right.

 

[AgentSmithers]

Yes, it is physically not possible.

 

[quincy]

After all this time you STILL can't spell the guy's name right.

It could be autocorrect.

 

[AgentSmithers]

Well from a state perspective we all have completely different sets of laws and narrowing down to a specific state would still be useful, even adding the combo box would assist getting their state information from end users without them just looking past a line of text int he postbox. As for the law's changing that's not directly relevant to the state but in that case, we can always sort by date to find the post that is relevant to that situation I guess.

 

[quincy]

Why do you want search results from old FA threads when an internet search will provide uptodate information with less work?

 

[AgentSmithers]

It could be autocorrect.

Yea, I guess I never noticed before but the computer keep's thinking I'm talking about brownies sold by Hostess. Are those Zingers?

 

[AgentSmithers]

Why do you want search results from old FA threads when an internet search will provide uptodate information with less work?

It just goes back to fuzzy name searches. Like if someone post a thread about the state "New york" and another person says, "Well, Blah blah blah like utah blah blah" and someone searches on UTAH even from a Google / Internet perspective then this post about "New York" pop's up which is completely irrelevant. But from a search perspective, it's working as designed. Come to think of it. If I go input a state name in my Signature then that I'm sure will jack with the results, not that I would but just as an example, I'm mean heck, a Member of the forum here is named ohiogal, think that throws off the searches for anything looking for just relevant post in the state of ohio? If not then maybe there's something else that can be improved on like at least the required field combobox still seems like a good idea.

 

[quincy]

Confused by your explanation but ... old threads make for interesting reading if nothing else.

 

[AgentSmithers]

Yes, I guess it depends on your thoughts on what portion of the threads on this forum for that particular state is relevant. My thoughts are a decent amount of them are, from the impression I've got is that most of them are not which is interesting, I'll keep that in mind while I'm searching, I know the law change fast/often.

 

[henbob6]

Yea, I guess I never noticed before but the computer keep's thinking I'm talking about brownies sold by Hostess. Are those Zingers?

Sidenote - do NOT do a Google search for Zigner on your work computer, on the off chance that your IT folks can read French. Let the origins of Zigner's name forever remain a mystery.