Wish you had put the last three paragraphs first after you realized your mistake, so I wouldn't have fumed through the first ones.

It's good to know the database is at least searchable, but as you learned, I was testing value rather than really looking for the answer. What you got is perfect, and what I got through going into the privileged section is just not remotely on - as you saw.

Glad you are going to mention it to people who should care and possibly can fix it. I'm guessing something basic has come unglued. Until they announce a fix, though, the Archive is worthless.

So we now know that the database works from somewhere. What we don't know is why I should pay more money to be able to use the Archive. That's the only feature of Pro I can see that makes a difference.

Also, FWIW, the answer you and I found going from the home page is not a true fix for the problem. That does exist in the forum, but not in the Archives apparently.

Given what we just discovered, and given that I got the good results after logging out of Pro and the bad results after logging in ....

How come I should pay $10 more for it?

That's sort of argumentative I know, but it's also a flat earnest question. I don't get it.

Maybe I need to read something more carefully? What?

Thanks.


Best,


- Bill

Sorry my fumbling was fume inducing, Bill.

It seems to me you're misunderstanding what an MFI Pro subscription gains you. Focusing just on the archives, it's not the ability to do searches, but to read the articles found. Anyone can search the MFI archives and get a list of matches, but regardless of the search method used only Pro subscribers can access the full articles. A non-Pro user clicking on a link to an archived article gets a page saying "This Content or feature is for MacFixIt Pro subscribers."

At this point I don't know why the keyword options aren't available via the Pro Archives link, but the fact that searching via that link produces less useful results than the basic or advanced search methods doesn't negate the benefits of your Pro subscription.

"Also, FWIW, the answer you and I found going from the home page is not a true fix for the problem. That does exist in the forum, but not in the Archives apparently."

Have you by any chance written to the MacFixIt editors to inform them of the true fix?

Oh.

I guess I've had the subscription so long I forgot that reading archives was a benefit.

Didn't think to post the solution to the editors and can't take the time now. I'll try to remember to do that in the next few days.

Thanks.

You figure other people who've tried to use that search form just gave up? Wonder if the fact no one has complained means no one uses it. I know I never will again.

You're welcome. Glad we got the archives-related benefit sorted out.

Could be that at least some people don't have a problem using the Pro Archives search form. Depends what one is searching on, I would think. For instance, with something like a search for a single key word the results would be as expected AFAICT. Trying to do an "exact phrase" or "and" search (especially when the key words include something common like "error") obviously doesn't work well though, and I'm glad you pointed that out. It's now on the list of improvements for MFI searches.

On the general topic of MFI Pro benefits, from what you've said I gather the option to turn off ads on the home page isn't of much importance to you. Is that correct?

BTW, this thread really belongs in MacFixIt HomePage Feedback instead of MacFixIt Forums Help, so I'll be moving it soon.

Thanks.

I do understand better why the MF Pro subscription is valuable. I would not, however, like to see the faults of that search engine minimized. The inability to search for documents containing more than one keyword is not a glitch, but a fatality. I do not think it should be on any but the shortest list. At a bare minimum, someone should disable the link to that page or put a notice on it telling the hapless user what not to expect. I'm sure that, like me, most people would assume they are doing something wrong and will waste time in repeated attempts to get the search to work right.

As for the section, move away!

Thanks again for the attention.

Sorry about the confusion; the engine does indeed behave differently depending upon which page it is accessed from. We're in the process of resolving this, and should have a fix in the next few days.

Ben Wilson,
Senior Editor, MacFixIt (http://www.macfixit.com)

Great, and thanks for the note.

So my pain was not in vain?