[Search-l] Browser Test (was: Website malfunction, help please)

[Markus Petz]

For the tests, look at the last two paragraphs.


At 10.02.2008 20:11, Balinny wrote:
>There're two logins, one accesible from
>http://alpha.search.wikia.com/login/login.html which logins you into the
>search itself, and the social part (friends, actions...) and another one
>at http://search.wikia.com/wiki/Special:Userlogin which allows you to
>log into the search wiki. Both use the same password, but you need to
>log in twice. Yes, it's awkwards.
>I summarised yesterday the bugs to fix, and sure enough that's one to
>clean out: http://search.wikia.com/wiki/Known_bugs#Unified_login

A quick fix (within minutes) would be to make the links more descriptive, 
"Log in to search" and "Log in to wiki". Though i can not see the 
difference. I guess i don't use this social part at all and therefoer 
haven't seen it yet.


> > There are various wikis (everybody can start a new one, what purpose is
> > this for?)
>It has to do with Wikia http://www.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ  There's only one
>wiki for Search Wikia, at search.wikia.com/search

A sort of free webspace, i see. It is interlinked with the wikia search. 
I've seen forum posts where apparently new wikis are started as spin-offs. 
For my part i would be more happy with an ordinary hierarchically organized 
forum instead of this wiki thing, just for the level of organization.


> > there are mini-articles and categories (but there's no link there)
>I'm not sure what do you mean that there aren't links. Maybe you browsed
>a mini article not too good.

http://search.wikia.com/wiki/Search_Wikia (lacking an alternative i 
consider this to be the hub of the site - also see below) - there's no 
reference to the categories directory which IMO will become an important 
part of wikia search. I did some editing a while ago (linking the 
categories). It's not easy to get there.


> > Addition. I don't like mailing ists. Where is the forum where i can 
> edit my
> > posts?  :)  What is this list for? Should i read both, forum and list.
> >
>Theoretically yes. Personally i prefer to mantain the discussion on the
>mailing list as whenever something is said, I'll get an email, while i
>won't when a new topic is created on the forum.

If you only read the maililng list you probably miss 3/4 of the discussion. 
Forums are less cumbersome and could be configured for sending mails as 
well. (read: 'if this was my site i would do it otherwise')


>The search works the same you're logged in or not. So if you don't get
>results (and you have javascript enabled) it may be an incompatibility
>with Opera. A search like  http://re.search.wikia.com/search#Wikia
>should give you a mini article, ten results, ten people...

> > - The search page (including results page) should work as simple as
> > possible, and in no case rely on javascript or cookies etc. to work. Plain
> > standard HTML is enough for displaying text and links.
> >
>I agree with you but i see it unlikely.
>http://search.wikia.com/wiki/Known_bugs#Search_page_needs_Javascript

That's like dumping the whole idea. The world desperately needs a free 
search engine alternative. With a search engine, what has to work in 100% 
of the cases (not only 99%) is the search page. If it doesn't work people 
will not use it and they will spread the word. HTML (text and links) just 
works relyably, JS doesn't. Compare to http://google.com - one of the most 
simple webpages ever (left away the ads), yet the most successful one. 
Works without script (though it contains some). Compare that webpage to the 
wikia search page. Look at it with graphics off - the "search button" is 
image only - no alt text, no form button if i have graphics off. Lots of 
menu that has nothing to do with search and a lengthy wiki article (which i 
expect to be removed after the site is established).


If anyone is interested, i did some tests on the browsers i have available 
here (Lynx, Opera 8.5, Slimbrowser, MSIE 5). With all of them, the local 
cache was first cleared (which ought to have no effect anyway), then the 
site http://search.wikia.com was loaded and the search term "midi" entered. 
You can download the search result pages from 
http://zool33.uni-graz.at/petz/wikia/
Bottom line: it worked "ok" with MSIE and Slimbrowser (which might make use 
of the IE engine, don't know for sure) - it could do without the skin, 
though (the skin is messy on an old 800x600 notebook screen, and it's 
unnecessary for a search engine). No luck with Lynx (does not show results 
but takes me back to the search input page), and no luck with Opera (same 
as on my desktop - it loads a results page without the actual results).

If i could give advice, i'd say, remove all the unnecessary stuff from the 
search page, skin, graphics, and especially the JavaScript. Without it 
you're not responsible anymore for what each browser shows or not. Neat 
layout can better be done with CSS. I don't say, make it like Google, i 
say, make it the better Google!