Has the display of search results changed lately?

Greetings,

Search result presentation has changed since the last time I launched Logos. I could previously enter a query such as <~ Luke 10:25> and would (once the menu dropped and I skipped over Factbook; it would be nice to have an option to get rid of those choices) give me results from my own library. Now I'm getting a set of results *not* from my library, but rather from the Expositor's Bible Commentary, among other results (KJV, Faithlife stuff, etc.), with an option at the end of the offerings to "Search All Resources". Clicking on that gives me the results I actually *want*.

Is this new behavior? I ask because I have not changed any options, either before or after restarting Logos. If it is, how do I fix this to avoid having to unnecessarily scroll and click; all I want (all I *ever* want) is to be able to search my own resources. Thank you!

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Levi Durfey

Hi William,

The search appears to work fine for me on Logos 9.14.

What version of Logos are you running? Windows or macOS?

Could we see a screenshot of your search panel?

Graham Criddle

Hi William

Are you entering the search term in a search panel (red outline) or in the Command Box (blue outline)?

William Voelker

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212927#Comment_1212927

This is the macOS version. After playing with it some, it appears that it is defaulting to "Everything" instead of "All Resources".

Also, the search box I'm starting with is the one at the top of the window. Please see the attached screen shots.

The first is the search box, the second is the resulting search tab, and the third is scrolled down on the tab to the "Search All Resources" link. I have found that changing "Everything to All Resources" in the resulting search tab will bring up my library results, but that is still an extra click. Thank you!

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212936#Comment_1212936

The first is the search box, the second is the resulting search tab, and the third is scrolled down on the tab to the "Search All Resources" link.

The first image is of the Command box which does considerably more than search ... and provides three search options.

When you want more control over the search, click on the search icon (magnifying glass) and it will open a Search panel in which you enter your search term and set the parameters as you want. Some of us simply keep the search panel open all the time.

Allen Browne

Faithlife is definitely promoting Factbook in ways that are inappropriate.

Try searching for a rare phrase in all resources.
Two of my books have it in the example below, but claiming the phrase is found 270 times in Factbook is simply false.

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212962#Comment_1212962

Two of my books have it in the example below, but claiming the phrase is found 270 times in Factbook is simply false.

Allen, I agree with you these results are unhelpful and strange.

I suggest you post this in a new thread as it might easily be missed by Faithlife here and it would be good to get their views on this.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212936#Comment_1212936

After playing with it some, it appears that it is defaulting to "Everything" instead of "All Resources".

I have found that changing "Everything to All Resources" in the resulting search tab will bring up my library results, but that is still an extra click.

Yes, I remember when they changed the default to Everything a while back, and I found it annoying. I only ever search in "All Resources" or a collection (or occasionally "All Open Resources" but that's rare). But I've developed the reflex of selecting "All Resources" as soon as I start my search, and I hardly notice it anymore. Still, it would be something that could be a user preference, I would think. Could save a second or two off every search.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212962#Comment_1212962

Two of my books have it in the example below, but claiming the phrase is found 270 times in Factbook is simply false.

If you do the search directly in Factbook you will find that 270 is about right - the search panel does not respect the single phrase constraint but behaves as it does in the Factbook itself.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212965#Comment_1212965

Two of my books have it in the example below, but claiming the phrase is found 270 times in Factbook is simply false.

If you do the search directly in Factbook you will find that 270 is about right - the search panel does not respect the single phrase constraint but behaves as it does in the Factbook itself.

Factbook searches not respecting quotation marks on phrases is the issue here, not whether the general search panel reports a wrong number for what a search in just Factbook would find (which obviously it doesn't).

Allen Browne

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212965#Comment_1212965

f you do the search directly in Factbook you will find that 270 is about right - the search panel does not respect the single phrase constraint but behaves as it does in the Factbook itself.

Agreed. I don't often find Factbook useful, so it's annoying to have it promoted to the top of the search and behaving in a way that is not what I exepct of search. Thanks for the reply. (Rosie too.)

David Betts

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212970#Comment_1212970

Negative comments are often posted about "FactBook." I would very much like to show my gratitude for this terrific tool by the L/FL team.

Thank you!

While reading in a resource, I two-finger-tap the track pad (equals mouse Rt-Clk) [24" iMac MacOs] and THEN choose FactBook - which is linked to BibleWordStudy, and other primary language tools/resources. [We have "primary," but do NOT have "original" documents, but copies and fragments]. This set-up is very time-saving, and VERY useful! I could, and do, spend a lot of time following and studying all the links to just one word.

While there may legitimate complaints by some, once I learned the value of FactBook I could never go back to when we didn't have it. Logos is a great tool, I value it highly, and FactBook, for me, only makes it better.

Blessings to All - Shalom

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212995#Comment_1212995

and other primary language tools/resources. [We have "primary," but do NOT have "original" documents, but copies and fragments

I would hope it's 'original languages' ... surely not 'Canaanite'. And we're hoping we don't have any original mss's. That'd really foul up the dating scheme.

But yes, Factbook is a convenience. This is going to unintentionally sound bad, but a good parallel .... like TV-dinners. Pop them in the microwave!

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213002#Comment_1213002

This is a tiny bit off-the-path ... Factbook, instead of the top-level text-box.

But Factbook really does has a selection problem ... I think I've used it 3 times, and never successfully. In the example below:

- I'm pretty specific about what I want; and in Logos-land, the phrase is pretty well known ... lots of resources discuss it.

- I haven't hit enter, but it's already off track ... Trinity in the OT. Really close match

- If I DO hit enter, it goes and gets Trinity in the NT (what you see in the background)

- And worse, bringing up Factbook again, it makes a default stab at the wrong subject, and then sits there thinking (2nd image)

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1212968#Comment_1212968

Factbook searches not respecting quotation marks on phrases is the issue here, not whether the general search panel reports a wrong number for what a search in just Factbook would find (which obviously it doesn't).

It would be the issue if that were what it was designed to do. I don't know the specific name of the search design used for factbook, but it is designed to do things like find a person's name from first name, last name, last name and nickname, last name and erroneous first name, etc. The easiest way to get a sense of how the search of Factbook works is to select the "show all for ..." at the bottom of the select list. I'm not claiming that this is how the search should work, only that this is how it does work and how it was designed to work.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213002#Comment_1213002

This is going to unintentionally sound bad, but a good parallel .... like TV-dinners. Pop them in the microwave!

Actually, the intended parallel is Wikipedia (in its early days). I like your parallel with one concern - TV-dinners are very limited in ingredients and even more limited in flavor and texture.[;)]

DMB

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213010#Comment_1213010

TV-dinners are very limited in ingredients and even more limited in flavor and texture.

The ghost of George might suggest Factbook as a perfect match! But we may never know.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213005#Comment_1213005

But Factbook really does has a selection problem ... I think I've used it 3 times, and never successfully. In the example below:

- I'm pretty specific about what I want; and in Logos-land, the phrase is pretty well known ... lots of resources discuss it.

I suspect you suffer from the same chronic allergic reaction to Logos-land that I do. The subjects I am most interested in are the subjects least likely to be covered (or well-indexed) by FL. The coverage of pseudepigrapha, apocrypha, gnostic texts, Syriac church fathers, liturgy, saints ... is very poor but growing (very, very slowly compared to my desires). Actually, the Testaments of the Patriarchs is a fairly decent match ...not quite right but ...

When I really want to find such items, I tend to try the facets rather than the search:

Yes, there are problems with some of the classifications for the facets ... and yes, much of the data for the Testament of Abraham is not loaded ... but ...

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213011#Comment_1213011

TV-dinners are very limited in ingredients and even more limited in flavor and texture.

The ghost of George might suggest Factbook as a perfect match! But we may never know.

[:D]

xnman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213015#Comment_1213015

As most know... I have more problems with Logos Search that any one else.... so take that into consideration when reading this... But...

I am more and more coming to the conclusion that FL pre-determines what we search for... and if our "search criteria" doesn't fit one of the categories they have listed... then they choose for us what they think best fits.

And I see this (FL Criteria) in the drop downs when I try to do searches....

I think this is why we cannot do the simple searches like we can do in other search engines.

And then... Factbook is pushed on us whether we want it or not.... another FL determination. I would love to see a choice in Settings... "Turn Factbook off ---- Yes No" and have the ability to choose what is "pushed on us"... [8-|]

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213035#Comment_1213035

I am more and more coming to the conclusion that FL pre-determines what we search for... and if our "search criteria" doesn't fit one of the categories they have listed... then they choose for us what they think best fits.

I think I understand why you are saying this but I don't believe it is the case.

I think there are issues with how dropdown menus are determined (the algorithms that are used) that result in options appearing at the top that are not the ones we want. But if we enter valid search terms the software does search for them

If we are using tagging as part of our searches then we are making use of tagging provided by Faithlife but that's a different matter.

xnman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213037#Comment_1213037

I am more and more coming to the conclusion that FL pre-determines what we search for... and if our "search criteria" doesn't fit one of the categories they have listed... then they choose for us what they think best fits.

I think I understand why you are saying this but I don't believe it is the case.

I think there are issues with how dropdown menus are determined (the algorithms that are used) that result in options appearing at the top that are not the ones we want. But if we enter valid search terms the software does search for them

If we are using tagging as part of our searches then we are making use of tagging provided by Faithlife but that's a different matter.

Graham... Thanks for your input... I hope you're right and I am wrong.... I still don't understand why our "searches" can't be simple.... maybe one of these days I will learn....

William Voelker

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/1213038#Comment_1213038

Thank you all for the responses.