"similar questions" as a search tool

July 31, 2008 8:36 AM

When you post a question in AskMe, on preview, you're shown similar questions and asked whether you've seen those. Is there a way to open that functionality up as a search tool?

Because searching here is not great, and the "similar questions" results seem to surface pretty helpful stuff for the most part.

I know if I want those results, I can go in and fake like I'm asking a question, but if I've asked one recently, that's not an option. Just wondering if others would find it useful to be able to add that kind of search to the keyword search currently offered.

Also, if this has been asked before, then that brings up the question of why we don't have the "similar questions" in metatalk, and if THAT question has been asked before, then I believe this just became one of those recursive mirror-in-a-mirror-in-a-mirror type questions.

posted by stupidsexyFlanders to feature requests at 8:36 AM (8 comments total)

This isn't directly in answer to your question, but I think it's a more comprehensive solution to the poor searching in general: I go straight to the oracle.

The only hard part is remembering that the it's ask.metafilter.com, not askme.metafilter.com.
posted by DU at 8:51 AM on July 31

Yep, mudpuppie is right, it's using a combination of tags and categories to come up with suggestions. It won't be perfect, but it's a way to point out possibly similar questions in the archive. We started with "Possibly Related Questions" as the headline, but ended up thinking that was too wishy-washy. (Though it is a more accurate title.) I've found questions with more specific tags get more accurate related questions—to a point. If something has completely unique tags that have never been used before, Related Questions relies on the category, which can be very broad. - pb

So as long as you're willing to endure a multi-step search process, including a detailed tag search and browsing by category, you should get similar results to the Related Questions feature. Not optimal, sure, but a workable solution if this pony rides off into the sunset.
posted by carsonb at 9:17 AM on July 31

why we don't have the "similar questions" in metatalk

TAGS FOR METATALK!
posted by carsonb at 9:18 AM on July 31

So as long as you're willing to endure a multi-step search process, including a detailed tag search and browsing by category

I guess I can endure anything -- I'm a Phillies fan -- but "similar questions" seems like a pretty easy thing to throw together an interface for outside the New Question Preview context.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 9:26 AM on July 31

METATALK AI: It looks like you've forgotten to add the "flame-out" tag. Would you like it to be added for you? [Y/N]

USER: Cameras! Monty Python! Simpsons Quote! LOL! Web 2.0! PONY! PONY! PONY!

METATALK AI: [Thread is closed]
posted by blue_beetle at 9:36 AM on July 31

METATALK AI

Given "his" typing speed, I've had my doubts about cortex for a while. That's just one of those hip new ironical usernames, isn't it?
posted by bonehead at 11:33 AM on July 31

YES PLEASE.
posted by brain cloud at 4:48 PM on July 31

After misreading a single word in a previous comment, I think there should be a New Question Preview Contest, where, at the end of the month, somebody gets a big prize.
posted by box at 8:48 PM on July 31