New search system FAQ

Current search system
Knowledge Base articles:

• Search FAQ (old system)
• Guidelines for creating search listings (old system)
• Maturity ratings and search

Overview

The Search Project Viewer, announced recently on the Second Life blog, enables you to get an early look at and provide feedback on the new Second Life search system. During the initial test period, the Second Life search team will be listening to your feedback, fixing issues you discover, and adding new features on a regular basis.

The new search system improves both the relevance of search results and usability. The new system:

• Uses a different search engine technology to provide more relevant search results for Second Life.
• Has a completely redesigned user interface that addresses Resident feedback and implements requested features.

This article answers some frequently asked questions about the new search system. For information on the current SL Viewer search system, see the current Search FAQ.

How to try it

During this test period, to try out the new search system, you must download and install the Search Project Viewer. The new search system will be available in future SL Viewer versions and in third-party viewers that use the Viewer 2 code base. After the test period, the new search system will also be available through a web page.

See Alternate Viewers for download links.

How long will the test last?

Initially, all testing will be done with the Search Project Viewer; some time later, the search system will go into full beta release and be available as part of the Beta Viewer download.

The full test process is expected to last a few months before the new search system completely replaces the current search functionality available in the SL Viewer.

What if I want to go back to old search system?

If you are using the Search Project Viewer and prefer to go back to using the previous version of search, then just switch back to your regular Viewer.

Once new search is in full beta, you may choose to opt-out of using the beta by clicking the link at the top of the search home page. You will also be able to opt back in to the beta at any time from the link at the top.

General questions

What Viewers does this work with?

Initially, new search functionality will only be available in the Search Project Viewer. However, the new Search will eventually be available in future SL Viewer versions and any third-party viewers that use the Viewer 2 code base.

See Alternate Viewers for more information.

What will happen to old search?

The new search system will replace the current SL Viewer search when testing and quality assurance are completed. Viewer 1.23 search will not be affected until the new search system is released for general availability in the released Second Life Viewer. At that time, Viewer 1.23's search functionality will be impaired; specifically, All and Group search will no longer work in Viewer 1.23.

Will new search be available on the web?

For the test period, new search will only be available in the Project Viewer. It will eventually be available on the website after the test period ends. The current search functionality on the website will still be available for the public to use through the test period.

Will it be available in other languages?

New Search will only be available in English for the initial test. However, it will be available in the SL supported languages before we finish the test process.

Is it stable?

We have set up redundant servers in multiple locations, so the search results in the Search Project Viewer should be stable. However, it is a new service and you may see a few bumps as we work out any unexpected issues.

How often will there be changes?

We are improving the relevance constantly and will be adding new features throughout the test period. We expect to see fewer changes as we reach the end of the test period, but in the beginning you may expect to see updates as often as once per week.

Improvements

Faster results

The new search technology generates results faster, even though it provides more results per page than before. The search homepage loads faster, too.

Better real estate section

The new real estate section enables you to search for either land for sale or land for rent.

Also, you can:

• Sort results based on the any of the columns in the results (for example, L$ price, area, L$ per m²)
• Choose the type of land you are searching for (Private Island, Mainland, Full Region, Homestead, and so on).
• Set land price and size limits.

Search results saved

Your search results are saved for 15 minutes after you run a search. So, if you teleport somewhere and want to reopen search, you do not need to run your search query again.

Maturity preferences from Viewer

For the initial test release, new search system will inherit the maturity settings from your Viewer and will show search results that match the maturity settings you've selected in your Viewer Preferences.

We will be making changes to this behavior during the test based on your feedback.

See Maturity ratings in the Knowledge Base for general information about maturity ratings and settings.

More results on a single scrollable page

Instead of clicking through several pages of search results, search results now display on one screen where you can easily scroll through all of them

Events happening now

You can now search events by either the exact start time or ongoing through the selected time (but started earlier). There is also an easy way to see all events that are in progress right now.

Troubleshooting and other questions

Why doesn't the Everything tab show what I searched for?

Everything search finds items listed in People, Places, and Groups, depending on relevance. When searching for people in Everything, you must enter their full name. If you do not know the full name, then use the People category.

How do I list my land as a rental?

You have three options to list a land rental that appears in search:

• Classified ad
• Set land category in About Land window
• Set the parcel description

In addition, if you are listing a rental on a private estate, you need to set the parcel for sale. We recommend that you set the price as the weekly rental price, and disclose any other setup fees or deposits in the description.

Warning: Do not set your parcel for sale if you are on the mainland if you want it to be shown as a rental. Any mainland parcel that is set for sale will show up in the Sale section and can be purchased by another Resident.

Classified ad

Create a classified ad on the parcel in the Land Rental category. Either:

1. Click "Create a Classified" in the search page

Or:

1. Choose My Profile > MY PICKS.
2. Click the "+" near the bottom of the panel.
3. Choose New Classified.

Then:

1. For Category, select Land Rental.
2. Fill in other information.
3. Click Publish.

Set land category

In the SL Viewer:

1. Choose World > Place Profile > About Land.
2. Click the OPTIONS tab.
3. Set the Category dropdown to Rental.
4. Be sure Show Place in Search is also checked.

Set parcel description

1. Choose World > Place Profile > About Land.
2. Click the GENERAL tab.
3. Use any one of the following phrases (case insensitive) in the parcel's Name or Description:
   • Parcel for Rent
   • Mainland Rental
   • Estate Rental
   • Homestead Rental
   • Land Rental
   • Private Estate Rental

Why is my listing lower (or higher) than it was before?

The new search engine determines relevance of items differently. In comparison tests, Residents indicate the new search engine results are more relevant three out of four times. If your listing is lower than you expect, then make sure that your description is human-readable: avoid keyword stuffing. Refer to the Guidelines for creating search listings for more tips on how to affect your search ranking.

Why isn't my listing shown?

There are several reasons your listing may not be showing up:

• It may take up to six hours for new items to show in search.
• The "Everything" tab is a much more strict search than the other tabs, otherwise there would be too many results. When looking for Residents or places on the "Everything" tab, try searching for the full name.
• If your listing isn't shown in the expected category, verify that the Show In Search check box has been checked.
• Parcels for sale or rent show only if they are at least 512m² in size.

Why isn't my event or Destination Guide listing on the homepage?

The Events and Destination Guide listings on the homepage only show if they are currently active.

Where did Classifieds, Wiki, and Sorting go?

These options will be coming back. We are polishing the current features we have and then we will start adding the rest. We just wanted to get this test out to the public to gather feedback sooner rather than later. We will include all the features from current SL Search and more before we finish the testing process.

Why isn't (your favorite search issue) fixed yet?

We are continually improving search and fixing issues as quickly as we can. There are many things on our list to address, and during the test period you'll notice regular updates. So, keep watching for improvements that will be delivered at a more rapid pace than ever before.

Why isn't my last search showing?

My last search doesn't show up every time I reopen the search window—It only shows sometimes. Why?

Your last search is shown if you reopen the search window within 15 minutes of running your last search query, otherwise the homepage is shown.

Where do I send feedback?

Click the Give us your feedback link at the top of the new Search homepage to provide immediate feedback.

Alternatively, file bugs using the Second Life Bug Tracker in the WEB project. NOTE: Set the component to Search.