Allow user to disable the (buggy) 3-character wildcard search in Canvas Commons

[laurakgibbs]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

This is really a bug-fix request, not a feature request, but to prevent feature creep, I am reposting it with a strict limitation: I am proposing that Instructure fix the buggy 3-character wildcard search default in Canvas Commons so that 3-character wildcard search matches can be excluded from the search results. 

My earlier feature request was interpreted as a generic request for improvements to Canvas Commons search, so I am reposting here with a much more specific scope of statement. I am not making a request for "advanced searches" as here: advanced-search-needed-for-canvas-commons -- but disabling the 3-character wildcard search would, in fact, achieve at least some of the results hoped for in that feature request; the problem described there is a direct result of the three-character-wildcard search bug (a search for "University of St Francis" returns more than 35,000 items because the algorithm is searching on uni*).

The 3-character wildcard search results distort the "highest rated" and "latest" searches so badly that they are useless. I do not think this is what was ever intended (hence my use of the word bug), but in any case: I am not proposing new search features. I am proposing that this bug be fixed so that the existing search features, especially the "highest rated" and "latest" filters, will work AS INTENDED.

One way to do that would be to allow users to put quotation marks around their search term/phrase to disable the buggy three-character-wildcard search results. I am sure there are other ways the effects of this bug could be addressed so that the searches, especially the "highest rated" and "latest" searches, would work as intended.

Thanks to everybody for helping me see that I needed to make a much more specific request to avoid feature creep.

Screenshots:

Highest rated Andrew Jackson materials do not return any Andrew Jackson on the first page. Instead, the highest rated Andrew Jackson materials are a color jacuzzi icebreaker and Jacobs Hall (at Berkeley, my alma mater; how ironic). I am pretty sure that it was never intended for these results to be returned as the "highest rated" search results on a search for Andrew Jackson (i.e. it's a bug). The algorithm is searching on and* jac* and poor Andrew Jackson disappears from the highest rated results.

The latest butterfly materials do not return any butterflies on the first page. Instead, the latest butterfly materials are an Intro to Bus-101 (which has this phrase in the description, "Please use freely, but please give Barry credit for his work") and an item entitled "I'm not racist, But..." That's because the algorithm is searching on but* and the poor butterflies disappear from the latest results. Was that really what was intended when this filter was applied to a search for butterfly? I doubt it. Which is why I would call this a software bug, not a feature.

Comments from Instructure

For more information, please read through the https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-15588-canvas-release-notes-2018-10-27 .

[Renee_Carney]

Laura. 

I really appreciate your passion on this, but can we give it a short pause?  We're trying to get the information together that Jared suggested we post about work that is in development or near development for Canvas Commons.  This will take a few days, for we want to ensure it is clear and concise--we want to ensure users can accurately know what to expect.

Adding additional threads like this does not help a cause, it only muddies the waters for those seeking solutions in the Community.  So, my recommendation here is that we put this idea in moderation (non-voting) until we have the studio content posted.  Then let's see if what you're seeking is still missing and go from there?  Sound like a deal?

[laurakgibbs]

Sure, Renee, I hear you... I posted this here not for votes, but as documentation. I don't agree that the three-character-wildcard search problem is the same as a request for new search features (you seemed to think that it is...?) -- and I realize that the misunderstanding is my own fault because I had labeled the other request as "fixing Commons search." I clarified that here with a more accurate title (I hope).

And here's the thing: it also muddies the waters to say that this is a request for a new advanced feature. It is not a request for a new feature, but a report that an existing feature is not working as intended. If that much is clear, then I've said all I need to say.

[Renee_Carney]

laurakgibbs‌

Thank you so much for agreeing to put this conversation on hold for a short bit while we did some further research.  We have now published Priority: Commons Search & Preview which talks about a project prompted by one district that will now benefit everyone!  

The scope of this project is pretty well defined because it has originated up through pro-serv, however ideas and discussions are always welcomed.  We linked a few related ideas using the tag search&preview, but I did not find a discussion that was directly related.  I know you'd love to see a discussions on this topic, so if you would like to start one and tag it with search&preview that would be great.  

Per one of our discussion, I was originally going to archive this idea with the agreement that if elements of it were not completed with this priority you would absolutely resubmit those elements, but I now think it's better to retain it as an informing resource!  There is a lot of value in what you wrote.  I am curious if you would be ok editing your idea though and changing the language from bug to optimization, since that really is what you are requesting?  Thanks.

[laurakgibbs]

You know I like this,  @Renee_Carney ‌!!!

• Improved Search: We’re adjusting the search results to be more specific to the user’s search terms.

Being a curious person, I still am curious just why the 3-character wildcard search was built into the old algorithm, but I'm guessing (hoping!) that we won't see wildcard-by-default in the improved search with new algorithm(s). And search is scheduled for the first release: Yay!

This is such good news to celebrate on the Friday before school begins for Fall! THANK YOU!!!

[Renee_Carney]

Laura.  Are you ok with us directing people to https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/10762-advanced-search-needed-for-canvas-commons" modifiedtitle..., or would you like to edit this idea to focus on optimization?

[laurakgibbs]

Hi  @Renee_Carney ‌! I'm assuming (?) the three-character-wildcard will be gone... in which case, yes, further discussion would be something like "advanced search" -- but if the three-character-wildcard is still driving search results, that would be worth discussing separately since it is deeply weird, very different from coming up with optimized features. I'll keep checking to see when the new search launches; I just checked now and I'm getting Andrew Jackson's jacuzzi. That's kind of test case to see when the new search goes live and whether it is going to return the weird wildcard results or not. 🙂

[Renee_Carney]

laurakgibbs 

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this solved???

[laurakgibbs]

YES!!! No more Andrew Jackson jacuzzis, no more electric elephants! 🙂

[Renee_Carney]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas 

For more information, please read through the Canvas Release Notes (2018-10-27) .