Similar thread checker

[dubigrasu]

I know nothing about how forums work so please forgive me if I say something stupid.
There is this plugin Similar thread checker that can be used by forums to check and warn the user if other threads with similar subjects already exists.

In other words, when someone is posting a new thread and type "Flashplayer 64" in the thread title, an instant search is executed and all available thread titles containing Flashplayer 64 words are displayed.
Hopefully he is finding the answer in one of those and there is no longer the need to start yet another one.

I suppose it could be useful for some of the questions that keep popping up here; playing mp3, DVD menus, updates etc...

I don't know if it's even compatible with our forum but maybe someone could take a look...or maybe find something equivalent?
http://community.mybb.com/thread-46032.html

[doktor5000]

Yes, would be really nice. But at http://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/modif ... om=submenu
i didn't find exactly a mod/add-on which does this, only two which show similar topics below a given thread.
Maybe someone who is more into phpBB should look into this or try these two mods:

http://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/mod/p ... topics_ii/
http://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/mod/similar_topics

[wobo]

I would call such a MOD "MOD for people who post before they think about searching".
What does such a MOD other than the search.php does when the user writes the key words into the search field? Nothing. It only spares the user to think before he writes.

Sorry for the harsh words but is it not our goal to try at least a little bit to point users to a more efficient way to use the forum, for their own benefit?

[dubigrasu]

Sorry for the harsh words but is it not our goal to try at least a little bit to point users to a more efficient way to use the forum, for their own benefit?

Sure, but it's even achievable a goal like this? Guides and rules are already in place all over the forums, but people still continue to post similar threads. At least the moderator jobs will be a bit easier (stop merging topics), and those lazy users could find their answers.
How many times you/me/they are willing to answer to the same question over and over again?
Maybe this MOD/Plugin will have exactly the effect you want in the end, "Oh my, someone already asked that, maybe I should search first".

[wobo]

Maybe this MOD/Plugin will have exactly the effect you want in the end, "Oh my, someone already asked that, maybe I should search first".

Sure, if this could be the result, I'm all in for the MOD

[maat]

I think this is a versy good idea...

though if we want to give accurate results something like sol-r could be require...

dunno if we can find a mod relying on such systems

[doktor5000]

though if we want to give accurate results something like sol-r could be require...

What do you mean by "sol-r"? This: http://lucene.apache.org/solr/ ?
I think this is like cracking a nut with a sledge hammer. At the forums or bugzilla
installation i know of where such a mod is active it works pretty well for the use case
that is intented here.