Date:         Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:51:08 -0800
Reply-To:     neil <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Was: Abuse by list member. Now: Archive search tips
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi all.

Searching any data base takes patience and a little bit of "art". As a
newbie, I was *kindly* directed to archives for answers. And though
this has been posted before, (Sam?) here's what helped me search
archives:

- bookmark the correct page. It is:

http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=vanagon

- search by email or name of experienced/informative sender. i.e.
Dennis Haynes, Karl Mullendore, etc. etc.

- limit search to a year, or search summer months. Likely that time of
year there's more activity and answers to common questions.

- Enter only one "keyword" in "subject contains" field. Try different
words. i.e. I am interested in swapping an inline 4 engine, so I
searched "I4", "inline 4", "jetta", "golf". Try different spellings of
keyword. Or different acronyms. i.e. Liquid propane could be LP or
LPG.

If I'm thinking of the same "Sam" as has been mentioned, he provides
excellent advice that is clearly written. (in fact ironically, I
thought he was the sam "Sam" that frequented a "Umax S900" list I used
to lurk on. That Sam wrote in the same style/accuracy)

Likely I have too much time on my hands, but searching the archives
has provided quite a lot of info over the last while. It takes time
yes, and some "art", but is well worth it.

Cheers,


--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia.

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil