RE: Is a bad index better than no index?

Subject: RE: Is a bad index better than no index?
From: "Michele Marques" <marquesm -at- autros -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 11:28:21 -0400

Geoff Hart writes:

> David Castro wonders: <<... is it better to create an index that
> isn't great
> (due to my lack of an indexer's skill), or to leave the document without
> one?>>
>
> Any help is better than none [...]

> As you note, full-text search is no substitute for a good index. Not even
> close, and it never will be until it includes synonym searches, stemming,
> and so on by default. Because it's easy to produce documentation that uses
> perfectly logical language that simply isn't the language the
> user thinks of
> first when they search, you need the ability to seek synonyms. That's an
> index. Ditto for any search involving related concepts.

I would further add that even if the user does know the term, a full-text
search can turn up too many results. For example, there may be a field that
appears throughout the system once it is set up (e.g. company name), but the
user searching for "company name" in an index, is unlikely to want to check
each report (which all display the company name).

--------------------------------------------
Michele Marques
Technical Writer,
Autros Healthcare Solutions
marquesm -at- autros -dot- com

This material is intended for the use of the individual to whom it is
addressed and may contain information that is privileged, proprietary,
confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended
recipient or the person responsible for delivering the material to the
intended recipient, you are notified that dissemination, distribution or
copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received
this communication in error, please contact the sender immediately via
e-mail and destroy this message accordingly.



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com

Sponsored by Information Mapping, Inc., a professional services firm
specializing in Knowledge Management and e-content solutions. See
http://www.infomap.com or 800-463-6627 for more about our solutions.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
Is a bad index better than no index?: From: Hart, Geoff

Previous by Author: RE: The Bunny Hop
Next by Author: RE: NORMAL vs BODY styles
Previous by Thread: Is a bad index better than no index?
Next by Thread: RE: Is a bad index better than no index?


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads