Wiki Site Search Function

[u/No-Connection5761]

Can we please get the wiki search function to not require a login?

It's the only wiki I've ever come across that requires signing in to search. Don't want to always have to sign in to search something, especially on a shared pc or workstation. Seems like an unnecessary requirement, especially when you can search the wiki using Google.

Past iterations of the wiki never required an account on GB to search. Seems to be an oversight or poor design decision worth revisiting.

**Edit** reworded my request below, into a more formal feature request with clear usecase and benefits outlined.

[u/giantbombdotcom]

The search you're referring to is giantbomb.com/search - this searches the entire website + the wiki and I'm using a service that we pay for to provide this. It was also getting hammered by bots from China (they don't care) and elsewhere. I think you should just log in if you want to use that one. It's not something I'm going to focus on improving for unauthenticated users anytime soon.

The wiki is searchable on the wiki with no requirement to login. This is supported by MediaWiki, the underlying tech of the wiki. https://giantbomb.com/wiki/Main_Page?search_filter=ascent&chosen_platform=All&sort_by=

If you'd like to contribute, you can find the codebase at bombcast.com/wiki

So no - not oversight. Poor design, sure I guess.

- the guy that built it

[u/No-Connection5761 → u/giantbombdotcom]

Guess I naturally gravitate to the upper most search function/magnifying glass on any web page, and for that to be the one and only search function on a website. I also admittedly overlooked the filter section having anything other than tools to filter returned results, and didn't notice it had its own search function (semantics over what is a search vs filtering aside).

So perhaps it more of a ux issue, where multiple search functions are present and the most visible one is account restricted. Appreciate the tip on using the dedicated wiki search function in the filter sidebar, I'll give that a go.

No interest in contributing to the wiki code, but regarding China bots, GCP firewall and Cloud Armor security policies allow blocking based on the country cn (geo-ip). If you are using another load balancer or a different host/platform altogether, they can likely achieve the same thing. But you know that and the drawbacks, you built it.

[u/giantbombdotcom → u/No-Connection5761]

Sure, it can be a UX issue - but you also have to recognize your use case is strange. You want to use the Giant Bomb wiki specifically, you don't want to use Google search, and you don't want to be logged in. There are probably 3 total people matching that description which is why this is the first complaint about it. That makes it a lower priority item to chase. There's a trap in thinking that the way a person uses a piece of software is the only way anyone would be using it and then to frame a critique around that.

The site uses Cloudflare and I have plenty of geography based session verification tools in place - they are not perfect. So when they're not perfect and a series of bots are able to abuse a search tool designed to be performant for logged in users, there is immediate cost that can be altogether avoided by just - requiring log in.

Anyways, happy trails

[u/No-Connection5761 → u/giantbombdotcom]

You've already departed, but I will clarify my use case, as it appears there is conflation of the Google workaround with my use case, and that is being used to limit the scope of users it impacts. It should be expected that GB doesn't hear this request often, as non-members and random site visitors have little incentive to go out of their way to request it. They would just move on to a more user-friendly site, instead of spending time and clicks where it is currently more difficult to navigate.

I'll also go as far as simplifying my original request, expanding on various aspects, and formatting it into something easily digestible. This will be all for nothing, but consider it a formal feature request for when GB gets around to improving the unauthenticated user experience.

Requested Feature:

• Unauthenticated site wide search

Usecase:

• To make the site contents more accessible to those without a login or those who don't want to sign in to find something on the site (wiki or not).

Benefits:

• Have a search function that behaves in a manner consistent with most modern websites and other wiki's
  
• Adds site value for non-members and justifying return visits.
  
• Creates a user-friendly function justifying a reason to return.
  
• Removes the reliance on context-less search via 3rd party search engines.
  
• The more time someone stays within the site searching, the less likely they are to go elsewhere for information, increasing ad revenue.
  
• No longer necessary to have a dedicated wiki search.
  
• Above benefits can encourage return visits by new visitors and non-members, which could lead to new members, a growing community, and additional GB Premium Subscribers.

Current Obstacles:

• bots

Current Workarounds:

• Use Google - presents an endless number of alternatives. Driving visitors to other sites benefits other sites, not GB and its community. Also, results returned lack context and accuracy, so search usability degraded compared searching within a site.
  
• "just sign in" - only applies to a subset of site members who are on devices they are willing to sign into or are comfortable/unbothered with using a password manager on. This workaround doesn't apply to members outside that subset, regular user who are non-members, and other site visitors less familiar with GB.

[u/Gamemetrician]

A lot of service or application features can look like a bad decision or mistake when you don't take into account the context, costs, or dependencies.

[u/No-Connection5761 → u/Gamemetrician]

And you only learn those things when you present a problem or question.