Aaaarrrgggh!! Fix the Search tool!!! PLEASE!!

[Thoric]

<my first rant>

I don't know how many times we've been told that the search feature of NI.com is going to be sorted out, but today I wanted to download the latest NI-DAQmx compatible with LabVIEW 8.6 (which is v9.5.1 - according to Google search). So I searched for "NI-DAQmx 9.5.1", and this is the search result. How is this relevant!!?!?!?! 

The latest version is 9.8, so if it's not going to give me that version I ask for, I might have expected to be shown the latest instead. But version 8.7.1, 8.9.5 and 9.0!? And then other NI products. I really really do get so fed up with this pitiful search engine. I guess I need to ask Google again!!!

</my first rant>

[jcarmody]

It looks like you searched for 8.5.1, but I really came to say that I use google to search NI's site: site:ni.com DAQmx 9.5.1

[Thoric]

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@jcarmody wrote:

It looks like you searched for 8.5.1, but I really came to say that I use google to search NI's site: site:ni.com DAQmx 9.5.1

---

Argh! You're right! Bugg#r it.

Why can't there be a tabled list of all NI-DAQmx releases, each a link to the download page. Then I could easily scroll down and find the one I want, and download it. Preferably also each with a list of compatible LabVIEW versions alongside.

An update to this page maybe? http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/B0D5630C0A50D5C6862578E800459248

[jcarmody]

What a great color scheme they used.  TIL I'm color blind. 😞

[MarkCG]

I agree, the search tool STINKS. I just use google now too search the NI site for ANYTTHING, whether kb's or drivers.

[Ray.R]

ditto..

[johnsold]

These posts suggest that the easy fix is to remove the search function and add a link to Google search?

Lynn

[Kenn_N]

I am the owner of the Search Platform at NI. Thanks for the feedback, and I do watch these posts. We are actively working on our search platform, and will have a lot of new features and improvements releasing in 2014.  Search is not a trivial technology to manage and has a lot of subjective corner cases. It's a blessing and a curse.

I could discuss the topic of using Google at length, but it's not simply a matter of just replacing it with Google. If it were, we would've done it, but there are many uses for search technology and the site search experience is only one of them. I am an active user of Google technology and understand it's benefits as well as it's shortcomings.

This post started with a rant on querying for a DAQmx version that doesn't exist (8.5.1), and that is obviously not something that the search engine can present as a result since it does not exist.  Could we handle that better, yes. I will look into that.  I think the results for searching for DAQmx 9.5.1 are relatively good, but search is subjective.

[johnsold]

Kenn,

Thanks for listening and for letting us know that you are working on the issues.

Lynn

[JÞB]

Thanks for dropping by and letting us know our frustrations are heard.  You've gut guts taking on the project!  You've probably even set yourself up for some good natured kidding.  (e.g. "How do you find Kenn's office?"  Kudos for the funniest punchline)

Seriously, I, for one, wish you all the best and hope for great strides to be made soon!