My congratulations to the administrators of this esteemed forum (I assume they are responsible) on the return of the forum search engine after a long absence.

The layout of the results is much improved and it appears to me to be both faster and more robust than its predecessor. It is certainly more accurate!

On another matter, I note that the number of available index pages appears to be fixed at 34. Thus, each time I or anyone else posts, an item from the past is lost to public view. This is sad, as in times past this forum appears to have had a vitality which is perhaps lacking now. I wasn't there (despite a suggestion that I am a reincarnation of a former poster or posters) but I do enjoy a quick delve through former postings where some very interesting (and extremely witty) material is to be found.

Are the powers that be willing to say if the 34 index page limit is imposed by Network54 or if it is a 'local' choice. If the latter, is there any prospect of extending it so that the priceless historical material survives in the public domain just a little longer than at present?

For clarification and the avoidance of doubt (with acknowlegements to Sarajane, see here, one of the historic items shortly to disappear) I should of course have said "each time I or anyone else posts a new topic" not "each time I or anyone else posts".

The search function is controlled by the people at Network54 and not by us lot in Sussex and fashionable Camberwell.

Adding an item does not cause older posts to disappear. The first contributions made in May 2002 are still in public view. The addition of five more new topics will increase the number of pages to thirty-five.

Thank you Research Assistant 2 for your very prompt reassurance with regard to the annals of the forum.

Whilst reasonably good at mathematics I have never excelled at counting, and I had of course failed to see that index page 34 had not yet reached its quota of 50 items. Noting that we had been stuck on 34 for some time despite new topics being posted I assumed the worst!

You have now opened up a whole new field of frivolous amusement to keep me from productive (though unpaid) employment when at the keyboard. I did not previously know the start date of the forum and shall now be obsessed with finding the foundation postings!

Oh no! It's gone again - the forum search engine that is. Back to the boring stuff! L

For the benefit of the very few people who

1. are interested and
   
2. hadn't noticed

the Network54 Forum search engine is once again functioning after a lengthy absence.

If you've been meaning to look for something in this estimable Forum, get in quick. Past experience indicates that the facility seldom stays up for long!

Oh dear, what a sad thing it is always to be right! As predicted the Network54 Search Engine is again inoperative.