The search currently applies to text bodies only, yes. There's no huge problem with searching on poster name. Well, apart from interface design.

I think I was the problem on searching on poster name. I'd rather we didn't. Insert boilerplate comment about how that's just me here.

Tangentially, why does that bother you, Liese?

Well, it makes it marginally harder for creepy post-stalking. It means someone'd have to put in some effort to go find everything I've ever said. On other boards I use author search functions, so I suppose I'm hypocritical. You know how Nilly feels stalkery about isolating Tim's posts. For me it user search functions kinda feel like that for everybody.

Because we're so conversation based, there are fewer times when a post should stand without context. I dunno.

On the other hand, I do see the usefulness of it. I just kinda don't like it.

All the stalking I've encountered has been from people who don't mind a little effort. And threadsucking+^F barely counts as effort. But I'm not trying to talk you out of your stance, just to impress upon anyone feeling safe that you're not.

When I was trying to find the post where Deb told me her flight number, it would have been a lot easier if I could have used the search function to sort through her F2F posts, rather than use cntl-F.

There have been enough times that I've wanted to find a post and been unable to remember anything about it other than "Posted by Betsy about a month ago" that a user search function would be really useful. I can see the stalkery side, but it's outweighed by my own self-interest.

I think stalkers will do the work, and non-stalkers just looking for info are the ones who'll feel frustrated by the lack.

Honestly, the reason I left it out is because it looked ugly on this page -- Jon, if you style it, I can enable it. The code is 90% there.

Well, I suppose the first instance of stalking that I encountered (not myself, but a friend) was being done by someone with very serious intent, but not very serious technical skill. Suck & search would have been beyond their abilities. So that's probably the baggage that's banging around back there.

But then, you know, whatever. Don't suppose you could code it so I could opt out, eh? It could still default in.

What Jessica said.

Also, those of us stalking ita would still run into the "has to be more than three letters" and the "can't appear in more than 50% of the posts" problems anyway, so at least I am out of luck she is safe.