Using Hashtags and Search in Oracle Social Network Desktop

This section describes how to use hashtags from your desktop:

What are hashtags (#) and how do I use them?

You can use a hashtag (#) in a message to call out a meaningful term or topic, making it easy to search for all content associated with that term or topic. For example, imagine discounts is a popular topic in your group, but the discounts can come in the form of dealer incentives, cash-back deals, seasonal discounts, or any other number of forms. How do you find what everyone is saying about all those things? You use a hashtag. Every time you or your colleagues say something about some form of discount, you include the hashtag #discounts. You can then search for #discounts and get a list of all messages in otherwise unrelated Conversations and walls that contain the hashtagged term.

Adding Hashtags

You can add one or more hashtags to any message (comments, replies, annotations, and document messages) simply by typing "#" before a term. When you start typing a hashtag by typing "#" plus at least one letter, existing hashtags (ones that have been used before) appear for you to select from.

Tips:

  • You can include the following characters in a hashtag: A through Z, a through z, 0 through 9 and _.

  • A hashtag can be a maximum of 25 characters (not including the "#").

Searching for and Viewing Hashtags

When you perform a search, available hashtags are included in the results. If your search term starts with a hashtag (#), one of two things will happen. If the hashtag exists, the hashtag page opens. If the hashtag doesn't exist, you see search results that contain any tags similar to the hashtag you searched for.

Wherever you see them, hashtagged terms are clickable and will open a hashtag tab page where all messages that include that hashtag are shown. So clicking #discounts in any Conversation opens a #discounts tab which shows any message (in a Conversation, document annotation, wall, or such) that you have access to that includes the discounts hashtag.

On the hashtag tab, you can filter the messages to show all messages that include the hashtag (All Results) or just those messages posted by people you are following (By People You Follow).

Following Hashtags

You can also follow hashtags. When you follow a hashtag, messages in public Conversations and walls that contain that hashtag appear on the Overview panel, even if you are not a member of those Conversations or walls.

To follow a hashtag, click the hashtag to open the hashtag tab, then click Follow at the top of the tab. To stop following the hashtag, click Stop Following.

How do I search?

  1. Enter at least two characters in the search box at the top of the sidebar.

    Top rated results appear in a drop-down list. Click a result to open the item in the Detail window.

  2. To see all results, press Enter or click Begin Search icon.

    The search results open in the Detail window.

  3. Optionally, select a filter from the Show menu to show a particular result type (for example, Conversations or documents).
  4. After filtering by a result type, you see some additional sort and filter options:

    • Sort By: Select how to sort your results.

    • Posted By: Limit your search to messages or documents posted by a particular person.

    • Posted When: Limit your search to messages or documents posted within a particular period.

    • Document Type: If you filter your results to show documents, you can select which types of documents to show.

    • Updated By: Limit your search to Conversations, collections, or Social Objects updated by a particular user.

    • Updated When: Limit your search to Conversations updated within a particular period.

    • Created By: Limit your search to Conversations or groups created by a particular user.

    • Created When: Limit your search to Conversations or groups created within a particular period.

    • Favorites Only: Limit your search to only your favorite Conversations.

    • Include Public: Control whether to show public Conversations in your results.

    • Include Closed: Control whether to show closed Conversations in your results.

    • Include Deactivated: Control whether to show deactivated groups in your results.

    • With Member: Limit your search to Conversations or groups with a particular member.

    If you don't see an option that applies to your selected item type, click More filter options icon to show more options.

Click a result to open it, or right-click a result to see additional actions.

To edit your search term, click Edit search button, then press Enter or click Begin Search icon.