Related Articles Unrelated, except by Date

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  raincoaster · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:23 pm

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  I’ve been noticing that my Related Articles are not actually related at all. The grid simply displays my most recent articles. If it’s pulling from tags, and my blog is quite focused, then the whole function is irrelevant. Would it be beyond the realm of possibility to have it set up to scan actual content?

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  timethief · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:26 pm

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  I see what you mean on this post http://thecryptosphere.com/2014/12/08/first-nation-files-land-claim-to-stanley-park-and-gulf-islands/
  Only one post ie. http://thecryptosphere.com/2014/12/05/aboriginal-frustrations-could-lead-to-coherent-uprising-that-would-threaten-canadas-economy-author-warns/ is related.

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  designsimply · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:26 pm

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  Could you link me to a particularly bad example? I’ll grab a screenshot and pass a note to the data team to see if I can find out more.

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  timethief · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:27 pm

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  I think I just provided an example above.

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  designsimply · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:28 pm

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  Thanks timethief, I think we both replied at the exact same time before.

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  timethief · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:29 pm

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  Yes, it seems that we did post simultaneously. :)

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  designsimply · Member · Dec 8, 2014 at 11:31 pm

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  Have an example that has more original content in it?

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  raincoaster · Member · Dec 9, 2014 at 8:31 am

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  Here you go http://thecryptosphere.com/2014/12/08/the-people-want-to-be-able-to-live/

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  designsimply · Member · Dec 10, 2014 at 5:13 am

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  Thank you. I looked more closely and the related posts layout on your blog didn’t look familiar to me, so I checked up on your theme and noticed you are using Opti. That theme had it’s own related posts feature built in before the updated feature was implemented on other themes at WordPress.com. Because of that, Opti does not use the related posts engine that is mentioned at http://en.support.wordpress.com/related-posts/

  On the support page about Related Posts, it lists under the Requirements section that the related posts do not apply to the Opti theme:
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/related-posts/#requirements

  On the theme details page for Opti, it explains the related posts feature built into the theme as being powered by category:
  https://wordpress.com/themes/opti

  I also looked at the post and quickly scanned some of the related posts listed. I noticed that the one thing most posts had in common was that several of them mentioned the police. I’m not sure why the Film Friday Android post is there. I’m also not sure exactly how the Opti related posts feature works other than simply selecting posts from the same category.

  I put in a request to see if the old related posts can be ripped out of the existing Opti theme in favor of the new related posts. Requests like that don’t always get approved because it disrupts an established feature inside a theme that people are currently using and a theme would change a feature out from under them. However, sometimes an exception can be made and this might be a good case. We’ll need to wait to hear back from the theme author to find out if this is something they are willing to change. It may also depend on how much work it would take to make a change like this compared to how many people are requesting an update.

  Since Opti is a premium theme, you may also talk to the theme developer directly at http://premium-themes.forums.wordpress.com/forum/opti

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  raincoaster · Member · Dec 10, 2014 at 6:29 am

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  Thanks, much appreciated.

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  designsimply · Member · Dec 11, 2014 at 12:40 pm

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  No problemo. Thanks for workin’ with me on the details.