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This has come up a few times in:

The solutions there were to search using Google. Like MMyers says in the top linked post, I also use comments to find "where I was" when I can only vaguely remember what I said, and I didn't leave an answer myself. So, I might remember I said something about "database logic" and the discussion had PHP in it. But using Google and SO search, I couldn't find the comment (I only found it by clicking thru my comments chronologically).

(The comment I was looking for is here.)

Having a (search) filtration box that filters fetched comments by keyword would be useful.

enter image description here

A search box is added unobtrusively to the top there.

Notice how small my font is when searching comments. Because the "next" button is out of view, I'm trying to zoom out enough so I can scan comments for what I'm looking for without having to scroll too much.

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    Or even just the ability to view all comments on one page then ctrl+f in the browser would be useful. I often am aware that a question is a duplicate of one that i commented on but then struggle to find the comment.
    – Martin Smith
    Jun 5, 2013 at 14:59
  • Related: Search / filter comments & responses in the Responses profile tab or Star/Favorite for later
    – Tim Stone
    Jun 5, 2013 at 15:03
  • @MartinSmith: Phew, there are plenty of people who have left 1000's of comments on SE though... not sure the server, their ISP or their browser will appreciate rendering all of them in one go!
    – Matt
    Jun 5, 2013 at 15:07
  • If it's that useful that it's worth searching for it shouldn't be in a comment, it should be an edit, an answer or a question.
    – Flexo
    Jun 5, 2013 at 15:09
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    @Flexo - Sometimes I search for the comment not because the comment itself is inherently useful but because I want to find the thing it was attached to and I can remember more specifics about the comment because I wrote it.
    – Martin Smith
    Jun 5, 2013 at 15:15
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    @Flexo Well, it turns out the way I (and others) remember where we were is by the words we used in discussion. Sometimes I want to review the thread I commented on, but I cannot remember specific words from the Q or A.
    – bobobobo
    Jun 5, 2013 at 15:16

2 Answers 2

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You can create a SQL in Data Explorer like this one:

Search keyword in user comments

Specify a UserId and Keyword (case-insensitive), the result contains link to the question where you leave comments on StackOverflow.

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I would also like the ability to search for comments. But I disagree with your suggestion of a search box on the Comments section of your Activities tab. It wouldn't look right for that section to have a search box and none of the other sections to have one. It would also limit the search to your own comments, and I'd also like to have the ability to search all comments.

I would suggest adding an advanced search option. We already have is:question and is:answer. I suggest adding a new is:comment option that would allow searching only comments, and of course that could be combined with other options such as user:<user id>.

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