At 04:41 AM 1/23/2004 +0100, you wrote:

1. Since the regex searches will take almost exactly the same time
   anyway (and therefore will be aborted at almost exactly the same
   point), the users will most likely not get different results, or at
   least not that very different results.
2. Since hubs will restrict the search frequency anyway, isn't up to
   the user if he wants to search for the same thing again the next
   time he can, instead of searching for something else?

The precise timing of a command may vary widely:

!!!$Lolita$College$Chick$Sucks$And$Fucks$Cucumber$In$Shaved$Hairless$Pussy$Xxx$Teen$Sex$Porno$1$$1$wtsoybno$mpg ranged from 6996 to 3291617 cycles, almost 3 orders of magnitude.

!!!best$cum$compilation$ever!.mpg ranged from 5711 to 25430 cycles.

!$pornstar$Sylvia$Saint$omg$what$an$ass,$takes$2$dicks,$lots$cum$and$rides$cock,$very$good$quality,$mgp$avi$: experimental took 18 ticks, current took 458768 ranged from 6184 to 458768 cycles.

!$teen$virgin$first$time$sex$OUCH$mpg ranged from 6799 to 219850 cycles.

!SNDSTOR$XM ranged from 895270 to 18641231 cycles.

!Trade$only!$Lolitas$Molly$babysitter$mpg$ ranged from 6595 to 259806 cycles.

"Hunter$X$Hunter" (quotation marks in original query) required from 5590 to 1455825 cycles to complete.

#1$$$Basics$$$Step$By$Step$mpg required from 5473 to 292763 clock cycles to complete.

While the RE search could behave differently, my point here is that even what should be fairly deterministic now isn't, and instead produces three-order of magnitude differences in query processing times. I therefore contest the validity of your first point.

Regarding your second point, sure, but if a user needs to find a certain file, and will after that stop searching, better to allow him to find the file he wants with fewer searches.

-cologic