How often do people use the player search

[FoxyAreku]

I use it almost daily to find specific people, especially on my alt with an empty friendslist. Getting rid of it is a terrible idea.

[Leowilde]

I use it regularily, to add people I've met in DF to friend list, for example.

[Knahli]

I use it when I am asked to invite someone I don't have added because I can't for the life of me ever remember the manual command.

[EA9Sol]

I use it a lot to find people. And I have had a few people use it to find me. ^^ It would be a bad idea to get rid of it.

[Jpec07]

Gil sellers.

And given how frequently they must be running those heavy queries against the servers, this function is probably a huge reason why the servers are under so much stress (not to mention how much stress is added by the sending of hundreds/thousands of /tells at a time).

Honestly, there are really two things they'd need to do to cut back on Gil spam:

1. Restrict how frequently a player can search and/or how many results can be returned.
2. Ban anyone who sends mass-tells/invites and/or restrict the frequency at which /tell messages and FC invites can be sent out.

I wouldn't say removing it would be worthwhile, because there are use cases that would require it, but it is probably putting more stress on their servers than they'd like to admit.

[Kio]

Would be nice to have the option to disable myself as a result on the search list without having to resort to using busy. Not only because of the RMT abuse of the system but also just for privacy sake.

[Canadane]

I use it quite often. Sometimes I just gotta track someone down.

[Vivi_Bushido]

I know some players will use it to scout for FC-less people to /tell them for FC invites.

Oh another note, there's some people that I've player searched standing right next to them, and they don't show up at all in the player search. Don't know how that happens. (would have to guess a third party app is most likely the cause).

[Canadane]

Oh another note, there's some people that I've player searched standing right next to them, and they don't show up at all in the player search. Don't know how that happens. (would have to guess a third party app is most likely the cause).

I do not believe there's any way a third party app would be able to stop SE's list of players from populating like that.
My only suggestion would be either they made their character minutes prior to your search and the list takes a short time to update, or you've mistyped the name. Be it confusing an I and a l or vv for w or something silly like that.

[dinnertime]

I use it all the time to read everybody at the area's search info when I'm bored.

I know some players will use it to scout for FC-less people to /tell them for FC invites.

Oh another note, there's some people that I've player searched standing right next to them, and they don't show up at all in the player search. Don't know how that happens. (would have to guess a third party app is most likely the cause).

Did you have every language checked?