User blog comment:Rupert Giles/Global Navigation Update/@comment-28736347-20141206235831/@comment-5558012-20141207003351

That's not true in every case. There are many similar wikis and/or wikis that overlap in coverage or have varying detail of material so a global Wikia search is very much useful. Plus, if you are someone who frequents many wikis, such an option can allow for quick navigation to the information you need.

Convenience really varies. If the global navigation is in a fixed position (as it was originally intended before these tests), the old search bar is in no way more convenient (as you scroll all the way to the top) than just typing into the field regardless of where you are in the article. Personally, a small search bar doesn't add any additional convenience. I edited my CSS to actually make the search bar longer. Two different search bars would likely just cause more confusion than anything else.