Do you use BOOLEAN logic when searching the web?
Do you use BOOLEAN logic when searching the web with Google, or when searching for items in eBay?
If not, your searching will be more productive if you do!
BOOLEAN:
A system of logic. It is used on the Internet in searching for resources.
In its simplest form for example, entering "Web AND Page" as search criteria
would tell the search tool to find resources that contain both the words
both "Web" and "Page." Entering "Web OR Page" as search criteria would
tell the search tool to find resources that contain both the words "Web"
and "Page" or either word.
Try searching eBay with the Logic Opperator "-new" , it will only show items that are NOT titled as new, and eliminate the flood of duplicate items from multiple vendors!
Hope this helps in your searching efforts!
Eric
How to Conduct an Advanced Internet Search
How to Conduct an Advanced Internet Search
To conduct an advanced search on the Internet, use the Boolean operators, such as "AND" and "OR," to make your search as specific as possible.
Steps:
1. Go to a Web search engine.
2. To find documents containing an exact phrase, type the phrase, surrounded by quotation marks, into the search field. For example, typing 'fish sticks' (with the quotation marks) will return documents that contain the phrase 'fish sticks,' but not Web pages that contain only 'fish' or 'sticks.'
3. To find documents containing a pair of words, but not necessarily together, type the words separated by the word 'AND' in all caps. For example, typing 'fish AND sticks' (without the quotation marks) will return Web pages that contain 'fish,' 'sticks' and 'fish sticks.'
4. To find documents containing either one word or the other, type the words separated by the word 'OR' in all caps. For example, typing 'fish OR sticks' (without the quotation marks) will return documents that contain 'fish' or 'sticks,' or both.
5. To exclude a word from your search, type the word you wish to exclude into the search field, preceded by the word 'NOT' in all caps. For example, typing 'fish NOT salmon' (without the quotation marks) will return only documents that do contain the word 'fish' and do not contain the word 'salmon.'
6. To find documents that contain two words separated by 10 to 25 words, type the two words separated by the word 'NEAR' in all caps, into the search field. If your search expression is lengthy or complicated, use parentheses to separate the different parts. For example, typing 'fish OR sticks NOT (salmon OR trout)' will get you entries that have the words 'fish' or 'sticks' or both, but do not have the words 'salmon' or 'trout.'
Tips:
Check the directions for the search engine you're using. Some require very specific syntax.
Some search engines allow the following symbolic substitutions for Boolean words: & for AND, | for OR, ! for NOT, and ~ for NEAR. But not all searches allow this, so if your query comes up blank, try using the words instead.
Some search engines don't sup-port the Boolean words 'NEAR' or 'NOT.'
AND, OR, AND NOT, +, -, & NEAR
AND, OR, AND NOT & NEAR
BOOLEAN LOGIC
Way to combine terms using "operators" such as "AND," "OR," "AND NOT" and sometimes "NEAR." AND requires all terms appear in a record. OR retrieves records with either term. AND NOT excludes terms. Parentheses may be used to sequence operations and group words. Always enclose terms joined by OR with parentheses. Which search engines have this? See +REQUIRE or -REJECT TERM and FUZZY AND. Want a more extensive explanation of Boolean logic, with illustrations?
