WHAT IN THE WORLD?
Boolean Operators?
The Web is HUGE!!
Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult to find things on the web since the number of websites increases exponentially.
Search Engines
Search engines allow you to look for information based on KEY WORDS you would provide.
Hits
Every time someone goes to a Web Page, it is called a HIT
Queries
A Query is like a question. It is a method of filtering data.
Boolean Logic
Search engines use Boolean Logic
Nineteenth century mathematician George Boole, invented Boolean logic
Boolean Operators
Boolean operators are based on a simple yes or no ranking system
The primary boolean operators are: AND OR NOT
But What Do They Do?
AND The AND operator instructs the Search Engine to
search for all documents containing all words you specify
NOT Sometimes it’s easier to narrow a search by specifying
what you are NOT looking for
Symbols Some search engines use the “+” sign as the operator,
which works the same way as the AND operator
Process
Searching is a process of trial and error
The first page of documents/sites should have what you are looking for
Re-define your search or go to a different search engine if you are not finding your data
Time
It’s better to spend a little time narrowing down your search than following every result you get
Case Sensitivity
Most search engines do not require key operators in all caps
Pre-set Operators & Quotation Marks
Pre-set Operators Some search engines such as “Google” have boolean
operators already setup
It’s a good idea to put quotation marks around groups of words you want to appear together ie “Pentium 4”
Doing this will limit your search, instead of getting anything with Pentium and anything with a 4 your would get sites with just the words Pentium 4
…the end
Can you find the end of the internet using Boolean Operators?