Brush up on Boolean

By Andy Walker

To avoid getting buried in irrelevant responses on search engines, define your searches a little more clearly.

The technique that most database search engines use comes from the symbolic logic system developed by a 19th-century mathematician named George Boole. That is why it is called Boolean (pronounced "BOO-lee-unn" - drop that one into the conversation at the next party).

It involves the words AND, OR, and NEAR in your search strings.

Get more info here:

• Boolean Search Primer
• Learn with ABBA here on Cyberwalker.