What is Power Searching?
 
 

 

Power searching allows you to find specific information on the Web using a particular search engine and specific command codes. Here is a partial list of major search engines: 
 
  • AltaVista (www.altavista.com)
  • HotBot  (www.hotbot.com)
  • Yahoo(www.Yahoo)
  • Excite (www.Excite)
 
 
 
Knowing how to use the specific commands to clarify the search is very important. It can save you a lot of time. The majority of the commands are accepted in most search engines;  however, each uses some varied techniques. One of the most popular and largest engines is Alta Vista. The comands are as follows: 
 
+
This plus sign in front of a word means the engine  MUST (rather than SHOULD) find web sites which include the term
- 
The minus sign eliminates words that you do NOT want included.
" "
Quotation marks mean the full phrase must be found.
*
Use this asterisk symbol as an all inclusive wildcard. For example if you were searching for the subject vanity, a "* " after "vanit" would look for all words with that root, i.e. vanities, vanity.
no symbol
No symbol in front of a word indicates the word is non- essential, but should be included in hits when found. 
 
 
 
Now lets look at an example