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Next: Performance Up: The MetaCrawler Softbot Previous: Collation and Duplicate Elimination

User Interface

MetaCrawler must have a reasonable user interface if the average Web user is to interact with it. Visually, there is a single text entry box, a set of radio buttons which describe the logic of the query (e.g. ``All these words,'' ``As a phrase''), various options describing what results are desirable (e.g. results from the user's country, .edu sites, etc), and sundry performance metrics (e.g. how long to wait). This preserves the metaphor which people prefer and understand - one single interface with which to find information on the Web. It is important that we do not assume that the user is skilled in Boolean logic, as a large portion of the feedback we received from users suggested that they often confused Boolean expressions (using AND when they meant OR, believing that OR meant exclusive OR, etc.).



Erik W. Selberg 2003-05-25