The /speKtr/ (russian for 'spectrum') site has been designed to provide you with an easy-to-use and all-in-one query interface for the most popular search engines in the World Wide Web.

How to use it:

1. Place your query in the text field.

2. Select all the search engines you want to use by simply clicking on the checkbox in front of them.

3. Hit the Start-button to start the query on all of the selected engines simultaneously.

4. For every selected search engine there will pop up a new browser window. If there already exists a window for the requested engine because of an earlier search its contents will be refreshed!

5. If you want to send a new query simply press the Reset-button to set the interface back to its default values.

Currently supported search engines are:

• Altavista
• WebCrawler
• Yahoo
• HOTBOT
• Excite
• Lycos

There is a basic set of search instructions all search engines support. Nevertheless every engine provider has some "homemade specials", too.

The best way to find your topic is to send a standard query via the /speKtre/-Interface first and than to look in the resulting answer page for an advanced search option if the result doesn't suits you!

Basic Query Options:

1. Use the logical operators AND / OR to determine whether all of the words should occur in the answers or at least one out of them. Example: (bee OR bear) AND honey.

2. Put literal strings (i.e. a sequence of words that follow up in a line) like 'Rolling Stones' or 'to be or not to be' in double quotes, e.g. "Rolling Stones".

3. Use a plus sign (+) in front of a word to require that word to appear in the results. To search for information about a particular Broadway musical, try +Broadway +Cats. Or, require entire phrases (literal strings) like this: +"one small step".

4. Use a minus sign (-) in front of a word to exclude it from results. Search for information about cats, but not the musical, try cats -musical. Exclude phrases in the same way: dogs -"going to the".

If you have a question or problems with /speKtr/ send us an email! Please write '/speKtr/' in the subject line.

Q: "When I press the [Start]-button nothing happens!"
A: "Maybe your Browser does not support JavaScript or it is disabled.
    Look in the 'Options' menu of your browser to enable it."

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