In response to the difficulty of formulating
queries, a class of users known as search intermediaries (mentioned in the last
chapter) became associated with Boolean search systems. The task of an intermediary
is to translate a user’s information need into a complex Boolean query for
a particular search engine. Intermediaries are still used in some specialized areas,
such as in legal offices. The simplicity and effectiveness of modern search engines,
however, has enabled most people to do their own searches.