| Frequently Asked Questions |
What is Boogle and how does it work?
Boogle is a network file search tool. Boogle runs continuously searching for new computers, indexing found computers, and checking computer reliability. Boogle uses a database to allow for sophisticated search queries and relevency rankings. For more information on Boogle, visit the about page.
How can I get the best search results?
Do the right type of query for your search!
- To search for a path, use the keyword "path: "
- For a host, use "host: "
- To perform a "basic" search, use "basic: "
You can use any of these keywords by prepending them to your search terms. You can use only one keyword at a time. For example, to find the computer MUNCHKIN, type host: munchkin, and to find a
file like "Chili Pepper" type basic: chili pepper (this will
put Red Hot Chili Peppers above Chili Recipe, instead of the other way
around).
Using these keywords will help Boogle to search more efficiently
and display the best results.
Is Boogle legal?
The following should not be taken as legal advice. The author of this information is not a lawyer.
Boogle is provided as a free service to the Brandeis community. It is only accessible from on-campus. Like the search engine Google, this system simply acts as a "spider" searching for files. Like Google, our systemis content-agnostic, meaning that it does not and cannot understand or read the files that it is cataloguing. Therefore, Boogle simply acts as a search tool and does not store or distribute any files on its own. Boogle was created for the legitimate sharing of non-infrining works, and it has substantial non-infringing uses through its ability to allow users to find legal and freely shared files. As ruled in the Betamax case before the US Supreme Court, a system with substantial non-infringing uses is not infringing. While anyone could use an audio tape to copy a copyrighted CD, there are also many other uses for audio tapes, such as recording your own speech or music. In this way, Boogle itself is not illegal, although some files that Boogle unknowingly indexes may violate certain laws. We work to quickly take down any files that have been brought to our attention as in any way illegal, as detailed on our abuse policy page.
Why are you scanning my computer?
Boogle performs a periodic network service scan in order to determine which computers are running the SMB service. These scans are non-invasive, occur once daily, and can be safely ignored.
Boogle conducts daily sweeps of select computers to check for new or changed files. Boogle connects to your computer, gets a list of shares, and then loops through each share, scanning for files. This task is invasive but should not seriously degrade your computer's performance. Your computer should be scanned no more than twice daily, and most scans take place in less than 20 seconds.
What if I don't want you to scan my computer?
Boogle only scans public (non-password protected) directories. If you password-protect your share, it cannot be read by the public and, thus, Boogle will not see it. Additionally, Boogle follows a simple version of the Robot Exclusion Protocol. It first fetches a file called robots.txt before commencing its scan. If this file exists at the base level of a share, Boogle will not index that share. Simply place an empty text file or any other file with the name robots.txt at the top of your share point in order to avoid a scan.
I added a robots.txt file and/or turned off open
shares. Why are you still scanning me?
Boogle will continue to perform non-invasive daily scans on all computers within the local network. Boogle will continue to look for open shares on any computer with SMB enabled. This is to check for new shares and to find shares that may no longer exist. Boogle will never attempt to read or break into password-protected directories. Boogle will attempt to scan any public directory but will stop immediately if it finds a robots.txt file. These scans for open shares usually take less than three seconds and should have no impact on computer performance.
Can I use Boogle to access the network from
off-campus?
NO! A "local network" is called such because it is LOCAL. Boogle is restricted by IP so that only users on the local network can access it. There is no way to access Boogle from off-campus, and using a seperate VPN or other tunneling system to access the network may violate acceptable use policies for this network. Contact ITS before doing anything rash. It would probably just be easier to bring your computer on campus and plug in for a few hours.
What hardware/software does Boogle use?
This installation of Boogle is running on a dedicated server with dual Pentium II/300 processors. This system, which is too old and slow to run the latest Microsoft bloatware, works just fine for this kind of service. Boogle is written in PHP and uses a MySQL database for storage. It is run through Apache under the GNU/Linux operating system.
Where can I go for more information?
For more information, contact this site's operator directly at cog@brandeis.edu. |
