Google has always made use of filters but now you can create and clear filters right inside the Analytics interface. This makes it a lot easier for the user to apply advanced filters without having to export and import data. Google has only just announced this nifty new feature so go check it out. Finally no more ^(?=.*this word)(?!.*(thatcode)).* codes to try remember. We can create a filter without worrying if it is going to effect all our results or if we added the filter to all our accounts.

You may still need to use the filter tag for some advanced filtering but now most of the basic filters are included.