org.linkedin.util-core/src/main/java/org/linkedin/util/lang/LangUtils.java
public static boolean convertToBoolean(String s)
  {
    if(s == null)
      return false;

    if(s.equals("false") || s.equals("no") || s.equals("off"))
      return false;

//    if(s.equals("true") || s.equals("yes") || s.equals("on"))
//      return true;

    return true;
  }
public static boolean convertToBoolean(String s)
  {
    if(s == null)
      return false;

    if(s.equals("false") || s.equals("no") || s.equals("off"))
      return false;

//    if(s.equals("true") || s.equals("yes") || s.equals("on"))
//      return true;

    return true;
  }
Converts the string into a boolean value. <code>true</code> or
<code>yes</code> are considered to be <code>true</code>. <code>false</code>
or <code>no</code> are <code>false</code>.

@param s the string to convert
@return a <code>boolean</code>