Newbie TAB Notation Question

[Bongo Boy]

So if I see something like this in a TAB:

|-----------
|----0------
|----0------
|-----------
|----2------
|-----------

...does this mean I need to damp out strings 1 and 4 with an available finger or two or try not to touch them with the pick?

[TaikaJim]

If i see that in a tab i usually fingerpick it.

If it would be like this

|-----------
|----0------
|----0------
|----x------
|----2------
|-----------

then i would damp the D string with my first or second finger. I dont know if this is the correct way to do it, but it seems to work for me.

[Essatic]

When your indexfinger frets the 2nd fret on the E string, it's easy to mute the A string by just keeping your indexfinger against it, without fretting it. It's so hard to explain and then again.. so easy to show.

Good luck.. Essatic

[Bongo Boy]

That makes perfect sense--it's what I do most of time anyway (when I really don't want to). So, it shouldn't be that hard to do it intentially for a change