Method and system for exploring similarities
A method and computer readable medium for exploring similar users and items of a media service. In one aspect, a user can explore for similar users iteratively. In one aspect, a user interface is generated that displays a user selectable indicia representing a similar member function for allowing a user to search a media service for at least one other user which has a degree of similarity with respect to the searching user. In another aspect, a method facilitates the search of such a similar user within a media service.
1 . A method for exploring similar users of a media service from a media management application comprising:
generating a user interface that displays a user selectable indicia representing a similar member function, wherein said similar member function allows a first user to search for at least one other user having a degree of similarity with respect to said first user;
receiving, a user selection action from said first user of said indicia indicating said first user's desire to identify at least one user of said service that is similar to said first user;
accessing an affinity engine that generates a first list of at least one similar user in said service, said similar user having a first degree of similarity with respect to said first user, said degree of similarity based at least in part upon said user and said similar user's media interaction behavior; and
displaying at least one identifier and information associated with said similar user, wherein selecting said identifier causes said user interface to display a second list of at least one second similar user in said service, said second similar user having a second degree of similarity with respect to said similar user.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said second similar user has a third degree of similarity with respect to said first user.
3 . The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying at least one identifier and information associated with said second similar user, wherein selecting said second similar user identifier causes said user interface to display a third list of at least one third similar user in said service, said third similar user having a fourth degree of similarity with respect to said second similar user.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein said third similar user has a fifth degree of similarity with respect to said similar user.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein said third similar user has a sixth degree of similarity with respect to said first user.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein said first degree, said second degree, said third degree, said fourth degree, said fifth degree, and said sixth degree are ungraded with respect to each other.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein iterative selections of displayed similar users cause iterative display of further similar users.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises an identifier for accessing a profile page associated with said similar user.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises an identifier for allowing said similar user to act as an influencer so that media files streamed to an online radio station associated with said first user are biased towards those media files preferred by said similar user.
10 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises a user name, said user name being unique to said service.
11 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises at least one artist said similar user has rated highly.
12 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises at least one album said similar user has rated highly.
13 . The method of claim 1 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises a textual message defined by said similar user.
14 . The method of claim 1 wherein said service is located on the internet.
15 . The method of claim 1 wherein said identifier comprises an indicia representing said similar member function.
16 . A computer readable medium comprising software code for a media management application, the code configured to implement functions comprising:
generating a user interface that displays a user selectable indicia representing a similar member function, wherein said similar member function allows a first user to search for at least one other user having a degree of similarity with respect to said first user;
receiving a user selection action from said first user of said indicia indicating said first user's desire to identify at least one user of said service that is similar to said first user;
accessing an affinity engine that generates a first list of at least one similar user in said service, said similar user having a first degree of similarity with respect to said first user, said degree of similarity based at least in part upon said user and said similar user's media interaction behavior; and
displaying at least one identifier and information associated with said similar user, wherein selecting said identifier causes said user interface to display a second list of at least one second similar user in said service, said second similar user having a second degree of similarity with respect to said similar user.
17 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said second similar user has a third degree of similarity with respect to said first user.
18 . The computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising displaying at least one identifier and information associated with said second similar user, wherein selecting said second similar user identifier causes said user interface to display a third list of at least one third similar user in said service, said third similar user having a fourth degree of similarity with respect to said second similar user.
19 . The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein said third similar user has a fifth degree of similarity with respect to said similar user.
20 . The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein said third similar user has a sixth degree of similarity with respect to said first user.
21 . The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein said first degree, said second degree, said third degree, said fourth degree, said fifth degree, and said sixth degree are ungraded with respect to each other.
22 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein iterative selections of displayed similar users cause iterative display of further similar users.
23 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises an identifier for accessing a profile page associated with said similar user.
24 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises an identifier for allowing said similar user to act as an influencer so that media files streamed to an online radio station associated with said first user are biased towards those media files preferred by said similar user.
25 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises a user name, said user name being unique to said service.
26 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises at least one artist said similar user has rated highly.
27 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises at least one album said similar user has rated highly.
28 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises a textual message defined by said similar user.
29 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said service is located on the internet.
30 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said identifier comprises an indicia representing said similar member function.
31 . A method for exploring similar users of a media service comprising:
receiving, from a media management application, similar member search criteria, said search criteria representing a first user's desire to search said service for at least one other user having a degree of similarity with respect to said first user;
accessing an affinity engine that generates a first list of at least one similar user of said service, said similar user having a first degree of similarity with respect to said first user, said degree of similarity based on at least in part upon said user's and said similar user's media interaction behavior; and
sending, to said media management application, at least one identifier and information associated with said similar user;
receiving, from said first user, a user selection action of said at least one identifier;
accessing, upon selection of said at least one identifier, said affinity engine that generates a second list of at least one second similar user in said service, said second similar user having a second degree of similarity with respect to said similar user; and
sending, to said media management application, at least one identifier and information associated with said second similar user.
32 . The method of claim 31 wherein said second similar user has a third degree of similarity with respect to said first user.
33 . The method of claim 32 further comprising accessing, upon selection of said at least one identifier associated with said second similar user, said affinity engine that generates a third list of at least one third similar user in said service, said third similar user having a fourth degree of similarity with respect to said second similar user; and sending, to said media management application, at least one identifier and information associated with said third similar user.
34 . The method of claim 33 wherein said third similar user has a fifth degree of similarity with respect to said similar user.
35 . The method of claim 34 wherein said third similar user has a sixth degree of similarity with respect to said first user.
36 . The method of claim 35 wherein said first degree, said second degree, said third degree, said fourth degree, said fifth degree, and said sixth degree are ungraded with respect to each other.
37 . The method of claim 31 wherein said media interaction comprises explicit user behavior of users of said service.
38 . The method of claim 37 wherein said explicit user behavior comprises a user applied rating associated with a media file.
39 . The method of claim 37 wherein said explicit user behavior comprises expressed preferences associated with a user of said service.
40 . The method of claim 31 wherein said media interaction comprises implicit user behavior of users of said service.
41 . The method of claim 40 wherein said implicit user behavior comprises data collected as users of said service play media files.
42 . The method of claim 40 wherein said implicit user behavior comprises tracking the activities of user of said service as they utilize said service.
43 . The method of claim 37 wherein said first degree of similarity is determined by comparing said first user's explicit behavior to said similar user's explicit behavior.
44 . The method of claim 31 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises a user name, said user name being unique to said service.
45 . The method of claim 31 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises at least one artist said similar user has rated highly.
46 . The method of claim 31 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises at least one album said similar user has rated highly.
47 . The method of claim 31 wherein said information associated with said similar user comprises a textual message defined by said similar user.
48 . The method of claim 31 wherein said service is located on the internet.
49 . The method of claim 31 further comprising applying a threshold to limit said first list.
50 . The method of claim 49 wherein said threshold limits said list to only users having a predetermined number of media files rated by said media file's associated genre.
51 . The method of claim 49 wherein said threshold limits said list to only users having a predetermined number of media files rated by said media file's associated album.
52 . The method of claim 49 wherein said threshold limits said list to only users having a predetermined number of media files rated by said media file's associated artist.
53 . The method of claim 49 wherein said threshold limits said list to only users having a predetermined number of media files rated by said media file's associated song.
54 . The method of claim 49 wherein said threshold removes from said list at least one media file that is rated highly by users of said media service.
55 . The method of claim 49 wherein said affinity engine upon generating said first list, gives preference to including in said list those users that have rated highly a media file's associated artist wherein said artist is also highly rated by said first user.
56 . The method of claim 49 wherein said affinity engine upon generating said first list, gives preference to including in said list those users that have rated highly a media file's associated album wherein said album is also highly rated by said first user.
57 . The method of claim 49 wherein said affinity engine upon generating said first list, gives preference to including in said list those users that have rated highly a media file wherein said media file is also highly rated by said first user.