Methods and systems for visually distinguishing user attribute similarities and differences

1. A method for electronically displaying attribute associations between a first user and a second user of a messaging service, comprising:

retrieving a second attribute from a first plurality of attributes that are associated with the second user;

comparing the second attribute to a first attribute of the first user;

designating a common attribute when the comparison reveals that the first attribute is similar to the second attribute;

accessing a rank defined by the first user for the common attribute, wherein the rank indicates a degree of importance of the commonality of the first attribute and the second attribute relative to other commonalities existing between attributes associated with the first user and the second user; and

visually distinguishing the common attribute of the second user within a display viewable by the first user to the exclusion of the other commonalities existing between attributes associated with the first user and the second user, based on the rank of the common attribute being higher than the rank of the other commonalities.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a screen name associated with the second user in a list, the list comprising a plurality of screen names for a first plurality of users; and

wherein the common attribute is visually distinguished by applying a visual highlight to the name associated with the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a user profile containing the first plurality of user attributes;

wherein the common attribute is visually distinguished among the first plurality of attributes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual highlight is selected from a group including color, font, font size, font effect, and animation.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the visual highlight selection is defined by the first user, the definition specifying which visual highlight corresponds to user attributes that are identified as similar to the first attribute.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein multiple attributes are identified as common to the first and second user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual distinction is based on a threshold level of commonalties being met between the second user and first user.

8. A system for displaying attribute associations to a viewing user, the system comprising:

a display capable of presenting information to the viewing user;

a memory containing instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing the instructions to perform stages comprising:

sending a request for attributes corresponding to at least a second user;

receiving a plurality of attributes, at least one of which corresponds to the second user;

identifying which attributes of the second user are associated with the attributes of the viewing user;

accessing a rank defined by the viewing user for at least one identified attribute, wherein the rank indicates a degree of importance of the commonality of the at least one identified attribute relative to other commonalities existing between attributes associated with the viewing user and the second user; and

visually distinguishing, on the display, the at least one identified attribute to the exclusion of the other commonalities existing between attributes associated with the viewing user and the second user, based on the rank of the at least one identified attribute being higher than the rank of the other commonalities.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one identified associated attribute indicates a dissimilarity between the viewing and second users.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein stages further comprise simultaneously displaying, on the display, a plurality of user screen names; and

wherein visually distinguishing the at least one identified attribute includes applying a visual highlight to a screen name associated with the second user in a manner that indicates a particular attribute similarity with the viewing user.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the stages further comprise displaying, on the display, a user profile for the second user, the user profile including the at least one attribute corresponding to the second user; and

wherein visually distinguishing the at least one identified attribute comprises highlighting the user profile.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of attributes correspond to multiple users; and

wherein the stages further comprise:

identifying, from the plurality of received attributes, a most common user that has the largest number of attributes in common with the viewing user; and

visually distinguishing, on the display, the most common user among the plurality of user profiles.

13. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform stages comprising:

receiving a first plurality of attribute selections from a viewing user;

receiving a second plurality of attributes from a second user;

identifying at least one common attribute between the first and second pluralities of attributes;

accessing a rank defined by the viewing user for the at least one common attribute, wherein the rank indicates a degree of importance of the commonality of the at least one common attribute relative to other commonalities existing between the first and second pluralities of attributes; and

visually distinguishing, on a display, the at least one common attribute to the exclusion of the other commonalities existing between the first and second pluralities of attributes, based on the rank of the at least one common attribute being higher than the rank of the other commonalities.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the viewing user and second user define the first and second pluralities of attributes as part of a social network.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one common attribute is visually distinguished when the viewing user views on the display a user profile of the second user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the at least one common attribute is visually distinguished when the viewing user views on the display a list of multiple users, the list including the second user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein visually distinguishing the at least one common attribute includes selecting a visual highlight from a group including color, font, font size, and font effect.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a second visual highlight indicates a second common attribute.

19. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to define a visual highlight as applying to a user attribute by performing stages comprising:

receiving a first input from a first user, describing a first attribute of the first user;

receiving a second input from the first user that defines a visual highlight to apply to a second attribute that is identified as associated with the first attribute;

receiving a third input from the first user that defines a rank indicating a degree of importance of the association of the first attribute with the second attribute relative to other associations existing between attributes of the first user and the second user;

storing at least the second input on a storage medium; and

visually distinguishing the second attribute to the exclusion of other attributes, based on the rank indicating the degree of importance of the association of the first attribute with the second attribute being higher than the rank of the other associations existing between attributes of the first user and the second user.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the association indicates a matching attribute.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the association indicates an opposing attribute.