Evaluating content

1. A method of recording a user's preference for a content item, the method comprising:

receiving, via activation of a control by the user interacting with a web page that includes the content item, an indication of a positive preference for the content item;

incrementing, with a processor, a first counter of just positive preferences for the content item; and

in a second web page that includes the content item and the first counter and that is displayed to a second user, wherein the content item is displayed in a secondary portion of the second web page:

automatically updating the first counter to reflect said incrementing;

if the user is known to be associated with the second user, changing an appearance of the updated first counter; and

if the first counter matches or exceeds a first predetermined threshold, promoting the content item in the second web page by displaying the content item in a primary portion of the second web page instead of the secondary portion;

wherein the primary portion of the second web page is displayed with greater prominence than the secondary portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary portion of the second web page is labeled to indicate it contains promoted content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the web page also includes the first counter, the method further comprising:

in response to receiving the indication, automatically updating the first counter in the web page as served to the user.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising in response to receiving the indication:

immediately displaying, in the same web page as served to the user, a non-transient notice that the user has indicated a positive preference for the content item, without refreshing or replacing the web page;

wherein the notice is different than the first counter.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the notice is a textual message that the user has indicated a preference for the content item.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein displaying the non-transient notice comprises:

replacing, in the control, a first message soliciting a positive preference with a second message that the user has indicated a positive preference for the content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

if the second user is known to be associated with the user, applying in the web page the changed appearance of the updated first counter.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

changing the appearance of the updated first counter in the second web page includes displaying a banner on the updated first counter; and

prior to receiving the indication, no banner was displayed on the first counter in the second web page.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to incrementing the first counter, identifying in the second web page preference activity of friends of the second user; and

after incrementing the first counter, if the user is a friend of the second user, dynamically updating the second web page to increase a count of positive preferences indicated by the friends.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

incrementing, with the processor, a second counter of negative preferences for a second content item in the web page, in response to a second indication of a negative preference for the second content item; and

if the second counter matches a second threshold, making the second content item inaccessible to another user.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via activation of a second control by the user, a second indication of a negative preference for a second content item included in the web page, wherein the web page simultaneously includes both the control and the second control;

while the user is viewing the second content item in the web page, receiving from the user a reason associated with the second indication; and

making the second content item inaccessible to a third user if the reason is a member of a first set of reasons, and not making the second content item inaccessible to the third user if the received reason is not a member of the first set of reasons;

wherein the reason is selected by the user from a list of multiple reasons offered to the user in the web page.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

continuing to display at least a portion of the web page to the user after receiving the indication.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is associated with the second user if the second user previously identified the user as a friend.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

continue to display at least a portion of the web page to the user after receiving the indication.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of recording a user's preference for a content item, the method comprising:

receiving, via activation of a control by the user interacting with a web page that includes the content item, an indication of a positive preference for the content item:

incrementing, with a processor, a first counter of just positive preferences for the content item; and

in a second web page that includes the content item and the first counter and that is displayed to a second user, wherein the content item is displayed in a secondary portion of the second web page:

automatically updating the first counter to reflect said incrementing;

if the user is known to be associated with the second user, changing an appearance of the updated first counter; and

if the first counter matches or exceeds a first predetermined threshold, promoting the content item in the second web page by displaying the content item in a primary portion of the second web page instead of the secondary portion;

wherein the primary portion of the second web page is displayed with greater prominence than the secondary portion.

16. A system for recording a user's preference for a content item, including:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive, via activation of a control by the user interacting with a web page that includes the content item, an indication of a positive preference for the content item:

increment, with a processor, a first counter of just positive preferences for the content item; and

in a second web page that includes the content item and the first counter and that is displayed to a second user, wherein the content item is displayed in a secondary portion of the second web page:

automatically update the first counter to reflect said incrementing;

if the user is known to be associated with the second user, change an appearance of the updated first counter; and

if the first counter matches or exceeds a first predetermined threshold, promote the content item in the second web page by displaying the content item in a primary portion of the second web page instead of the secondary portion;

wherein the primary portion of the second web page is displayed with greater prominence than the secondary portion.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the primary portion of the second web page is labeled to indicate it contains promoted content.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

if the second user is known to be associated with the user, applying in the web page the changed appearance of the updated first counter.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein:

changing the appearance of the updated first counter in the second web page includes displaying a banner on the updated first counter; and

prior to receiving the indication, no banner was displayed on the first counter in the second web page.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

increment, with the processor, a second counter of negative preferences for a second content item in the web page, in response to a second indication of a negative preference for the second content item; and

if the second counter matches a second threshold, making the second content item inaccessible to another user.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

receive, via activation of a second control by the user, a second indication of a negative preference for a second content item included in the web page, wherein the web page simultaneously includes both the control and the second control;

while the user is viewing the second content item in the web page, receive from the user a reason associated with the second indication; and

make the second content item inaccessible to a third user if the reason is a member of a first set of reasons, and not making the second content item inaccessible to the third user if the received reason is not a member of the first set of reasons;

wherein the reason is selected by the user from a list of multiple reasons offered to the user in the web page.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the web page also includes the first counter, and the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

in response to receiving the indication, automatically update the first counter in the web page as served to the user.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to, in response to receiving the indication:

immediately display, in the same web page as served to the user, a non-transient notice that the user has indicated a positive preference for the content item, without refreshing or replacing the web page;

wherein the notice is different than the first counter.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the notice is a textual message that the user has indicated a preference for the content item.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein displaying the non-transient notice comprises:

replacing, in the control, a first message soliciting a positive preference with a second message that the user has indicated a positive preference for the content item.

26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the memory is further configured to provide the processor with instructions that when executed cause the processor to:

prior to incrementing the first counter, identify in the second web page preference activity of friends of the second user; and

after incrementing the first counter, if the user is a friend of the second user, dynamically update the second web page to increase a count of positive preferences indicated by the friends.

27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the user is associated with the second user if the second user previously identified the user as a friend.