Peer-to-peer trading platform with relative reputation-based item search and buddy rating

1. A system comprising:

a network-based interaction environment including a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes including a first peer-to-peer client and a second peer-to-peer client;

a first peer-to-peer client application running on the first peer-to-peer client to maintain persistent buddy information on the first peer-to-peer client, the persistent buddy information including a buddy list identifying trusted peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the first peer-to-peer client application to maintain a first categorized list of items for sale on the first peer-to-peer client; and

a second peer-to-peer client application running on the second peer-to-peer client to maintain persistent reputation information on the second peer-to-peer client, the persistent reputation information including information related to the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client in the network-based interaction environment, the persistent reputation information being a function of a feedback score related to prior user experience in conducting ecommerce transactions at the first peer-to-peer node, the persistent reputation information being specific to a particular item category, the second peer-to-peer client application to maintain a second categorized list of items for sale on the second peer-to-peer client, the second peer-to-peer client application to enable a user at the second peer-to-peer client to purchase an item from the first categorized list of items if the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is above a pre-determined threshold, wherein a reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is relative to reputations of others of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, and wherein the reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is different from the reputations of others of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation information includes user feedback information.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation information includes buddy list connection path information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation information includes completed transaction information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation information includes item category information, the item category information corresponding to information from the categorized list of items for sale on the first peer-to-peer client.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein different sets of reputation information are maintained on a plurality of the peer-to-peer nodes.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is based on a feedback score.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is based on buddy connection paths that exist between the first peer-to-peer client and the second peer-to-peer client.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is based on an item category.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein a set of services offered to the first peer-to-peer client is based on the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a reputation of a first node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes is based on a position of the first node in a social network relative to a position of a second node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes in the social network.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein information indicative of the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is propagated to others of the nodes in the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein a search result is based in part on the reputation of at least one node in the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

14. A method comprising:

enabling network communication among a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes including a first peer-to-peer client and a second peer-to-peer client;

maintaining persistent buddy information with a first peer-to-peer client application running on the first peer-to-peer client, the persistent buddy information including a buddy list identifying trusted peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the first peer-to-peer client application maintaining a first categorized list of items for sale on the first peer-to-peer client; and

maintaining persistent reputation information with a second peer-to-peer client application running on the second peer-to-peer client, the persistent reputation information including information related to the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client in the network-based interaction environment, the persistent reputation information being a function of a feedback score related to prior user experience in conducting ecommerce transactions at the first peer-to-peer node, the persistent reputation information being specific to a particular item category, the second peer-to-peer client application maintaining a second categorized list of items for sale on the second peer-to-peer client, the second peer-to-peer client application enabling a user at the second peer-to-peer client to purchase an item from the first categorized list of items if the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is above a pre-determined threshold, wherein a reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is relative to reputations of others of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, and wherein the reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is different from the reputations of others of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation information includes user feedback information.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation information includes buddy list connection path information.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation information includes completed transaction information.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation information includes item category information, the item category information corresponding to information from the categorized list of items for sale on the first peer-to-peer client.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein different sets of reputation information are maintained on a plurality of the peer-to-peer nodes.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is based on a feedback score.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is based on buddy connection paths that exist between the first peer-to-peer client and the second peer-to-peer client.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is based on an item category.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein a set of services offered to the first peer-to-peer client is based on the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein a reputation of a first node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes is based on a position of the first node in a social network relative to a position of a second node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes in the social network.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein information indicative of the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is propagated to others of the nodes in the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein a search result is based in part on the reputation of at least one node in the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

27. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

enable network communication among a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes including a first peer-to-peer client and a second peer-to-peer client;

maintain persistent buddy information with a first peer-to-peer client application running on the first peer-to-peer client, the persistent buddy information including a buddy list identifying trusted peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the first peer-to-peer client application to maintain a first categorized list of items for sale on the first peer-to-peer client; and

maintain persistent reputation information with a second peer-to-peer client application running on the second peer-to-peer client, the persistent reputation information including information related to the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client in the network-based interaction environment, the persistent reputation information being a function of a feedback score related to prior user experience in conducting ecommerce transactions at the first peer-to-peer node, the persistent reputation information being specific to a particular item category, the second peer-to-peer client application to maintain a second categorized list of items for sale on the second peer-to-peer client, the second peer-to-peer client application to enable a user at the second peer-to-peer client to purchase an item from the first categorized list of items if the reputation of the first peer-to-peer client is above a pre-determined threshold, wherein a reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is relative to reputations of others of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, and wherein the reputation of a particular peer-to-peer node is different from the reputations of others of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27 wherein the reputation information includes user feedback information.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 27 wherein the reputation information includes buddy list connection path information.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 27 wherein the reputation information includes completed transaction information.