Application of weights to online search request

1. A machine-implemented search method comprising:

inputting a search query from a user, the search query including a plurality of elements;

enabling the user to specify a first weighting factor for weighting an element in the search query before the search query is executed;

enabling the user to group two or more of the plurality of elements into one or more categories before the search query is executed;

enabling the user to specify a second weighting factor for weighting a category of the one or more categories before the search query is executed;

initiating a search by causing the search query to be executed according to the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor;

returning a result of the search to the user

using the first weighting factor to build a historical record of user modifications of default search query weighting factors;

analyzing the historical record;

based on a result of analyzing the historical record, determining a default weighting factor to use for a future search query; and

in response to a predetermined user input, causing a plurality of different suggested weighting factor paradigms to be outputted to a user, each said paradigm indicating a manner of selecting one or more weighting factors for a search query, each said paradigm chosen to emphasize a different particular preference set.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first weighting factor represents a weight to be given to an information source of a plurality of information sources available to be searched in response to the query.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first weighting factor represents a weight to be given to a term in the query.

4. A processing system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface, coupled to the processor, through which to communicate over a network with a terminal device used by a consumer; and

a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processing system to perform a process that comprises:

inputting a search query from a user, the search query including a plurality of elements;

before the search query is executed, inputting from the user a first weighting factor for weighting an element of the plurality of elements in the search query;

enabling the user to group two or more of the plurality of elements into one or more categories before the search query is executed;

enabling the user to specify a second weighting factor for weighting a category of the one or more categories before the search query is executed;

initiating a search by causing the query to be executed according to the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor;

returning a result of the search to the user

using the first weighting factor to build a historical record of user modifications of default search query weighting factors;

analyzing the historical record;

based on a result of analyzing the historical record, determining a default weighting factor to use for a future search query; and

in response to a predetermined user input, causing a plurality of different suggested weighting factor paradigms to be outputted to the user, each said paradigm indicating a manner of selecting one or more weighting factors for a search query, each said paradigm chosen to emphasize a different particular preference set.

5. A processing system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first weighting factor represents a weight to be given to an information source of a plurality of information sources available to be searched in response to the query.

6. A processing system as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first weighting factor represents a weight to be given to a term in the query.

7. A processing system as recited in claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of elements in the search query is an information comparison field to be used in comparing results of the search.

8. A machine-implemented method comprising:

inputting a search query from a user, the search query including a plurality of information comparison fields to be used in comparing results of a search;

enabling the user to specify a first weighting factor for weighting an information comparison field of the plurality of information comparison fields in the search query, before the search query is executed;

enabling the user to group two or more of the plurality of information comparison fields into one or more categories before the search query is executed;

enabling the user to specify one or more second weighting factors for weighting each category of the one or more categories before the search query is executed;

initiating a search by causing the search query to be executed according to the first weighting factor and each said second weighting factor;

causing a result of the search to be returned to the user

using the first weighting factor to build a historical record of user modifications of default search query weighting factors;

analyzing the historical record;

based on a result of analyzing the historical record, determining a default weighting factor to use for a future search query; and

in response to a predetermined user input, causing a plurality of different suggested weighting factor paradigms to be outputted to the user, each said paradigm indicating a manner of selecting one or more weighting factors for a search query, each

said paradigm chosen to emphasize a different particular preference set.