Providing market feedback associated with electronic commerce transactions to sellers

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodied with software, the software when executed using one or more computers programmed to:

access a global content directory programmed to execute a search in one or more databases for product data and provide a directory of products using a directory structure in which products are organized using a hierarchical classification system, wherein the product data is not stored in the global content directory, a seller database location of the product data for products contained in a product class identified by a pointer that corresponds to the product class;

access a translation mechanism configured to convert the product data not stored in the global content directory and stored in the storage location identified by a pointer that corresponds to a product class using non-uniformly formatted attribute data associated with the identified product class into uniformly formatted product data used by the global content directory by matching the non-uniformly formatted attribute data corresponding with the product class with the attribute data used by the global content directory;

record query information based on a search query of one or more seller databases coupled with seller computer systems comprising product data, the search query performed by buyer computer systems;

record sort request information based on a sort request of at least one of the buyer computer systems and the seller computer systems;

record presentation information based on the manner in which two or more search results are presented to the buyer computer system, wherein presentation information comprises an order of results or one or more criteria used to order the results, each search result comprising data for a product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, the search results comprising one or more of the two or more search results reflecting product data for a particular seller computer system;

record selection information based on selection by the buyer computer system of a particular search result from among the two or more search results, the particular search result comprising data for a particular product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, wherein the particular product is a product of a seller computer system other than the particular seller computer system;

sort the particular search result with sort criteria comprising at least one of product attributes, product attribute values, seller attributes, seller attribute values, and data quality;

provide the recorded query information and at least one of the presentation information and the selection information to the particular seller computer system, such that the particular seller computer system has access to one or more aspects of its product data relative to product data of other seller computer systems;

facilitate a negotiated transaction between at least one of the buyer computer systems and the seller computer systems using one or more unique identifiers for the product and one or more unique identifiers for the seller computer system;

record negotiated transactional information associated with the negotiated transaction, wherein the negotiated transactional information comprises a dollar value of the transaction, a number of products in the transaction, a size of the buyer computer system, a size of the seller computer system, a negotiated subject of the transaction, and terms of a negotiated legal document embodying the transaction;

provide the negotiated transactional information to one or more seller computer systems involved in the transaction and to one or more other seller computer systems; and

cause the particular seller computer system to modify one or more aspects of its product data of the particular seller computer system to be modified based, at least in part, on the provided recorded query information and negotiated transactional information.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , further comprising a shared product data repository comprising product data for two or more products available from two or more seller computer systems.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the software is further programmed to provide information to the particular seller computer system by communicating the information to the particular seller computer system substantially immediately following the selection of the particular search result by the buyer computer system.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the software is further programmed to record contract information reflecting one or more terms of a contract between the buyer computer system and a second seller computer system following the selection of the particular search result by the buyer computer system, the particular search result reflecting product data of the second seller computer system.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the query information reflects one or more product attribute values and one or more seller attribute values specified in the search query.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein:

the presentation information reflects a position of a search result for the particular seller computer system within an ordered display of the two or more search results; and

the selection information reflects a position of the selected search result within the ordered display of the two or more search results.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the presentation information reflects one or more buyer-specified sort criteria used to sort the two or more search results, each sort criterion selected from the group consisting of a product attribute, a product attribute value, a seller attribute, and a seller attribute value.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the selection information reflects at least one of:

the number of search results considered by the buyer computer system; and

whether the buyer computer system considered one or more of the two or more search results for the particular seller computer system.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the selection information reflects at least one of:

one or more product attribute values or seller attribute values for one or more of the two or more search results for the particular seller computer system considered but not selected by the buyer computer system; and

one or more product attribute values or seller attribute values for the search result selected by the buyer computer system.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the selection information excludes product attribute values and seller attribute values for the search result selected by the buyer computer system that are to be kept in confidence from seller computer systems other than the seller computer system based on the selected search result.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the selection information reflects at least one of:

a position of the selected search result within the two or more search results presented to the buyer computer system; and

one or more reasons for the position, relative to the search result selected by the buyer computer system, of a search result for the particular seller computer system.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

accessing a global content directory programmed to execute a search in one or more databases for product data and provide a directory of products using a directory structure in which products are organized using a hierarchical classification system, wherein the product data is not stored in the global content directory, a seller database location of the product data for products contained in a product class identified by a pointer that corresponds to the product class;

accessing a translation mechanism configured to convert the product data not stored in the global content directory and stored in the storage location identified by a pointer that corresponds to a product class using non-uniformly formatted attribute data associated with the identified product class into uniformly formatted product data used by the global content directory by matching the non-uniformly formatted attribute data corresponding with the product class with the attribute data used by the global content directory;

recording query information based on a search query of one or more seller databases coupled with seller computer systems comprising product data, the search query performed by buyer computer systems;

recording sort request information based on a sort request of at least one of the buyer computer systems and the seller computer systems;

recording presentation information based on the manner in which two or more search results are presented to the buyer computer systems, wherein presentation information comprises an order of results or one or more criteria used to order the results, each search result comprising data for a product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, the two or more search results comprising one or more of the two or more search results reflecting product data for a particular seller computer system;

recording selection information based on selection by the buyer computer systems of a particular search result from among the two or more search results, the particular search result comprising data for a particular product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, wherein the particular product is a product of a seller computer system other than the particular seller computer system;

sorting the particular search result with sort criteria comprising at least one of product attribute values, seller attributes, seller attribute values, and data quality;

providing the recorded query information and at least one of the presentation information and the selection information to the particular seller computer system, such that the particular seller computer system has access to one or more aspects of its product data relative to product data of other seller computer systems;

facilitating a negotiated transaction between at least one of the buyer computer systems and the seller computer systems using one or more unique identifiers for the product and one or more unique identifiers for the seller computer system;

recording negotiated transactional information associated with the negotiated transaction, wherein the negotiated transactional information comprises a dollar value of the transaction, a number of products in the transaction, a size of the buyer computer system, a size of the seller computer system, a negotiated subject of the transaction, and terms of a negotiated legal document embodying the transaction;

providing the negotiated transactional information to one or more seller computer systems involved in the transaction and to one or more other seller computer systems; and

causing the particular seller computer system to modify one or more aspects of its product data based, at least in part, on the provided recorded query information and negotiated transactional information.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a shared product data repository comprising product data for two or more products available from two or more seller computer systems.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing information to the particular seller computer system comprises communicating the information to the particular seller computer system substantially immediately following the selection of the particular search result by the buyer computer system.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising recording contract information reflecting one or more terms of a contract between the buyer computer system and a second seller computer system following the selection of the particular search result by the buyer computer system, the particular search result reflecting product data of the second seller computer system.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the query information reflects one or more product attribute values and one or more seller attribute values specified in the search query.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the presentation information reflects a position of a search result for the particular seller computer system within an ordered display of the two or more search results; and

the selection information reflects a position of the selected search result within the ordered display of the two or more search results.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the presentation information reflects one or more buyer-specified sort criteria used to sort the two or more search results, each sort criterion selected from the group consisting of a product attribute, a product attribute value, a seller attribute, and a seller attribute value.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection information reflects at least one of:

the number of search results considered by the buyer computer system; and

whether the buyer computer system considered one or more of the two or more search results for the particular seller computer system.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the selection information reflects at least one of:

one or more product attribute values or seller attribute values for one or more of the two or more search results for the particular seller computer system considered but not selected by the buyer computer system; and

one or more product attribute values or seller attribute values for the search result selected by the buyer computer system.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the selection information excludes product attribute values and seller attribute values for the search result selected by the buyer computer system that are to be kept in confidence from seller computer systems other than the seller computer system based on the selected search result.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the selection information reflects at least one of:

a position of the selected search result within the two or more search results presented to the buyer computer system; and

one or more reasons for the position, relative to the search result selected by the buyer computer system, of a search result for the particular seller computer system.

23. An electronic commerce system, including one or more computers coupled with one or more databases, comprising:

a global content directory programmed to execute a search in the one or more databases for product data and provide a directory of products using a directory structure in which products are organized using a hierarchical classification system, wherein the product data is not stored in the global content directory, a seller database location of the product data for products contained in a product class identified by a pointer that corresponds to the product class;

a translation mechanism configured to convert the product data not stored in the global content directory and stored in the storage location identified by a pointer that corresponds to a product class using non-uniformly formatted attribute data associated with the identified product class into uniformly formatted product data used by the global content directory by matching the non-uniformly formatted attribute data corresponding with the product class with the attribute data used by the global content directory,

wherein the global content directory is further configured to:

record query information based on a search query of one or more seller databases coupled with seller computer systems comprising product data, the search query performed by buyer computer systems;

record sort request information based on a sort request of at least one of the buyer computer systems and the seller computer systems;

record presentation information based on the manner in which two or more search results are presented to the buyer computer system, wherein presentation information comprises an order of results or one or more criteria used to order the results, each search result comprising data for a product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, the search results comprising one or more of the two or more search results reflecting product data for a particular seller computer system;

record selection information based on selection by the buyer computer system of a particular search result from among the two or more search results, the particular search result comprising data for a particular product matching one or more search criteria specified in the search query, wherein the particular product is a product of a seller computer system other than the particular seller computer system;

sort the particular search result with sort criteria comprising at least one of product attributes, product attribute values, seller attributes, seller attribute values, and data quality;

provide the recorded query information and at least one of the presentation information and the selection information to the particular seller computer system, such that the particular seller computer system has access to one or more aspects of its product data relative to product data of other seller computer systems;

facilitate a negotiated transaction between at least one of the buyer computer systems and the seller computer systems using one or more unique identifiers for the product and one or more unique identifiers for the seller computer system;

record negotiated transactional information associated with the negotiated transaction, wherein the negotiated transactional information comprises a dollar value of the transaction, a number of products in the transaction, a size of the buyer computer system, a size of the seller computer system, a negotiated subject of the transaction, and terms of a negotiated legal document embodying the transaction;

provide the negotiated transactional information to one or more seller computer systems involved in the transaction and to one or more other seller computer systems; and

cause the particular seller computer system to modify one or more aspects of its product data of the particular seller computer system to be modified based, at least in part, on the provided recorded query information and negotiated transactional information.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the product data identified by the pointer corresponds to a user-selected product class.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the product data identified by the pointer corresponds to an automatically selected product class.

26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the global content directory returns a network location of a database to a buyer computer system.

27. The system of claim 23 , wherein the one or more computers further comprises a product data repository comprising static product data.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the static product data in the product data repository is linked with at least one set of dynamic product data in at least one seller database.

29. The system of claim 27 , wherein the product data repository comprises multiple storage locations.

30. The system of claim 23 , wherein a seller computer system requests that the static product data in the product data repository be associated with the seller computer system and at least one of the seller computer systems products after the seller computer system has queried the global content directory server to determine if the repository includes static product data for the at least one of the seller computer systems products.