Processing user provided information for ranking information modules

An apparatus for providing ranked user-assessed information in response to a search query, the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:

• receive a search query;
• store in memory respective user assessment weights, each of the user assessment weights associated with a user of a plurality of users;
• receive a proxy nomination message including a proxy user identifier identifying a proxy user that a nominating user of the plurality of users wishes to act as a proxy in providing information;
• change the user assessment weight associated with the proxy user based on said proxy nomination message;
• for each of one or more information modules of a plurality of information modules:
• receive information module assessments, each of the information module assessments provided by a respective user of the plurality of users, the received information module assessments including an information module assessment provided by the proxy user;
• weight each of the received information module assessments based on the stored user assessment weight of the user who provided the information module assessment;
• and
• aggregate said weighted assessments to generate an aggregated weighted assessment associated with the information module;
• rank a set of the plurality of information modules based at least in part on the aggregated weighted assessments;
• and
• produce signals for causing at least one ranking display to display the ranked set of the plurality of information modules in an order based on the ranking.

A system for providing ranked user-assessed information in response to a search query, the system comprising:

• processing logic configured to receive a search query;
• processing logic configured to store in memory respective user assessment weights, each of the user assessment weights associated with a user of a plurality of users;
• processing logic configured to receive a proxy nomination message including a proxy user identifier identifying a proxy user that a nominating user of the plurality of users wishes to act as a proxy in providing information;
• means for changing the user assessment weight associated with the proxy user based on said proxy nomination message;
• processing logic configured to receive information module assessments for one or more information modules of a plurality of information modules, each of the information module assessments provided by a respective user of the plurality of users, the received information module assessments including an information module assessment provided by the proxy user;
• means for weighting each of the received information module assessments based on the stored user assessment weight of the user who provided the information module assessment;
• means for aggregating said weighted assessments to generate an aggregated weighted assessment associated with each information module of the one or more information modules;
• means for ranking a set of the plurality of information modules based at least in part on the aggregated weighted assessments and on the received search query;
• and
• processing logic configured to cause at least one ranking display to display the ranked set of the plurality of information modules in an order based on the ranking.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon codes which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• receive a search query;
• store in memory respective user assessment weights, each of the user assessment weights associated with a user of a plurality of users;
• receive a proxy nomination message including a proxy user identifier identifying a proxy user that a nominating user of the plurality of users wishes to act as a proxy in providing information;
• change the user assessment weight associated with the proxy user based on said proxy nomination message;
• for each of one or more information modules of a plurality of information modules:
• receive information module assessments, each of the information module assessments provided by a respective user of the plurality of users, the received information module assessments including an information module assessment provided by the proxy user;
• weight each of the received information module assessments based on the stored user assessment weight of the user who provided the information module assessment;
• and
• aggregate said weighted assessments to generate an aggregated weighted assessment associated with the information module;
• rank a set of the plurality of information modules based at least in part on the aggregated weighted assessments and on the received search query;
• and
• cause at least one ranking display to display the ranked set of the plurality of information modules in an order based on the ranking.