Providing customized services to users of data processing systems

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing customized services to users of data processing systems, the operations comprising:

• obtaining a query from a user of the users;
• attempting, based on the query, to obtain contextual information for the query from a first data source associated with the user, the first data source comprising first content ascribed a predetermined level of importance by the user;
• in a first instance of the attempting where at least a first portion of the contextual information is unable to be obtained from the first data source:
• identifying at least one other user based on the user;
• identifying a second data source associated with the at least one other user, the second data source comprising second content ascribed the predetermined level of the importance by the at least one other user;
• attempting, based on the at least the first portion of the contextual information, to obtain the at least the first portion of the contextual information for the query from the second data source;
• and
• servicing the query using the at least the first portion of the contextual information and any other information obtained from the first data source during the attempting to obtain the contextual information for the query from the first data source.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing customized services to users of data processing systems, the operations comprising:
• obtaining a query from a user of the users;
• attempting, based on the query, to obtain contextual information for the query from a first data source associated with the user, the first data source comprising first content ascribed a predetermined level of importance by the user;
• in a first instance of the attempting where at least a first portion of the contextual information is unable to be obtained from the first data source:
• identifying at least one other user based on the user;
• identifying a second data source associated with the at least one other user, the second data source comprising second content ascribed the predetermined level of the importance by the at least one other user;
• attempting, based on the at least the first portion of the contextual information, to obtain the at least the first portion of the contextual information for the query from the second data source;
• and
• servicing the query using the at least the first portion of the contextual information and any other information obtained from the first data source during the attempting to obtain the contextual information for the query from the first data source.