User evaluation of content on distributed communication network

A system for identifying as being helpful or otherwise valuable product/service reviews in a database coupled to a distributed communication network, comprising:

• means for displaying product/service reviews from said database on a client display connected to said database over said network;
• means for providing an interactive element associated with the displayed review on the client display, which when clicked by a user indicates that the user has found the displayed review helpful in determining whether or not to purchase or to use the product/service at issue;
• means for receiving at said database an indication that the user has clicked the interactive element, and incrementing a count of a stored number of indications for said review in response to said indication;
• and
• means for displaying the number of indications associated with a review on said client display together with the review.

A method for identifying as being helpful items of content in a database coupled to a distributed communication network, comprising the steps of:

• displaying items of content from said database on a client display connected to said database over said network;
• providing an interactive element associated with the displayed item of content on the client display, which when clicked by a user indicates that the user has found the displayed item of content helpful or otherwise valuable;
• receiving at said database an indication that the user has clicked the interactive element, and incrementing a count of a stored number of indications for said item of content in response to said indication;
• and
• displaying the number of indications associated with an item of content on said client display together with the item of content.