Structured computer-assisted method and apparatus for filtering information presentation

A system for facilitating searches for merchants comprising:

• means for ascertaining geographical location information associated with a user;
• means for retrieving, from a merchant database, at least identifications of merchants in proximity to said ascertained geographical location information;
• means for filtering said retrieved information based at least on a predetermined set of filtering constraints the user at least in part specifies;
• and
• means for presenting said filtered, retrieved information to said user.

A consumer search website comprising:

• a merchant database;
• a data collector that receives user preferences including geographical location and keywords;
• a search engine, coupled to said data collector and to said merchant database, that searches said merchant database based on said received user preferences and returns search results;
• a filter coupled to said search engine, said filter filtering said returned search results based on predetermined filtering criteria;
• and
• a presentation system that presents said filtered search results.

A computer readable storage medium comprising:

• a first portion storing first instructions that receive user input including geographical location, keywords, and predetermined distinguishing characteristics;
• a second portion storing second instructions that search a database based at least in part of said geographical location and keywords;
• a third portion storing third instructions that filter information retrieved from said database based at least in part on said pretermined distinguishing characteristics;
• and
• a fourth portion storing fourth instructions that present filtered results.