Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for providing, accessing, and using bookmark data to supplement information in a search engine database. The bookmark data indicates saved user selected network addresses, e.g., URLs, that are capable of being selected to access observable data, e.g., a page of text, images, sound file, movie file, etc., at the selected network address. A user computer receives user modifications to bookmark data and transmits the modifications to the bookmark data to a server over a network. A server gathers bookmark data indicating saved user selected network addresses that the user is capable of selecting to access observable data at the selected network address. A search engine server receives bookmark data gathered from multiple Internet users and determines an importance rating for at least one network address from the received bookmark data. The determined importance rating is included in the search engine index.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 13, 2000
Date of Patent:
April 6, 2004
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation