Abstract: A system for enhancing web-based searching is provided. Categorizing and clustering techniques are used to optimize searching. Businesses are classified using a control group of predetermined categories. The predetermined categories may be SIC codes or headings that are used to describe business activities. The website addresses for a business listed in the control group is determined, and the content of the business's website is extracted. The extracted content is associated with the predetermined category that the business is classified under. The extracted content is used to further enhance the overall classification scheme. The system may compare and match the extracted content with content of other business' websites, which are similarly categorized. If a relevant keyword match is identified in several of the websites, the keyword may be used to update the classification scheme. A new category or sub-category can be created based on this keyword.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing geographically authenticated electronic documents is disclosed. Authentication for attributes for an electronic document stored on a computer network are defined, the attributes comprise at least one attribute describing a geographic location associated with the electronic document. Authenticated attributes (e.g., geographic location) of electronic documents (e.g., Web pages) allow for more accurate geographic searching and filtering. An authenticated digital certificate is created and associated with an electronic document. The authenticated digital certificate can be stored within the electronic document, such as can be done with HTML tags on a Web page. The digital certificate can also be stored as a separate file associated with the electronic document, as a separate signed digital certificate and as a database record.

Abstract: An attribute bounded network of computers is created. Computers in the distributed computer network are identified by specific attributes (e.g., a geographically bounded region) and a server is used to distribute processing assignments (e.g., addresses of electronic documents to be indexed) based upon the identified attributes. A peer-to-peer computer network is also provided based upon geographically bounded regions, the peer-to-peer computer network can be used to share electronic documents. A virtual community can be created within a peer-to-peer computer network by identifying peer computer connections based upon associated attributes (e.g., a geographically bounded region). The attribute bounded network of computers provides indexes having fresher data by allowing spidering of electronic documents more often than can be done by a central server indexing site.