Abstract: A search mechanism that involves receiving input that specifies a search term, e.g., a word or sequence of words. The input is received via a computer network from a user. The search term has an associated meaning that has been defined by the user, one or more members of the user's social network, and/or, a provider of an Internet-based service. The search mechanism may also involve searching a database based on the search term to obtain search results, and sending at least a portion of the search results to the user via the Internet. The search mechanism may also perform searches based on a user-specified phrase that is composed of a number of search terms.