Abstract: An audience selection system for the selection of an entity, based on an entity's consumption history without requiring the storage of a content descriptor for identifying content previously accessed by the entity. By directly and/or indirectly observing the usage of words used to locate content through a search engine over time for a population, a list of depersonalized keywords can be discovered, creating the ability to characterize content based on depersonalized keywords. A protected consumption history can be recorded for an entity using depersonalized keywords instead of recording a content descriptor for identifying the content. Depersonalized keywords do not uniquely identify content. Associating depersonalized keywords with an entity does not mean that the entity has used those depersonalized keywords; it only means that the entity has accessed content which has been accessed in the past by other entities in a population using the depersonalized keywords.

Abstract: Audience commonality metrics for characterizing the relationship between networked media channels based on audience overlap of identified visitor entities and their related media consumption histories. Audience commonality metrics may be scalars or multi-dimensional metrics and may take into account and/or be used in conjunction with data related to on- or off-network media channels, on- or off-network activities, sociographics and/or demographics. The current invention may be used in the design of networked advertising campaigns, identification of new or unusual market segments and/or valuation of media buys. A system according to the current invention comprises access to a configuration, an input for receiving audience commonality data, an audience commonality metrics engine and an output for providing calculated audience commonality metrics.

Abstract: Method and system for assessing the suitability of an entity using a proxy. A description of a behavior associated with a desirable audience is received. A proxy behavior estimated to be characteristic of the desirable audience is selected. The proxy behavior comprises the performance of proxy events related to the consumption of media received by an entity over a network, which can be found in an entity's consumption history. An entity can be assessed for inclusion in a proxy audience, by examining the entity's consumption history for proxy behaviors. A behavioral model is built using a training set comprising the proxy audience. By applying the behavioral model to the consumption history of a specified entity, the specified entity's suitability for selection can be determined. Advantageously, in an embodiment, the invention enables the use of behavioral modeling techniques even when the complete behavior of the desirable audience is not available.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable storage medium for reporting on a measured change in a consumption rate. Media consumption histories for a plurality of entities are received. A monitored audience is selected from the plurality of entities by selecting entities which have completed an online purchase. A category value for each of two or more categories of media content is determined. One category of media content includes one or more items of media content. One category value represents the measured change in consumption rate for one category of media content for the monitored audience between at least two time intervals. One consumption rate is determined based on the number of times each item of media content in the one category has been delivered over a network during one time interval. A report including a reference to two or more categories and their associated category values is generated.

Abstract: A user interface for selecting an audience segment from a pool of tracked entities based on an aggregate similarity of the audience segment to an archetypical audience. A graphical representation illustrating a relationship between a composite index for the audience segment and an audience segment size are displayed to the user. User input indicating the archetypical audience and the audience segment is received by a system and the audience segment is assembled. The composite index and the audience segment size associated with the audience segment, are determined and displayed.

Abstract: A user interface for selecting an audience segment from a pool of tracked entities based on an aggregate similarity of the audience segment to an archetypical audience. The user can display a graphical representation illustrating a relationship between a composite index for the audience segment and an audience segment size and indicate the audience segment through the user interface. The user input indicating the audience segment is received by a system and the composite index and the audience segment size associated with the audience segment, are determined based at least in part on the user input. The composite index and the audience segment size associated with the audience segment are displayed.

Abstract: A method, system and computer readable storage medium for reporting on a measured change in a consumption rate. Media consumption histories for a plurality of entities are received. A monitored audience is selected from the plurality of entities by selecting entities which have completed an online purchase. A category value for each of two or more categories of media content is determined. One category of media content includes one or more items of media content. One category value represents the measured change in consumption rate for one category of media content for the monitored audience between at least two time intervals. One consumption rate is determined based on the number of times each item of media content in the one category has been delivered over a network during one time interval. A report including a reference to two or more categories and their associated category values is generated.

Abstract: A reporting system for providing reports on consumption rate changes for media content delivered over a network. A respective media consumption history is received for each of a plurality of entities at a storage. The histories are analyzed to identify selected media content for reporting based on changes in a consumption rate of the media content between at least two time intervals. A report including a reference to the selected media content is provided to a system. In an example, the system is a search engine indexing system and the invention enables the rapid indexing of new content and/or media content experiencing a surge in popularity. The consumption rate changes can be measured for monitored audiences comprising a subset of the audience. The monitored audience can be provided as a list of entities and/or selected based on the media consumption history and/or similarity to a known set of entities.

Abstract: A method of identifying and combating rogue or robot activity at a web-site, comprising the steps of: monitoring accesses made to the web-site in order to facilitate the detection of robots or rogue accesses; detecting any such accesses; and providing obstacles to such access. This invention provides a method and system of ensuring the authenticity of users of a web-site or resource. It exhibits the advantage of ensuring a real return for advertisers, and combating fraud.