Abstract: Electronic messages are processed based on criteria relating to the sender, the content, and the personalization of the message. The content of the messages, the recipient's address book, and parameters such as desired keywords and undesired keywords are employed in determining a numeric ranking for each message. Based upon the ranking, messages are assigned to a category indicating an expected response of the recipient, such as read, reply, and save, or simply read. Messages in the lowest category (spam) are marked for deletion. Fuzzy logic is preferably applied in determining the category to which a message is assigned based on its ranking. Content importance, sender importance, and degree of personalization are combined in a non-linear manner to rank a message. Based on the recipient's actual response to a message, the priority of subsequent similar messages is adjusted to more accurately assign the messages to a category.