Providing a rating for a web site based on weighted user feedback

• US 20070271246A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NortonLifeLock Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Clausen, Simon, Repasi, Rolf
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

A method of (and associated system and computer program product for) providing a rating for a web site (205). The rating is obtained from a plurality of member users. A member user (405) submits (320) feedback data (215), that may be stored in a database (220), using an interface (415) provided on a member user terminal (210), the feedback data (215) related to the web site. A member user submitting feedback data (215) has a member user weighting, a member user weighting is preferably obtained (330) from one or more other member users, or may be initially allocated as a default weighting. The rating for the web site (205) is determined (340) at least partially based on the feedback data (215) and the member user weighting of the member user who submitted the feedback data (215). The rating may be determined or adjusted by feedback data and respective member user weightings received from other member users.

Claims

1. A method of providing a rating for a web site, the rating obtained from one or more member users, the method including:

a member user submitting feedback data using an interface provided on a member user terminal, the feedback data relating to the web site and the member user having a member user weighting; and

,

determining the rating for the web site at least partially based on the feedback data and the member user weighting.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein determining the rating for the web site is based on a plurality of feedback data and a plurality of respective member user weightings from a plurality of member users.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feedback data can be submitted by the member user while the web site is being displayed or used on the member user terminal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a selection of web sites are ranked according to the rating of each of the selected web sites.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member user weighting is obtained by one or more other member users rating previous feedback data of the member user.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member user weighting is altered based on one or more other member users rating the feedback data of the member user.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member user weighting is a default weighting.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a non-member user can access at least part of a database storing the rating via a front end interface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the non-member user can access the rating of the web site.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the non-member user can access a ranked list of a selection of web sites.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the front end interface is part of a search engine.

12. A system for providing a rating for a web site, the rating obtained from one or more member users, a member user submitting feedback data using an interface provided on a member user terminal, the feedback data relating to the web site, the system including:

a database to store a member user weighting; and

,

a processor to determine the rating for the web site at least partially based on the feedback data and the member user weighting.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the member user weighting is obtained by one or more other member users rating previous feedback data of the member user.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the database stores the rating for the web site.

15. A computer program product for use in providing a rating for a web site, the rating obtained from one or more member users, the computer program product providing an interface configured to enable a member user to submit feedback data from a member user terminal, the feedback data relating to the web site, the member user having a member user weighting, and wherein the determination of the rating for the web site is at least partially based on the feedback data and the member user weighting.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the member user weighting is obtained from one or more other member users.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the member user weighting is allocated as a default weighting.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the determination of the rating for the web site is based on a plurality of feedback data and a plurality of respective member user weightings from a plurality of member users.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the interface on the member user terminal is one or more of the group of:

at least one feedback data submission tool provided in a separate program window;

at least one feedback data submission tool provided in client-side software;

at least one feedback data submission tool provided by a javascript program; and

at least one feedback data submission tool provided as a pop-up window.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the interface on the member user terminal is one or more of the group of:

at least one feedback data submission tool embedded in the web site;

at least one feedback data submission tool provided in a web browser plug-in; and

at least one feedback data submission tool provided in a web browser frame.