Web-based services for querying and matching likes and dislikes of individuals

Abstract

A method for centrally providing a profile of a user's degree of preference for one or more items across categories in a plurality of domains of interest in a taxonomy of preferences is described. In one embodiment, the method includes identifying a user's degree of preference for an item from a plurality of indicators. The user's degree of preference for the item is associated with a category in a domain of interest and is stored in a profile of the user. In another embodiment, the profile identifies preferences of the user in a taxonomy of preferences across categories in a plurality of domains of interest.

1 . A method for centrally providing a profile of a user's degree of preference for one or more items across categories in a plurality of domains of interest in a taxonomy of preferences, the method comprising:
 a) receiving, via a server from one or more users, identification of a user's degree of preference for an item from a plurality of predetermined indicators of degrees of preference;   b) associating, via the server, the user's degree of preference for the item with a category in a domain of interest of a plurality of domains of interest; and   c) storing, by the server in a profile of the user, the user's degree of preference for the item in association with the category of the domain of interest, the profile identifying preferences of the user in a taxonomy of preferences across categories in the plurality of domains of interest.   
     
     
         2 - 20 . (canceled)