Patent Publication Number: US-2017371953-A1

Title: Search system employing result feedback

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to data processing and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to search systems that employ search result feedback. 
     BACKGROUND 
     General web search websites (e.g., those provided by Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc.), as well as other types of search engines that are more specifically focused on particular types of items, documents, and so on, have become more sophisticated in interpreting user search queries to provide search results that are more closely aligned with the expectations of the user. However, regardless of the effectiveness of the search engine, or the specificity with which the user crafts search queries, the odds of at least some of the search results being of little or no interest to the user remain quite high. Given the generally limited amount of display space typically provided on device displays, especially those employed in smart phones, tablet devices, and the like, the presence of unwanted listings in search results tends to reduce the visibility of other, more desirable listings from the perspective of the user by forcing such listings toward a less prominent area of the display, or onto a subsequent page of search results entirely. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various ones of the appended drawings merely illustrate example embodiments of the present disclosure and cannot be considered as limiting its scope. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example communication system including an example search system employing search result feedback. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example networked system incorporating at least a portion of the example search system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of an example method of employing search result feedback to modify search results presented in response to search queries. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of an example method of employing search result feedback to provide feedback to a listing entity. 
         FIG. 5A  depicts an example search device presenting search results in response to a search query. 
         FIG. 5B  depicts the example search device of  FIG. 5A  while search result feedback is being provided. 
         FIG. 5C  depicts the example search device of  FIG. 5A  presenting search results subsequent to the search result feedback of  FIG. 5B . 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a software architecture that may be installed on a machine, according to some example embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system within which a set of instructions may be executed for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, according to an example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     The headings provided herein are merely for convenience and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the terms used. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various example embodiments of the present subject matter. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art, that example embodiments of the present subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example communication system  100  including a search system  102  communicatively coupled with a search device  120  and a listing device  140 . In other example embodiments, there may be multiple instances of the search system  102 , the search device  120 , and/or the listing device  140 , but only one of each of these components is depicted in  FIG. 1  to focus and simplify the following discussion. Generally, the listing device  140  operates to provide one or more listings for items (e.g., physical items, services, documents, photographs, songs, webpages, etc.) that are searchable via the search system  102 , while the search device  120  operates to provide one or more search queries to the search system  102  to find desired listings. In response, the search  102  may provide zero or more search results to each search query received from the search device  120 . In some examples, a single device may serve as both the search device  120  and the listing device  140 , at least from time to time. Examples of the search device  120  and the listing device  140  may include, but are not limited to, desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smart phones, television set-top boxes, television streaming devices, and gaming systems. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the search device  120  includes a search system interface  122 , while the listing device  140  includes a search system interface  142 . Examples of the search system interfaces  122 ,  142  may include communication interfaces, such as interfaces for a wide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a virtual private network (VPN), a cell phone data network (e.g., a 3G or 4G network), another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. Such interfaces may be employed using, for example, web browsers, dedicated programmatic applications (e.g., “apps”), and the like. Each of the search device  120  and the listing device  140  may include various other components, such as those discussed more fully below in conjunction with  FIGS. 2, 6, and 7 . 
     The search system  102  may include one or more modules, such as a search engine  104 , a listing database  106 , a search results modifier  108 , a preference database  110 , and a listing feedback processor  112 . In other examples, the search system  102  may include fewer modules than those shown in  FIG. 2 , may combine one or more such modules, and/or may include additional modules not specifically described herein. In one example, the search system  102  may be a server or portion thereof that is accessible by one or more communication networks, such as those mentioned above. In yet other example embodiments, the search system  102 , the search device  120 , and/or the listing device  140  may be combined into a single computing device or system. In other examples, one or more of the modules  104 - 112  may be employed with in the search device  120  and/or the listing device  140  instead of, or in addition to, the search system  102 . 
     The listing database  106  may include a plurality of listings, with each listing representing a particular item, such as a document, webpage, object, service, or other item of interest. In some example embodiments, each listing may be associated with one or more keywords, labels, parameters, or other terms that are descriptive of the item or are otherwise related to the item in some manner. Such terms may indicate, for example, a subject or category identified with the item, a title or name of the item, an entity (e.g., a vendor, distributor, contributor, composer, author, etc.) related to the item, and/or some characteristic (e.g., size, color, cost, function, etc.) associated with the item. The listings of the listing database  106 , as well as any or all information within each listing, may be created or generated via one or more listing devices  140 , possibly using input forms or other input methods provided by the search system  102  or another system. 
     The listings of the listing database  106  may be organized according to any format, such as a relational database format, an object database format, a knowledge base format, a data warehouse format, and so on. The listing database  106  may also include a database management system (not explicitly shown in  FIG. 1 ) that controls or performs the storing, deletion, modification, and/or access of the listings of the listing database  106 . 
     The search engine  104  may receive a search query from the search device  120 , and search the listing database  106  for listings based on the search query. In one example, the search query may include one or more terms, such as words, phases, or other collections of alphanumeric characters and other specialized characters. In some example embodiments, the search engine  104  may generate or calculate a score or other value representing a level of correlation between the terms of the search query and the terms associated with each of a plurality of the listings in the listing database  106 . The value may be determined according to any number of rules, rubrics, algorithms, equations, and so on. For example, the value associated with a listing may depend on how closely each of the terms of the search query relate to the terms of that listing. 
     Based on the generated values, the search engine  104  may provide zero or more search results for presentation via the search device  120 . In various example embodiments, the search engine  104  may present multiple listings in the search results, arranged or ordered according to their associated correlation values. For example, the listings with the highest values may be presented more prominently or visibly in the search results than listings with relatively lower values. In some implementations, only listings with values that meet or exceed some threshold value may be provided in the search results for presentation via the search device  120 . 
     The search results modifier  108  may receive feedback from the search device  120  regarding the search results. For example, a user of the search device  102  may select one or more listings to be dismissed, omitted, or removed from the search results as presented, or demoted to a less prominent position within the search results as presented. In response to the feedback, the search results modifier  108  may alter the search results, or alter the presentation of the search results via the search device  120 , to remove, dismiss, or demote the listing selected by the user.  FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C , discussed below, provide just one example of a dismissed listing. In other examples, the search results modifier  108  may remove, dispense, or demote other listings in the search results that are similar to the listing selected by the user. 
     The search results modifier  108  may also record one or more aspects of the received feedback in the preference database  110  to modify subsequent search queries from the same user or other entity associated with the original search query. In one example, the search results modifier  108  may store indications of the particular listings that the user has dismissed or demoted in search results. In other example embodiments, the search results modifier  108  may associate each recorded dismissed or demoted listing with an indication of the search query corresponding to the recorded listing. In some examples, the search results modifier  108  may record other information in addition to, or in lieu of, the dismissed or demoted listing, such as, for example, user preferences indicating particular characteristics of listings that are to be demoted or dismissed without a preceding selection of a listing to be dismissed or demoted, and thereafter employ that information to automatically demote or dismiss listings related to the particular listing characteristics selected. 
     The search result modifier  108 , in response to subsequent search results generated by the search engine  104 , may then access the preference database  110  to determine whether any of the listings of the currently generated search results have been recorded in the preference database  110 . If any of these listings have been recorded in the preference database  110 , the search result modifier  108  may remove those listings from the current search results, or demote those listings within the current search results, before the search engine presents the search results via the search device  120 . In another example embodiment, the search result modifier  108  may compare the search query corresponding to the current search results to a previous search query indicated in the preference database  110  to identify one or more dismissed or demoted listings associated with that previous search query. The search result modifier  108  may then dismiss the identified listings from the search results to be presented, or demote the identified listings in the search results to be presented, prior to presenting the current search results via the search device  120 . 
     In some example embodiments, the search results modifier  108  may identify other listings of search results generated by the search engine  104  that are closely related to dismissed or demoted listings identified in the preference database  110  in response to previous search queries, or dismissed or demoted listings selected in the current search results by the user via the search device  120 . For example, the search results modifier  108  may dismiss or demote listings for items similar in some way to items corresponding to listings that have been previously dismissed or demoted, as indicated in the preference database  110 . 
     As with the listing database  106 , the preference database  110  may be organized according to any format, such as a relational database format, an object database format, a knowledge base format, a data warehouse format, and so on. The preference database  110  may also include a database management system (not explicitly shown in  FIG. 1 ) that controls or performs the storing, deletion, modification, and/or access of the listings of the preference database  110 . 
     The listing feedback processor  112  may also receive an indication of one or more listings selected by the user by the search device  120  for dismissal or demotion in the search results, possibly along with information supplied by the user via the search device  120  as to why the listing was demoted or dismissed. In response to that information, the listing feedback processor  112  may record the supplied information in conjunction with the dismissed or demoted listing. In addition, the listing feedback processor  112  may facilitate access to the selected listing and the recorded information to one or more entities associated with the listing device  140 . The entity may consider such information as useful feedback. For example, the entity may employ such information provided by the user, as well as information provided by other users, to modify the demoted or dismissed listing in the listing database  106  to make the listing more attractive to users, or to remove the listing from the listing database  106 . In some examples, the information supplied by the user may be textual or graphical in nature, or be represented in some other format. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , an example embodiment of a high-level client-server-based network architecture  200  is shown. A networked system  202 , in the example forms of a network-based marketplace or payment system, provides server-side functionality via a network  204  (e.g., the Internet or wide area network (WAN)) to one or more client devices  210 .  FIG. 2  illustrates, for example, a web client  212  (e.g., a browser, such as the Internet Explorer® browser developed by Microsoft® Corporation of Redmond, Washington State), an application  214 , and a programmatic client  216  executing on client device  210 . 
     The client device  210  may comprise, but are not limited to, a mobile phone, desktop computer, laptop, portable digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones, tablets, ultrabooks, netbooks, laptops, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, game consoles, set-top boxes, or any other communication device that a user may utilize to access the networked system  202 , and may serve as the search device  120  and/or the listing device  140  of  FIG. 1 . In some example embodiments, the client device  210  may comprise a display module (not shown) to display information (e.g., in the form of user interfaces). In further example embodiments, the client device  210  may comprise one or more of a touch screens, accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, microphones, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and so forth. The client device  210  may be a device of a user that is used to perform a transaction involving digital items within the networked system  202 . In one example embodiment, the networked system  202  is a network-based marketplace that responds to requests for product listings, publishes publications comprising item listings of products available on the network-based marketplace, and manages payments for these marketplace transactions. One or more users  206  may be a person, a machine, or other means of interacting with client device  210 . In example embodiments, the user  206  is not part of the network architecture  200 , but may interact with the network architecture  200  via client device  210  or another means. For example, one or more portions of network  204  may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a WiFi network, a WiMAX network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. 
     Each of the client device  210  may include one or more applications (also referred to as “apps”) such as, but not limited to, a web browser, messaging application, electronic mail (email) application, an e-commerce site application (also referred to as a marketplace application), and the like. In some example embodiments, if the e-commerce site application is included in a given one of the client device  210 , then this application is configured to locally provide the user interface and at least some of the functionalities with the application configured to communicate with the networked system  202 , on an as-needed basis, for data and/or processing capabilities not locally available (e.g., access to a database of items available for sale, to authenticate a user, to verify a method of payment, etc.). Conversely if the e-commerce site application is not included in the client device  210 , the client device  210  may use its web browser to access the e-commerce site (or a variant thereof) hosted on the networked system  202 . 
     One or more users  206  may be a person, a machine, or other means of interacting with the client device  210 . In example embodiments, the user  206  is not part of the network architecture  200 , but may interact with the network architecture  200  via the client device  210  or other means. For instance, the user provides input (e.g., touch screen input or alphanumeric input) to the client device  210  and the input is communicated to the networked system  202  via the network  204 . In this instance, the networked system  202 , in response to receiving the input from the user, communicates information to the client device  210  via the network  204  to be presented to the user. In this way, the user can interact with the networked system  202  using the client device  210 . 
     An application program interface (API) server  220  and a web server  222  are coupled to, and provide programmatic and web interfaces respectively to, one or more application servers  240 . The application servers  240  may host one or more publication systems  242 , payment systems  244 , and search system  250 , each of which may comprise one or more modules or applications and each of which may be embodied as hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. The application servers  240  are, in turn, shown to be coupled to one or more database servers  224  that facilitate access to one or more information storage repositories or database(s)  226 . In an example embodiment, the databases  226  are storage devices that store information to be posted (e.g., publications or listings) to the publication system  242 . The databases  226  may also store digital item information in accordance with example embodiments. 
     Additionally, a third party application  232 , executing on third party server(s)  230 , is shown as having programmatic access to the networked system  202  via the programmatic interface provided by the API server  220 . For example, the third party application  232 , utilizing information retrieved from the networked system  202 , supports one or more features or functions on a website hosted by the third party. The third party website, for example, provides one or more promotional, marketplace, or payment functions that are supported by the relevant applications of the networked system  202 . 
     The publication systems  242  may provide a number of publication functions and services to users  206  that access the networked system  202 . The payment systems  244  may likewise provide a number of functions to perform or facilitate payments and transactions. While the publication system  242  and payment system  244  are shown in  FIG. 2  to both form part of the networked system  202 , it will be appreciated that, in alternative example embodiments, each system  242  and  244  may form part of a payment service that is separate and distinct from the networked system  202 . In some example embodiments, the payment systems  244  may form part of the publication system  242 . 
     The search system  250  may serve as the search system  102  of  FIG. 1 . More specifically, the search system  250  may operate as a search system for items to be sold by way of the networked system  202 . In some example embodiments, the search system  250  may communicate with the publication systems  242  (e.g., accessing item listings) and payment system  244 . In an alternative example embodiment, the search system  250  may be a part of the publication system  242 . 
     Further, while the client-server-based network architecture  200  shown in  FIG. 2  employs a client-server architecture, the present inventive subject matter is of course not limited to such an architecture, and could equally well find application in a distributed, or peer-to-peer, architecture system, for example. The various publication system  242 , payment system  244 , and search system  250  could also be implemented as standalone software programs, which do not necessarily have networking capabilities. 
     The web client  212  may access the various publication and payment systems  242  and  244  via the web interface supported by the web server  222 . Similarly, the programmatic client  216  accesses the various services and functions provided by the publication and payment systems  242  and  244  via the programmatic interface provided by the API server  220 . The programmatic client  216  may, for example, be a seller application (e.g., the Turbo Lister application developed by eBay® Inc., of San Jose, California) to enable sellers to author and manage listings on the networked system  202  in an off-line manner, and to perform batch-mode communications between the programmatic client  216  and the networked system  202 . 
     Additionally, a third party application(s)  232 , executing on a third party server(s)  230 , is shown as having programmatic access to the networked system  202  via the programmatic interface provided by the API server  220 . For example, the third party application  232 , utilizing information retrieved from the networked system  202 , may support one or more features or functions on a website hosted by the third party. The third party website may, for example, provide one or more promotional, marketplace, or payment functions that are supported by the relevant applications of the networked system  202 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of an example method  300  of employing search result feedback to modify search results presented in response to search queries. While execution of the method  300 , as well as other methods discussed herein, is described in conjunction with the search system  102  of  FIG. 1  and/or the search system  250  of  FIG. 2 , other systems or devices not specifically described herein may be employed to perform the method  300  in other examples. Also, while the operations of the methods discussed below are presented in a particular order, other orders of operation, including concurrent or simultaneous execution of the operations, are also possible. 
     In the method  300 , a search engine (e.g., the search engine  104  of  FIG. 1 ) may receive a first search query corresponding to a first user (operation  302 ). The search engine may generate first search results based on the first search query (operation  304 ). The search engine may then provide the first search results for presentation to the first user (operation  306 ). In one example, the first search results include zero or more listings from a listing database (e.g., the listing database  106  of  FIG. 1 ). The search engine may then provide the first search results for presentation to the first user (operation  306 ). A search results modifier (e.g., the search results modifier  108  of  FIG. 1 ) may receive an indication of at least one dismissed or demoted listing of the first search results (operation  308 ). In some examples, the search results modifier may modify the first search results by dismissing or demoting the indicated listings, and providing the modified first search results for presentation to the first user. 
     Continuing with the method  300 , the search results modifier may associate the dismissed listing with the first user based on the received indication (operation  310 ). In some examples, this association may be recorded in a preference database (e.g., the preference database  110  of  FIG. 1 ). The search engine may receive a second search query corresponding to the first user (operation  312 ). Based on the second search query, the search engine may generate second search results (operation  314 ). The search results modifier may compare the second search results to at least one dismissed or demoted listing associated with the first user (operation  316 ). If one or more of the second search results is the same as the at least one dismissed or demoted listing (operation  316 ), the search results modifier may remove the at least one dismissed or demoted listing from the second search results (operation  318 ). The search results modifier may provide the modified second search results for presentation to the first user (operation  320 ). In some example embodiments, the search results modifier may remove or demote one or more listings from the second search results based on the one or more listings being similar to at least one dismissed or demoted listing associated with the first user (operation  316 ), and then remove or demote the similar listings from the second search results (operation  318 ). In various examples, the search results modifier may modify search results associated with subsequent search queries as well. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of an example method  400  of employing search result feedback to provide feedback to a listing entity. In the method  400 , operations  402  through  406  (e.g., the reception of a first search query corresponding to a first user, the generation of the first search results, and the providing of the first search results for presentation to the first user) may correspond to operations  302  through  306  of  FIG. 3 , as described above. A search results modifier (e.g., the search results modifier  108  of  FIG. 1 ) may receive an indication of at least one dismissed or demoted listing of the first search results (operation  408 ) in a manner similar to that of operation  408  of  FIG. 1 . In addition, a listing feedback processor (e.g., the listing feedback processor  112  of  FIG. 1 ) may receive or access a reason for a listing being dismissed or demoted from the first search results (operation  408 ). Such a reason may be provided explicitly or implicitly by the first user in some example embodiments. In response, the listing feedback processor may provide, or facilitate access to, the reason for dismissing or demoting the at least one listing to a listing source corresponding to the dismissed or demoted listing (operation  410 ). In one example, the listing source may be a user or other entity (e.g., a corporate entity, such as a corporation, or another organization) that caused the listing to be placed in the listing database, such as by way of a listing device (e.g., the listing device  140  of  FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 5A  depicts an example search device  120  presenting search results  506  (e.g., Listing1, Listing 2, and so on) in response to a search query  502 . In this particular example embodiment, the search device  120  may be a smart phone or tablet computer. However, other types of communication or computing devices may serve as the search device  120  in other example embodiments. As shown, the search results  506  are presented to a user of the search device  120  by way of a display component, such as a touchscreen. Further, the search results  506  and other aspects of the user interface of the search device  120  may be provided by way of a web browser executing on the client device  120  that communicates with the search system  102  via a web server (e.g., the web server  222  of  FIG. 2 ), a programmatic application executing on the client device  120  that communicates with the search system  102  by way of an API server (e.g., the API server  220  of  FIG. 2 ), or via other means. 
     In the example of  FIG. 5A , the search query  502  may be a textual query including one or more separate terms or words that are to be matched against, or compared with, listings in a listing database (e.g., the listing database  106  of  FIG. 1 ). In some example embodiments, the search query  502  may be entered using the touchscreen of the search device  120  (e.g., via a displayed virtual keypad), may be selected from a set of previously entered search queries  502  from a dropdown menu (not explicitly shown in  FIG. 5A ), or the like. In other examples, the search query may be composed using a selection of characteristics, ranges of values, and the like provided in a user interface presented to the user at the search device  120 . Moreover, a search based on the search query  502  may be initiated via touching a “submit” virtual button  504  on the touchscreen. 
     In response to the search initiation, the search results  506  may be displayed. Each listing in the search results  506  may correspond to a particular item, such as an item for sale or purchase, a document, a web site Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and/or any other identifiable item that may be listed in a listing database (e.g., the listing database of  FIG. 1 ) and searched by a user. Each listing may include a title, name, URL, or other identifier for the corresponding item. In some examples, the listings of the search results  506  may be presented in a particular order indicating its relevance to the search query  502 , with listings that match more closely to the search query  502  being listed first. In addition, in the case that more listings are to be presented on the search device  120  than may be presented on a single touchscreen, a user of the search device  120  may access the currently undisplayed listings by scrolling through the listings, such as a by way of a scrolling gesture applied to the touchscreen. 
     The search results  506  may also provide more detailed information (e.g., Information1, Information2, etc.) regarding each corresponding listing of the search results  506 . This detailed information may specify various characteristics of its corresponding listing. For example, if the item is an article of commerce that is being presented for sale, the detailed information may include characteristics of potential interest to the user, such as a price, size, color, brand, and/or other parameter associated with the item. If, instead, the item is a document, the detailed information may include an author, date of publication, key terms, general subject matter of the document content, and/or the like. In another example, in which the item is a website page, the detailed information may include a domain or URL of the page, sample text presented at the page, an author of the page, a creation and/or latest modification date of the page, and/or so on. Innumerable other types of items associated with the listings of the search results  506  are also possible. 
     Also in  FIG. 5A , a search results selector/indicator  508  indicates that the search results  506  associated with the most recent search query  502  are being displayed by way of its bold appearance. If a user is instead interested in viewing listings that the user has previously dismissed or demoted, the user may touch a dismissed results selector/indicator  510 . In one example, the displayed results may include listings that the user has dismissed or demoted, as recorded in the preference database  110 , may include only those listings that the user has dismissed or demoted from the search results  206  of the current search query  502 , may include those listings that the user has dismissed or demoted from the search results  506  of the current search query  502  and similar previous search queries, or some other set of dismissed or demoted listings associated with the user. In some examples, each of the listings presented in the dismissed results may include a selector (not shown in  FIG. 5B ) that, when selected by the user, causes the dismissed or demoted listing to be restored to its prior position within the search results  506 . 
       FIG. 5B  depicts the example search device  120  of  FIG. 5A  while search result feedback is being provided. In this particular example embodiment, a user is selecting Listing3 for dismissal from the search results  506 , or demotion to a less prominent position within the search results  506 , such as by way of swiping that particular listing on the touchscreen to one side. Other ways of indicating the dismissal or demotion of the listing, such as double-tapping, touch-and-holding, and/or the like, may be utilized in other example embodiments. 
     In response to the selection from the user, the search device  120  may reveal one or more options for the user to select in conjunction with the selection of the listing to be dismissed or demoted. In this example, the search device  120  may reveal a dismissal selector  512 , a demotion selector  514 , and a feedback selector  516 . When touched, the dismissal selector  512  may cause the dismissal of the selected listing from the search results  506  so that the selected listing does not appear in any portion of the search results  506 . Alternatively, touching the demotion selector  514  may cause the selected listing to be demoted within the search results  506 , such as by moving the selected listing to the bottom or end of the search results  506 . 
     In an example embodiment, other listings of the search results  506  in addition to the selected listing may be dismissed from, or demoted within, the search results  506  in response to the selection of the dismissal selector  512  or the demotion selector  514 , respectively. In one example, the other listings to be dismissed or demoted may be selected based on one or more characteristics or parameters with which the other listings have in common with the selected listing. Further, such characteristics may or may not be listed in the detailed information displayed with each listing in the search results  506 . Such characteristics may include, but are not limited to, a seller, manufacturer, size, or color of an article represented by the selected listing; an author, publisher, or subject matter of a document or other published work represented by the selected listing; a website, domain, or author associated with a webpage represented by the selected listing; and/o a listing entity responsible for providing the selected listing. Many other characteristics may be the basis for determining the other listings of the search results  506  based on the selected listing. In some example embodiments, the particular one or more characteristics used to dismiss or demote other listings may be selected by the user, such as by way of a dialog box or other interface element presented to the user via the search device  120 . 
     In some examples in which other listings of the search results  506  are to be demoted, the degree or amount by which each of the other listings are demoted may be positively related to the degree or amount by which the other listings are related to the selected listing. For instance, closely related listings that share a significant number of characteristics with the selected listing may be demoted to a lower level within the search results  506 , or may be dismissed from the search results  506  altogether, while less-closely related listings that share a fewer number of characteristics with the selected listing may be less strongly demoted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5B , selected listings of the search results  506 , as well as possibly other listings of the search results  506  that are related in some way to the selected listings, may be removed from the current search results  506 . In addition, in response to a subsequent search query  502  that is the same as the current search query  502 , or is similar to the current search query  502 , may result in those same listings being dismissed or demoted from the associated search results  506 . In one example embodiment, the selected listings of the current search results  506  may be stored (e.g., in the preference database  110  of  FIG. 1 ). Thereafter, in response to a subsequent search query  502 , the search results  506  corresponding to that search query  502  may be compared against the stored selected listings of the previous search results  506 . The listings of those search results  506  corresponding to the subsequent search query  502  that match the stored selected listings may be dismissed or demoted before the presentation of the search results  506  to the user. 
     In another example, the search query  502  associated with the selected listings of the current search results  506  may also be stored (e.g., in the preference database  110  of  FIG. 1 ) and related to the stored selected listings. Thereafter, in response to a subsequent search query  502  that matches or closely matches the stored search query  502 , the stored selected listings associated with the stored search query  502  may then be compared against the search results  506  of a subsequent search query  502 , with matching listings of the search results  506  being dismissed or demoted prior to presentation of those search results  506  to the user. 
     In other example embodiments, other preferences of the user relating to the dismissal or demotion of search results  506  may be stored. For example, the user may provide preference information indicating various types of listings of search results  506  that are not of interest to the user. Such preference information may include, but are not limited to, price, size, color, brand, and/or other parameter associated with an item; an author, date of publication, key terms, and/or general subject matter of a document; and a domain or URL, sample text, author, creation date, and/or latest modification date of a webpage, as well as others. 
     In some example embodiments, the search device  120  may provide the user with a dialog box or other interface element (not depicted in  FIG. 5B ) in response to a selection of the dismissal selector  512  and/or the demotion selector  514 . The interface element may present a number of potential selections of characteristics upon which the selection of the other listings to be dismissed or demoted may be based, such as the characteristics indicated above. In some examples, the user may select more than one of the characteristics, thus possibly indicating that the other listings to be dismissed or demoted share each of the selected characteristics with the selected listing to be dismissed or demoted. Further, a lack of selection of any of the characteristics may indicate that no other listings in the search results  506  other than the selected listing is to be dismissed or demoted. 
     In some examples, the characteristics presented in the interface element may depend on the type of item represented by the selected listing. For example, if the item type is an article of clothing, the presented characteristics may include a type of clothing, a manufacturer or seller of the clothing, a size of the clothing, a color of the clothing, a style of the clothing, and the like. If the item type is a document, the presented characteristics may include an author of the document, a publisher of the document, a subject matter of the content of the document, and so on. If, instead, the item type is a webpage, the presented characteristics may include an author of the webpage, a website upon which the webpage is presented, and so forth. 
     Continuing with  FIG. 5B , the feedback selector  516 , when selected, may cause the search device  120  to display another dialog box or other interface element (not illustrated in  FIG. 5B ) that facilitates entry of textual, graphical, or other information input from the user describing, in some level of detail, a reason for dismissing or demoting the selected listing. In one example, the interface element may provide a text box for text entry of the reason; a plurality of radio buttons selectable by the user, with each radio button being associated with a particular reason (e.g., wrong size, wrong color, too expensive, wrong subject matter content, and/or others). The recorded reason may then be presented subsequently to a listing entity (e.g., a seller of an item associated with the selected listing), possibly along with other reasons entered by other users relating to the same listing or other listings provided by the listing entity. 
     The interface element may also provide a selection for the user as to whether the identity and/or other information identifying the user may be recorded with the reason. Such information may be recorded and subsequently provided to the listing entity to allow the listing entity to contact the user to obtain more information as to why the listing was dismissed or demoted, or to contact the user to indicate that the listing has been changed or modified since the user demoted or dismissed the listing. 
       FIG. 5C  depicts the example search device  120  of  FIG. 5A  presenting search results subsequent to the search result feedback of  FIG. 5B . In this example, with Listing3 being dismissed or demoted, as desired by the user, the selected listing has been either dismissed from the search results  506  entirely or demoted toward the bottom of the search results  506 , and thus not presented on the current view of the search results  506 . Consequently, subsequent listings, such as Listing4 and Listing5 previously listed on the search results  506 , as well as Listing6 not previously presented to the user on the search device  120 , are presented in more prominent positions within the search results  506 . The user may then be free to select another of the listings of the search results  506  for dismissal or demotion, as well as provide feedback regarding the dismissal or demotion, in the manner described above. 
     As a result of at least some of the example embodiments disclosed herein, a user receiving search results generated from a search query may tailor those results, as well as subsequent results corresponding to subsequent search queries, by dismissing or demoting selected listings, and possibly listings related to the selected listings in some way. Accordingly, the search results ultimately presented to the user, both now and in the future, may be more in keeping with the type of search results expected by the user in response to search queries. Further, providers of listings may benefit from feedback supplied by the user in conjunction with the dismissing or demoting of listings, thus possibly facilitating modification of current listings, as well as generation of future listings, that may be more readily accepted by the user. 
     Certain example embodiments are described herein as including logic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may constitute either software modules (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium) or hardware modules. A “hardware module” is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computer system, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware module that operates to perform certain operations as described herein. 
     In some example embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented mechanically, electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, a hardware module may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware module may be a special-purpose processor, such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). A hardware module may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware module may include software executed by a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor. Once configured by such software, hardware modules become specific machines (or specific components of a machine) uniquely tailored to perform the configured functions and are no longer general-purpose processors. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations. 
     Accordingly, the phrase “hardware module” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein. As used herein, “hardware-implemented module” refers to a hardware module. Considering example embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardware module comprises a general-purpose processor configured by software to become a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardware modules) at different times. Software accordingly configures a particular processor or processors, for example, to constitute a particular hardware module at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a different instance of time. 
     Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) between or among two or more of the hardware modules. In example embodiments in which multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. For example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information). 
     The various operations of example methods described herein may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions described herein. As used herein, “processor-implemented module” refers to a hardware module implemented using one or more processors. 
     Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented, with a particular processor or processors being an example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors or processor-implemented modules. Moreover, the one or more processors may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines including processors), with these operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an Application Program Interface (API)). 
     The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the processors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the processors or processor-implemented modules may be located in a single geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the processors or processor-implemented modules may be distributed across a number of geographic locations. 
     Machine and Software Architecture 
     The modules, methods, applications, and so forth described in conjunction with  FIGS. 1-4  and  FIGS. 5A-5C  may be implemented in some example embodiments in the context of a machine and an associated software architecture. The sections below describe representative software architectures and machine (e.g., hardware) architectures that are suitable for use with the disclosed example embodiments. 
     Software architectures are used in conjunction with hardware architectures to create devices and machines tailored to particular purposes. For example, a particular hardware architecture coupled with a particular software architecture will create a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, tablet device, or so forth. A slightly different hardware and software architecture may yield a smart device for use in the “internet of things,” while yet another combination produces a server computer for use within a cloud computing architecture. Not all combinations of such software and hardware architectures are presented here as those of skill in the art can readily understand how to implement the invention in different contexts from the disclosure contained herein. 
     Software Architecture 
       FIG. 6  is a block diagram  600  illustrating a representative software architecture  602 , which may be used in conjunction with various hardware architectures herein described.  FIG. 6  is merely a non-limiting example of a software architecture and it will be appreciated that many other architectures may be implemented to facilitate the functionality described herein. The software architecture  602  may be executing on hardware such as machine  700  of  FIG. 7  that includes, among other things, processors  710 , memory  730 , and I/O components  750 . A representative hardware layer  604  is illustrated and can represent, for example, the machine  700  of  FIG. 15 . The representative hardware layer  604  comprises one or more processing units  606  having associated executable instructions  608 . Executable instructions  608  represent the executable instructions of the software architecture  602 , including implementation of the modules and other components associated with the search system  102  of  FIG. 1 , as well as the methods  300  and  400  of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Hardware layer  604  also includes memory and/or storage modules  610 , which also have executable instructions  608 . Hardware layer  604  may also comprise other hardware as indicated by  612  which represents any other hardware of the hardware layer  604 , such as the other hardware illustrated as part of machine  700 . 
     In the example architecture of  FIG. 6 , the software architecture  602  may be conceptualized as a stack of layers where each layer provides particular functionality. For example, the software  602  may include layers such as an operating system  614 , libraries  616 , frameworks/middleware  618 , applications  620  and presentation layer  644 . Operationally, the applications  620  and/or other components within the layers may invoke application programming interface (API) calls  624  through the software stack and receive a response, returned values, and so forth illustrated as messages  626  in response to the API calls  624 . The layers illustrated are representative in nature and not all software architectures have all layers. For example, some mobile or special purpose operating systems may not provide a frameworks/middleware layer  618 , while others may provide such a layer. Other software architectures may include additional or different layers. 
     The operating system  614  may manage hardware resources and provide common services. The operating system  614  may include, for example, a kernel  628 , services  630 , and drivers  632 . The kernel  628  may act as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the other software layers. For example, the kernel  628  may be responsible for memory management, processor management (e.g., scheduling), component management, networking, security settings, and so on. The services  630  may provide other common services for the other software layers. The drivers  632  may be responsible for controlling or interfacing with the underlying hardware. For instance, the drivers  632  may include display drivers, camera drivers, Bluetooth® drivers, flash memory drivers, serial communication drivers (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers), Wi-Fi® drivers, audio drivers, power management drivers, and so forth depending on the hardware configuration. 
     The libraries  616  may provide a common infrastructure that may be utilized by the applications  620  and/or other components and/or layers. The libraries  616  typically provide functionality that allows other software modules to perform tasks in an easier fashion than to interface directly with the underlying operating system  614  functionality (e.g., kernel  628 , services  630  and/or drivers  632 ). The libraries  616  may include system  634  libraries (e.g., C standard library) that may provide functions such as memory allocation functions, string manipulation functions, mathematic functions, and the like. In addition, the libraries  616  may include API libraries  636  such as media libraries (e.g., libraries to support presentation and manipulation of various media format such as MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG), graphics libraries (e.g., an OpenGL framework that may be used to render 2D and 3D in a graphic content on a display), database libraries (e.g., SQLite that may provide various relational database functions), web libraries (e.g., WebKit that may provide web browsing functionality), and the like. The libraries  616  may also include a wide variety of other libraries  638  to provide many other APIs to the applications  620  and other software components/modules. 
     The frameworks  618  (also sometimes referred to as middleware) may provide a higher-level common infrastructure that may be utilized by the applications  620  and/or other software components/modules. For example, the frameworks  618  may provide various graphic user interface (GUI) functions, high-level resource management, high-level location services, and so forth. The frameworks  618  may provide a broad spectrum of other APIs that may be utilized by the applications  620  and/or other software components/modules, some of which may be specific to a particular operating system or platform. 
     The applications  620  may include built-in applications  640  and/or third party applications  642 . Examples of representative built-in applications  640  may include, but are not limited to, a contacts application, a browser application, a book reader application, a location application, a media application, a messaging application, and/or a game application. Third party applications  642  may include any of the built-in applications as well as a broad assortment of other applications. In a specific example, the third party application  642  (e.g., an application developed using the Android™ or iOS™ software development kit (SDK) by an entity other than the vendor of the particular platform) may be mobile software running on a mobile operating system such as iOS™, Android™, Windows® Phone, or other mobile operating systems. In this example, the third party application  642  may invoke the API calls  624  provided by the mobile operating system such as operating system  614  to facilitate functionality described herein. 
     The applications  620  may utilize built-in operating system functions (e.g., kernel  628 , services  630  and/or drivers  632 ), libraries (e.g., system  634 , APIs  636 , and other libraries  638 ), and frameworks/middleware  618  to create user interfaces to interact with users of the system. Alternatively, or additionally, in some systems, interactions with a user may occur through a presentation layer, such as presentation layer  644 . In these systems, the application/module “logic” can be separated from the aspects of the application/module that interact with a user. 
     Some software architectures utilize virtual machines. In the example of  FIG. 6 , this is illustrated by virtual machine  648 . A virtual machine creates a software environment where applications/modules can execute as if they were executing on a hardware machine (such as the machine of  FIG. 7 , for example). A virtual machine is hosted by a host operating system (operating system  614  in  FIG. 15 ) and typically, although not always, has a virtual machine monitor  646 , which manages the operation of the virtual machine as well as the interface with the host operating system (i.e., operating system  614 ). A software architecture executes within the virtual machine such as an operating system  650 , libraries  652 , frameworks/middleware  654 , applications  656  and/or presentation layer  658 . These layers of software architecture executing within the virtual machine  648  can be the same as corresponding layers previously described or may be different. 
     Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram illustrating components of a machine  700 , according to some example embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readable medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Specifically,  FIG. 7  shows a diagrammatic representation of the machine  700  in the example form of a computer system, within which instructions  716  (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine  700  to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. For example, the instructions may cause the machine to execute the flow diagrams of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Additionally, or alternatively, the instructions may implement the various modules of the search system  102  of  FIG. 1 , and so forth. The instructions transform the general, non-programmed machine into a particular machine programmed to carry out the described and illustrated functions in the manner described. In alternative example embodiments, the machine  700  operates as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine  700  may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine  700  may comprise, but not be limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), or any machine capable of executing the instructions  716 , sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by machine  700 . Further, while only a single machine  700  is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include a collection of machines  700  that individually or jointly execute the instructions  716  to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. 
     The machine  700  may include processors  710 , memory  730 , and I/O components  750 , which may be configured to communicate with each other such as via a bus  702 . In an example embodiment, the processors  710  (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processor, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, processor  712  and processor  714  that may execute instructions  716 . The term “processor” is intended to include multi-core processor that may comprise two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may execute instructions contemporaneously. Although  FIG. 7  shows multiple processors, the machine  700  may include a single processor with a single core, a single processor with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core process), multiple processors with a single core, multiple processors with multiples cores, or any combination thereof. 
     The memory/storage  730  may include a memory  732 , such as a main memory, or other memory storage, and a storage unit  736 , both accessible to the processors  710  such as via the bus  702 . The storage unit  736  and memory  732  store the instructions  716  embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions  716  may also reside, completely or partially, within the memory  732 , within the storage unit  736 , within at least one of the processors  710  (e.g., within the processor&#39;s cache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine  700 . Accordingly, the memory  732 , the storage unit  736 , and the memory of processors  710  are examples of machine-readable media. 
     As used herein, “machine-readable medium” means a device able to store instructions and data temporarily or permanently and may include, but is not be limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), buffer memory, flash memory, optical media, magnetic media, cache memory, other types of storage (e.g., Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)) and/or any suitable combination thereof. The term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, or associated caches and servers) able to store instructions  716 . The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium, or combination of multiple media, that is capable of storing instructions (e.g., instructions  716 ) for execution by a machine (e.g., machine  700 ), such that the instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the machine  700  (e.g., processors  710 ), cause the machine  700  to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein. Accordingly, a “machine-readable medium” refers to a single storage apparatus or device, as well as “cloud-based” storage systems or storage networks that include multiple storage apparatus or devices. The term “machine-readable medium” excludes signals per se. 
     The I/O components  750  may include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components  750  that are included in a particular machine will depend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones will likely include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components  750  may include many other components that are not shown in  FIG. 7 . The I/O components  750  are grouped according to functionality merely for simplifying the following discussion and the grouping is in no way limiting. In various example embodiments, the I/O components  750  may include output components  752  and input components  754 . The output components  752  may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and so forth. The input components  754  may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or other pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and/or force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), and the like. 
     In further example embodiments, the I/O components  750  may include biometric components  756 , motion components  758 , environmental components  760 , or position components  762  among a wide array of other components. For example, the biometric components  756  may include components to detect expressions (e.g., hand expressions, facial expressions, vocal expressions, body gestures, or eye tracking), measure biosignals (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, perspiration, or brain waves), identify a person (e.g., voice identification, retinal identification, facial identification, fingerprint identification, or electroencephalogram based identification), and the like. The motion components  758  may include acceleration sensor components (e.g., accelerometer), gravitation sensor components, rotation sensor components (e.g., gyroscope), and so forth. The environmental components  760  may include, for example, illumination sensor components (e.g., photometer), temperature sensor components (e.g., one or more thermometer that detect ambient temperature), humidity sensor components, pressure sensor components (e.g., barometer), acoustic sensor components (e.g., one or more microphones that detect background noise), proximity sensor components (e.g., infrared sensors that detect nearby objects), gas sensors (e.g., gas detection sensors to detection concentrations of hazardous gases for safety or to measure pollutants in the atmosphere), or other components that may provide indications, measurements, or signals corresponding to a surrounding physical environment. The position components  762  may include location sensor components (e.g., a Global Position System (GPS) receiver component), altitude sensor components (e.g., altimeters or barometers that detect air pressure from which altitude may be derived), orientation sensor components (e.g., magnetometers), and the like. 
     Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies. The I/O components  750  may include communication components  764  operable to couple the machine  700  to a network  780  or devices  770  via coupling  782  and coupling  772  respectively. For example, the communication components  764  may include a network interface component or other suitable device to interface with the network  780 . In further examples, communication components  764  may include wired communication components, wireless communication components, cellular communication components, Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components to provide communication via other modalities. The devices  770  may be another machine or any of a wide variety of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a Universal Serial Bus (USB)). 
     Moreover, the communication components  764  may detect identifiers or include components operable to detect identifiers. For example, the communication components  764  may include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components, optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detect one-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code, multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code, Aztec code, Data Matrix, Dataglyph, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D bar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components (e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, a variety of information may be derived via the communication components  764 , such as, location via Internet Protocol (IP) geo-location, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting a NFC beacon signal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth. 
     Transmission Medium 
     In various example embodiments, one or more portions of the network  780  may be an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), the Internet, a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a cellular telephone network, a wireless network, a Wi-Fi® network, another type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks. For example, the network  780  or a portion of the network  780  may include a wireless or cellular network and the coupling  782  may be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) connection, a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) connection, or other type of cellular or wireless coupling. In this example, the coupling  782  may implement any of a variety of types of data transfer technology, such as Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology (1×RTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) including 3G, fourth generation wireless (4G) networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, others defined by various standard setting organizations, other long range protocols, or other data transfer technology. 
     The instructions  716  may be transmitted or received over the network  780  using a transmission medium via a network interface device (e.g., a network interface component included in the communication components  764 ) and utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, the instructions  716  may be transmitted or received using a transmission medium via the coupling  772  (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling) to devices  770 . The term “transmission medium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions  716  for execution by the machine  700 , and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of such software. 
     Language 
     Throughout this specification, plural instances may implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein. 
     Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of example embodiments of the present disclosure. Such example embodiments of the present subject matter may be referred to herein, individually or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact, disclosed. 
     The example embodiments illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed. Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     Plural instances may be provided for resources, operations, or structures described herein as a single instance. Additionally, boundaries between various resources, operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in a context of specific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within a scope of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presented as separate resources in the example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single resource may be implemented as separate resources. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within a scope of embodiments of the present disclosure as represented by the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.