Patent ID: 8224773

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of matching users to other users, the method comprising: for each of a plurality of users of an electronic catalog, storing, in computer storage, event data representing user-generated events that reflect user affinities for particular items reflected in the electronic catalog; programmatically generating a score that reflects a degree to which item affinities of a first user of said plurality of users are similar to item affinities of a second user of said plurality of users, said score taking into consideration a first plurality of items corresponding to the item affinities of the first user and a second plurality of items corresponding to the item affinities of the second user, wherein generating the score comprises weighting a first item and a second item identified in both the first and second plurality of items, wherein the first and second items are different, wherein the first and second items are weighted differently based at least in part on a first inherent characteristic of the first item and a second inherent characteristic of the second item, and wherein the first and second inherent characteristics are different; and based at least in part on the score, programmatically determining whether to recommend the second user to the first user.