Patent ID: 7536320

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of selecting content items for presentation to users, the method comprising: storing user-specific item selection history data in computer storage, said item selection history data identifying particular items selected by particular users; recording user responses of a plurality of said users to a content item, said content item being distinct from the items represented in said item selection history data, said user responses including at least favorable responses to the content item and unfavorable responses to the content item; and automatically determining, by a personalized selection system that comprises computer hardware, whether the content item should be presented to a target user based, at least in part, on a degree to which an item selection history of the target user is similar to item selection histories of users who responded favorably to the content item, as determined using said item selection history data and said recorded user responses, wherein automatically determining whether the content item should be presented to a target user further comprises taking into consideration a degree to which the target user's item selection history is dissimilar to item selection histories of users who responded unfavorably to the content item.