Patent ID: 8095432

Claim:
A method for generating a recommendation list for an item, comprising: obtaining a first recommendation for the item from a first member of a social networking utility, wherein the first member of the social networking utility is a friend of an inquiring member within the social networking utility; obtaining a second recommendation for the item from a second member of the social networking utility, wherein the second member of the social networking utility is a non-friend of the inquiring member within the social networking utility; determining, using a processor, a first relationship proximity of the first member with the inquiring member; determining, using the processor, a second relationship proximity of the second member with the inquiring member; ranking, using the processor, the first recommendation with a first rank and the second recommendation with a second rank based on the first relationship proximity and the second relationship proximity, wherein the first rank exceeds the second rank; receiving, from the inquiring member, a request to search for the item in the social networking utility; performing, based on the request from the inquiring member, a search for the item within the social networking utility; generating, using the processor, a recommendation list for the item comprising the first recommendation and the second recommendation, wherein the first recommendation is higher on the recommendation list than the second recommendation based on the first rank exceeding the second rank; determining that the first member comprises a plurality of interests in common with the inquiring member; determining that a third member of the social networking utility comprises a plurality of different interests than the inquiring member; comparing the first rank of the first recommendation of the first member with a third rank of a third recommendation of the third member; and determining that the first rank is higher than the third rank.