1. A process implemented across a network having a search engine, the search engine having access to a content source, the process comprising the steps of: receiving at an application module a search query from a user at a user terminal, the search query comprising at least one search parameter specified by the user; receiving at the application module an identification of at least one ratings service specified by the user, wherein the at least one ratings service is external to the application module, to the search engine, and to the content source, and wherein the ratings service is accessible to the application module across the network; responsive to the receipt of the user-specified ratings services, sending a data query from the application module to at least one of the user-specified ratings services; receiving rating information at the application module across the network from at least one of the user-specified ratings services in response to the sent data query, wherein the rating information is independently maintained by the at least one ratings service; providing a refined search through the application module, wherein the refinement comprises any of at the application module, using the received rating information from at least one of the user-specified ratings services in conjunction with the search parameters received from the user to perform the search at the search engine through retrieval of content from the content source, wherein search results received from the search engine at the application module comply with both the search parameters received from the user and the received rating information from at least one of the user-specified ratings services, performing the search at the search engine through retrieval of content from the content source with the search parameters received from the user and subsequently filtering search results received from the search engine at the application module with the received rating information from at least one of the user-specified ratings services, and performing the search at the search engine through retrieval of content from the content source with the search parameters received from the user and subsequently providing any of organizing and sorting of the search results received from the search engine at the application module with the received rating information from at least one of the user-specified ratings services; and returning the results of the refined search from the application module to any of the user at the user terminal and a recipient at a recipient terminal, the recipient other than the user.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the results of the refined search are returned to the recipient other than the user, and wherein the recipient is any of a selected peer, a friend, a family relative, a student, a neighbor, any of a person or entity within a zip code region, and a member of a network of people associated with the user.