16. 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; soliciting from the user at the user terminal any of an identification and a selection by the user of at least one ratings service that is external to the application module, to the search engine, and to the content source, wherein the ratings service is accessible to the application module across the network; responsive to the solicited identification or selection by the user, sending a data query from the application module to at least one of the solicited ratings services; receiving rating information at the application module across the network from at least one of the solicited ratings services in response to the 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 solicited 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 the solicited 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 solicited 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 solicited 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.
16. 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; soliciting from the user at the user terminal any of an identification and a selection by the user of at least one ratings service that is external to the application module, to the search engine, and to the content source, wherein the ratings service is accessible to the application module across the network; responsive to the solicited identification or selection by the user, sending a data query from the application module to at least one of the solicited ratings services; receiving rating information at the application module across the network from at least one of the solicited ratings services in response to the 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 solicited 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 the solicited 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 solicited 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 solicited 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. 25. The process of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the solicited ratings services comprises one of the received search parameters.