44. A system implemented across a network having a search engine, the search engine having access to a content source, the system comprising: an application module; a search query initiated by a user through a user terminal connected to the network, the search query comprising at least one search parameter specified by the user and received by the application module; a receipt at the application module from the user through the user terminal of a specification 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, the ratings services comprising rating information; a data query sent by the application module, responsive to the receipt of the user specification of the ratings services, to the user-specified ratings services; a receipt of rating information at the application module from at least one of the user-specified ratings services over the network in response to the sent data query, wherein the rating information is independently maintained by the at least one ratings service; a refined search provided 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 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 external 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 a return of 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.
44. A system implemented across a network having a search engine, the search engine having access to a content source, the system comprising: an application module; a search query initiated by a user through a user terminal connected to the network, the search query comprising at least one search parameter specified by the user and received by the application module; a receipt at the application module from the user through the user terminal of a specification 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, the ratings services comprising rating information; a data query sent by the application module, responsive to the receipt of the user specification of the ratings services, to the user-specified ratings services; a receipt of rating information at the application module from at least one of the user-specified ratings services over the network in response to the sent data query, wherein the rating information is independently maintained by the at least one ratings service; a refined search provided 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 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 external 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 a return of 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. 53. The system of claim 44 , further comprising: a receipt of the results of the refined search by the recipient other than the user; 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.