14. A method performed on a client computer system directly accessed by a user, the method comprising: i. obtaining at least preferences information of the user by monitoring online activities of the user, wherein the preferences information of the user is based on a history of the online activities of the user; ii. locally storing at least the obtained preferences information of the user in a local database located on the client computer system; iii. receiving a query from the user, the query identifying target information requested by the user; iv. after receiving the query, causing at least a portion of the received query to be transmitted to the server; v. receiving information from the server, the received information being in response to the at least a portion of the query transmitted to the server; the received information comprising the target information requested by the user; vi. displaying to the user the target information requested by the user; vii. processing the information received from the server; viii. determining, on the client computer system, likely preferences of the user based on contents of the database located on the client computer system and the information received from the server; ix. filtering, on the client computer system, the information received from the server based on the determined likely preferences of the user the filtering comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of advertisements for displaying to the user based at least on the determined likely preferences of the user; and x. displaying the selected at least one advertisement to the user on a display device of the client computer system, wherein the preferences information of the user is not accessible to any other entity except for the client computer system; wherein the server comprises a search engine, wherein the query is a search engine query and wherein the information received from the server comprises search results responsive to the query submitted by the user and a plurality of advertisements related to the search results; and wherein the selection is performed on the client computer system
14. A method performed on a client computer system directly accessed by a user, the method comprising: i. obtaining at least preferences information of the user by monitoring online activities of the user, wherein the preferences information of the user is based on a history of the online activities of the user; ii. locally storing at least the obtained preferences information of the user in a local database located on the client computer system; iii. receiving a query from the user, the query identifying target information requested by the user; iv. after receiving the query, causing at least a portion of the received query to be transmitted to the server; v. receiving information from the server, the received information being in response to the at least a portion of the query transmitted to the server; the received information comprising the target information requested by the user; vi. displaying to the user the target information requested by the user; vii. processing the information received from the server; viii. determining, on the client computer system, likely preferences of the user based on contents of the database located on the client computer system and the information received from the server; ix. filtering, on the client computer system, the information received from the server based on the determined likely preferences of the user the filtering comprising selecting at least one of the plurality of advertisements for displaying to the user based at least on the determined likely preferences of the user; and x. displaying the selected at least one advertisement to the user on a display device of the client computer system, wherein the preferences information of the user is not accessible to any other entity except for the client computer system; wherein the server comprises a search engine, wherein the query is a search engine query and wherein the information received from the server comprises search results responsive to the query submitted by the user and a plurality of advertisements related to the search results; and wherein the selection is performed on the client computer system 16. The method of claim 14 , wherein location information indicative of a current location of the user is appended to the query to the server.