Cross-referencing comments

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for cross-referencing comments. In one aspect, a method includes, identifying unstructured text in a document associated with a first product or provider, in the unstructured text, identifying, by the one or more computers, a reference to a second product or provider different from the first product or provider, determining a relationship between the first product or provider and the second product or provider based on content of the unstructured text, and providing an indication of the relationship for display on a document associated with the first product or provider or the second product or provider.

1 . A method comprising:
 identifying unstructured text in a document associated with a first product, the unstructured text being associated with an identity of a consumer that submitted the unstructured text;   identifying, in the unstructured text, a reference to a second product different from the first product;   determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text;   determining, based on the unstructured text and unstructured text submitted by other consumers, that each of a plurality of products are alternatives to each other, the plurality of products comprising at least the first product, the second product, and a third product;   ranking the plurality of products, and the ranking of the first product and the second product being based on the relationship determined based on the content of the unstructured text;   weighting the influence of the unstructured text on the ranking based on a reputation of the identity of the consumer that submitted the unstructured text; and   providing, for display on a document associated with the first product or the second product, a list that indicates the ranking of at least some of the plurality of products, wherein the list indicates the ranking of at least the first product, the second product, and the third product,   wherein each of the above are performed by one or more processing devices.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding a hyperlink to the identified reference to the second product in the unstructured text, the hyperlink providing access to information associated with the second product. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the unstructured text comprises a comment associated with a web page offering the first product for sale. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a relationship comprises identifying a direct comparison between the first product and the second product. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein providing an indication of the relationship comprises suggesting purchase of the second product. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein providing an indication of the relationship comprises suggesting, on a web page associated with the second product, purchase of the first product. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, for display on a document associated with the first product or the second product, a navigational tool that is configured based on the relationship. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers; and   a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 identifying unstructured text in a document associated with a first product, the unstructured text being associated with an identity of a consumer that submitted the unstructured text; 
 identifying in the unstructured text, a reference to a second product different from the first product; 
 determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text; 
 determining, based on the unstructured text and unstructured text submitted by other consumers, that each of a plurality of products are alternatives to each other, the plurality of products comprising at least the first product, the second product, and a third product; 
 ranking the plurality of products, and the ranking of the first product and the second product being based on the relationship determined based on the content of the unstructured text; 
 weighting the influence of the unstructured text on the ranking based on a reputation of the identity of the consumer that submitted the unstructured text; and 
 providing, for display on a document associated with the first product or the second product, a list that indicates the ranking of at least some of the plurality of products, wherein the list indicates the ranking of at least the first product, the second product, and the third product. 
   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein determining a relationship comprises identifying a direct comparison between the first product and the second product. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise suggesting purchase of the second product. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 identifying unstructured text in a document associated with a first product, the unstructured text being associated with an identity of a consumer that submitted the unstructured text;   identifying, in the unstructured text, a reference to a second product different from the first product;   determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text;   determining, based on the unstructured text and unstructured text submitted by other consumers, that each of a plurality of products are alternatives to each other, the plurality of products comprising at least the first product, the second product, and a third product;   ranking the plurality of products, and the ranking of the first product and the second product being based on the relationship determined based on the content of the unstructured text;   weighting the influence of the unstructured text on the ranking based on a reputation of the identity of the consumer that submitted the unstructured text; and   providing, for display on a document associated with the first product or the second product, a list that indicates the ranking of at least some of the plurality of products, wherein the list indicates the ranking of at least the first product, the second product, and the third product.   
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein determining a relationship comprises identifying a direct comparison between the first product and the second product. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise suggesting purchase of the second product. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein weighting the influence of the unstructured text on the ranking based on the reputation of the identity of the consumer that submitted the unstructured text comprises:
 assigning, to unstructured text that is associated with an identity, a weight that provides greater influence on the ranking than a weight assigned to anonymous unstructured text.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the unstructured text comprises a sequence of two or more comments from different consumers; and   determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text comprises:
 determining a relationship between the first product and the second product using the sequence of two or more comments. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the unstructured text comprises a sequence of two or more comments from different consumers, the sequence of two or more comments including at least a first comment and a second comment; and   determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text comprises:
 determining, by the one or more processing devices and based on an identifier in the first comment, that a portion of the second comment that does not include a name of a product refers to either the first product or the second product. 
   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text comprises:
 determining, by the one or more processing devices and based on the association of the document that includes the unstructured text with the first product, that a comment in the unstructured text that does not include a name of the first product refers to the first product.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing an indication of the determined relationship for display on the document associated with the first product and on a second document associated with the second product, the second document being different from the first document. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the unstructured text comprises a sequence of comments that includes a comment submitted by each of at least two different consumers, the sequence of comments including at least a first comment, a second comment, and the third comment; and   determining a relationship between the first product and the second product based on content of the unstructured text comprises:
 determining, by the one or more processing devices and based on the first comment and the second comment, that the third comment refers to either the first product or the second product, wherein the third comment does not include any identifier for the first product or the second product. 
   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying categories of products that include a first set of sub-categories each corresponding to a different cluster of products;   based on determining that each of the plurality of products are alternatives to each other, changing the first set of sub-categories to generate a second set of sub-categories different from the first set of sub-categories; and   providing a document that includes a navigational tool configured to permit navigation among the categories of products, the navigational tool indicating the second set of sub-categories.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein changing the first set of sub-categories to generate the second set of sub-categories comprises generating the second set of sub-categories to include a number of sub-categories different from the number of sub-categories included in the first set of sub-categories. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein changing the first set of sub-categories to generate the second set of sub-categories comprises changing a type of one of the sub-categories included in the first set of sub-categories. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein changing the first set of sub-categories to generate the second set of sub-categories comprises changing a name of one of the sub-categories included in the first set of sub-categories. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein, changing the first set of sub-categories to generate the second set of sub-categories comprises:
 including the first product and the second product in one of the clusters of products; and   including, in the second set of sub-categories, a sub-category that corresponds to the cluster that includes the first product and the second product.