A system and method for personalizing an information classifier is provided. The system includes a default or universal classifier that is pre-trained with features that have relatively universal discriminatory relationships for multiple people and that is operable to produce a measure that a message is classified as having one of several characteristics. The system further includes a second classifier that is constructed and personalized through training via a more general search through the space of potentially discriminatory features. The second classifier, after personalization, is intended to classify information at a level exceeding that of the first classifier based on the specific preferences, habits, and desires of the user who personalizes the second classifier. The system further includes a weighting component that facilitates a combining component producing an integrated measure based on input from both the first classifier and the second classifier.