Reputation and engagement system for online community management

• US 10,049,138 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Falor, Ryan Andrew, Feit, Richard, Boyington, Marcos, Morgan, Mark, Ziman, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre
• Assistant Examiner(s): Antoine, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US14/257,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for an online community management system. One method calculates users'"'"' reputations that are based on the activities of each user in the online community. The reputation measures the quality of the user activities in the community. Further, the method includes operations for periodically calculating reputation statistical measures based on the users'"'"' reputations, and for sorting the users based on the reputation statistical measures. A user interface for a manager of the online community is provided, the user interface including a presentation of reputation information about a group of users of the online community identifying trends in changes of the reputation. The group of users is selected based on the sorting, and the user interface provides an option to select a first user from the group of users to obtain a display of events associated with the selected user in the online community.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

calculating, by a processing device, a reputation value for a plurality of users of an online community, the reputation value being based on activities of each user related to the online community;

periodically calculating, by the processing device, one or more reputation statistical measures based on changes in the reputation values for the plurality of users of the online community, a reputation statistical measure identifying a trend in changes of a corresponding reputation value over a period of time;

determining, by an automated rule-based action module executed by the processing device, at least one automated action to be performed for at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community based on the one or more reputation statistical measures and a plurality of rules;

performing, by the processing device, the at least one automated action for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community, wherein the at least one automated action comprises at least one of adding a new role for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community or modifying a reputation level for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community;

providing, by the processing device, a first user interface for a manager of the online community, the first user interface including a presentation of a list of users of the plurality of users of the online community, a reputation value for each user in the list, and one or more of the reputation statistical measures, the list of users comprising the at least one user, and being selected based on sorting of the plurality of users according to at least one of the reputation statistical measures;

upon receiving a selection of a subset of users from the list of users in the first user interface and a selection of one of a plurality of optional actions from a management action menu, performing, by the processing device, the selected action for the selected subset of users, wherein the selected action comprises at least one of adding a new role for the selected subset of users or modifying a reputation level for the selected subset of users;

upon receiving a selection of a user from the list of users in the first user interface by the manager, providing a second user interface for the manager, the second user interface comprising a reputation breakdown option and a graphs option;

upon receiving a user selection of the reputation breakdown option, providing for presentation in the second user interface a reputation breakdown of a reputation value of the user by reputation category in a tabular form, the reputation breakdown including a plurality of reputation categories for the user, and a contribution of each reputation category to the reputation value of the user; and

upon receiving a user selection of the graphs option, providing for presentation in the second user interface a graph illustrating a change in a contribution of the selected reputation category to the reputation value of the user over a period of time, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reputation value is associated with a quality of the activities of the user in the online community, wherein the reputation value is calculated based on a plurality of contributions that are each associated with a quality of the activities of the user in a respective reputation category within the online community.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the reputation statistical measures include one or more of top reputation users, or trend for reputation value changes during a most recent set of days, or trend for reputation value changes during last seven days, or trend for reputation value changes in a most recent set of hours, or trends for reputation category contribution changes.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein sorting is one or more of sorting by reputation value, or sorting by largest improvement in reputation value within a predetermined time period, or sorting by largest decrease in reputational value within the predetermined time period, or sorting by reputation category contribution, or sorting by largest increase or decrease in reputation category contribution, or sorting by amount of activities within the predetermined time period.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the reputation categories include one or more of ask a question, or report an issue, or browser, or email, or account access and safety, or reading and receiving messages, or composing and sending messages, or contacts, or operating system, or mobile operating system, or email program, or share and discuss with others, or smart phone.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the activities of the user includes one or more of messages posted, or replies to messages posted, or number of posts within a time period, or emails sent.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

evaluating one or more rules for determining alerts for the manager of the online community; and

sending alerts to the manager when the evaluating identifies alerts for the manager.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of optional actions further comprise one or more of sending email, or promoting community member status of the selected one or more users, or banning the selected one or more users, or unbanning the selected one or more users, or changing delivery settings, or changing posting permissions, or award achievement of the selected one or more users, or removing the selected one or more users from the online community.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first user interface includes a third option to be selected to view the reputation breakdown of the reputation value of the user by reputation category in the second user interface.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first user interface includes a fourth option for presenting graphs associated with the reputation value of the user, the graphs including one or more of a line chart for the reputation value of the user over time, or a bar chart by reputation category.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a fifth option for providing the activities associated with a change in the reputation value.

12. A system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors, coupled to the memory, to;

manage activities of a plurality of users associated with an online community;

calculate a reputation value for the plurality of users of the online community based on the activities of the users related to the online community;

periodically calculate one or more reputation statistical measures based on changes in the reputation values for the plurality of users of the online community, a reputation statistical measure identifying a trend in changes of a corresponding reputation value over a period of time;

determine, by an automated rule-based action module, at least one automated action to be performed for at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community based on the one or more reputation statistical measures and a plurality of rules;

perform the at least one automated action for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community, wherein the at least one automated action comprises at least one of adding a new role for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community or modifying a reputation level for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community;

provide a first user interface for a manager of the online community, the first user interface including a presentation of a list of users of the plurality of users of the online community, a reputation value for each user in the list, and one or more of the reputation statistical measures, the list of users comprising the at least one user, and being selected based on sorting of the plurality of users according to at least one of the reputation statistical measures;

upon receiving a selection of a subset of users from the list of users in the first user interface and a selection of one of a plurality of optional actions from a management action menu, perform the selected action for the selected subset of users, wherein the selected action comprises at least one of adding a new role for the selected subset of users or modifying a reputation level for the selected subset of users;

upon receiving a selection of a user from the list of users in the first user interface by the manager, provide a second user interface for the manager, the second user interface comprising a reputation breakdown option and a graphs option;

upon receiving a user selection of the reputation breakdown option, provide for presentation in the second user interface a reputation breakdown of a reputation value of the user by reputation category in a tabular form, the reputation breakdown including a plurality of reputation categories for the user, and a contribution of each reputation category to the reputation value of the user; and

upon receiving a user selection of the graphs option, providing for presentation in the second user interface a graph illustrating a change in a contribution of the selected reputation category to the reputation value of the user over a period of time.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the one or more processors are to create graphs for one or more reputation statistical measures or the reputation value.

14. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the one or more processors are to evaluate one or more rules defining application of the automated actions, the automated actions module being operable to perform automated actions.

15. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the one or more processors are to generate alerts relating to activity in the online community.

16. The system as recited in claim 12 further including:

a user database to store user profile information; and

a community database to store online community activities.

17. The system as recited in claim 12 further including:

a reputation database to store the reputation value for the plurality of users of the online community; and

a reputation summaries database to store the reputation statistical measures.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing device, cause the processing to perform operations comprising:

calculating a reputation value for a plurality of users of an online community, the reputation value being based on activities of each user related to the online community;

periodically calculating one or more reputation statistical measures based on changes in the reputation values for the plurality of users of the online community, a reputation statistical measure identifying a trend in changes of a corresponding reputation value over a period of time;

determining, by an automated rule-based action module, at least one automated action to be performed for at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community based on the one or more reputation statistical measures and a plurality of rules;

performing the at least one automated action for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community, wherein the at least one automated action comprises at least one of adding a new role for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community or modifying a reputation level for the at least one user of the plurality of users of the online community;

providing a first user interface for a manager of the online community, the first user interface including a presentation of a list of users of the plurality of users of the online community, a reputation value for each user in the list, and one or more of the reputation statistical measures, the list of users comprising the at least one user, and being selected based on sorting of the plurality of users according to at least one of the reputation statistical measures;

upon receiving a selection of a subset of users from the list of users in the first user interface and a selection of one of a plurality of optional actions from a management action menu, performing the selected action for the selected subset of users, wherein the selected action comprises at least one of adding a new role for the selected subset of users or modifying a reputation level of the selected subset of users;

upon receiving a selection of a user from the list of users in the first user interface by the manager, providing a second user interface for the manager, the second user interface comprising a reputation breakdown option and a graphs option;

upon receiving a user selection of the reputation breakdown option, providing for presentation in the second user interface a reputation breakdown of a reputation value of the user by reputation category in a tabular form, the reputation breakdown including a plurality of reputation categories for the user, and a contribution of each reputation category to the reputation value of the user; and

upon receiving a user selection of the graphs option, providing for presentation in the second user interface a graph illustrating a change in a contribution of the selected reputation category to the reputation value of the user over a period of time.