Method for tracking responses to a forum topic

• US 20040128357A1
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mathers, Barbara A., Giles, Kevin R., Lordan, Craig R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A method of and system for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users. The method comprising: receiving one or more topics for discussion from the users; posting the topics for discussion on the forum; receiving responses to the topics or responses to responses; posting the responses to the topic or the responses to responses on the forum; and providing periodic emails to the users of the forum indicating new responses have been posted.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic discussion based forum for users comprising:

receiving one or more topics for discussion from said users;

posting said topics for discussion on said forum;

receiving responses to said topics or responses to responses;

posting said responses to said topic or said responses to responses on said forum; and

providing periodic emails to said users of said forum indicating new responses have been posted.

2. The method of claim 1, further including generating a tracking view, said tracking view including a list of users who have elected to receive periodic emails of new responses and for each user electing to receive periodic emails, user selected forums and topics to be tracked and a temporal indication of when said new responses were found.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said temporal indication is selected from the group consisting of a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and time that the last periodic email was sent, the date that an agent generating said tracking view was run and the date and time that said agent generating said tracking view was run.

4. The method of claim 2, further including determining if new responses exist by comparing said temporal indication in said tracking view to a posting date or posting date and time of responses to said topics or of responses to said responses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said periodic emails are provided based on a posting date or a posting date and posting time of said responses to said topics or responses to said responses.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said periodic email contains the text of new responses or pointers to new responses on said forum.

7. The method of claim 1, further including receiving requests from said users to receive said periodic emails.

8. The method of claim 1, further including asking each user if they want to receive said periodic emails after said user posts a response to a topic or a response to a response.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said forum is accessible on the World Wide Web or a local area network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said forum is implemented on a Lotus Notes™

database.

11. A system for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users comprising:

means for receiving one or more topics for discussion from said users;

means for posting said topics for discussion on said forum;

means for receiving responses to said topics or responses to responses;

means for posting said responses to said topic or said responses to responses on said forum; and

means for providing periodic emails to said users of said forum indicating new responses have been posted.

12. The system of claim 11, further including means for generating a tracking view, said tracking view including a list of users who have elected to receive periodic emails of new responses and for each user electing to receive periodic emails, user selected forums and topics to be tracked and a temporal indication of when said new responses were found.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said temporal indication is selected from the group consisting of a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and time that the last periodic email was sent, the date that an agent generating said tracking view was run and the date and time that said agent generating said tracking view was run.

14. The system of claim 12, further including means for comparing said temporal indication in said tracking view to a posting date or posting date and time of responses to said topics or of responses to said responses in order to determine if new responses exist.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said periodic emails are provided based on a posting date or a posting date and posting time of said responses to said topics or responses to said responses.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said periodic email contains the text of new responses or pointers to new responses on said forum.

17. The system of claim 11, further including means for receiving a requests from said users to receive said periodic emails.

18. The system of claim 11, further including means for asking each user if they want to receive said periodic emails after said user posts a response to a topic or a response to a response.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said forum is accessible on the World Wide Web or a local area network.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said forum is implemented on a LOTUS NOTES™

database.

21. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users said method steps comprising:

receiving one or more topics for discussion from said users;

posting said topics for discussion on said forum;

receiving responses to said topics or responses to responses;

posting said responses to said topic or said responses to responses on said forum; and

providing periodic emails to said users of said forum indicating new responses have been posted.