Method of inducing content uploads in a social network

• US 20050235062A1
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Friendster Incorporated (Mol.com Bhd.)
• Inventors: Lunt, Christopher, Abrams, Jonathan, Sanchez, Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A method of inducing content uploads in an online network includes the steps of storing content relating to a first member of the network that is submitted by a second member of the network, receiving approval of the content from the first member, and associating the content with the first member. The uploaded content may comprise an image file containing a photo of the first member and a caption associated with the photo image. The second user uploads the content relating to the first member using a GUI. This GUI is made available to the second user through a hyperlink that appears when a profile page of the first member is accessed if the degree of separation between the first member and the second member is less than or equal to a maximum degree of separation set by the first user. On the other hand, the hyperlink to this GUI will not appear when the profile page of the first member is accessed by the second member if the degree of separation between the first member and the second member is greater than the maximum degree of separation set by the first user. The default setting for this maximum degree of separation is one.

Claims

1. A method of managing content associated with members of an online network, said method comprising the steps of:

storing content relating to a first member of the network that is submitted by a second member of the network;

receiving approval of the content from the first member; and

associating the content with the first member.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content comprises an image file containing an photo image of the first member.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the content further comprises a caption associated with the photo image.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to view a profile of the first member; and

transmitting the content in response to the request.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of associating comprises the step of adding the content to a profile of the first member.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of calculating a degree of separation between the first member and the second member.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of requesting approval of the content from the first member if the calculated degree of separation is greater than a maximum degree of separation.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the maximum degree of separation is one.

9. A method of managing content uploads in an online network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to view a profile of a first member from a second member;

calculating a degree of separation between the first member and the second member; and

if the calculated degree of separation is within a maximum degree of separation, transmitting the profile of the first member to the second member and a hyperlink to a GUI that permits the second member to upload content relating to the first member on behalf of the first member.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the maximum degree of separation is one.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of retrieving the maximum degree of separation previously set by the first member.

12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

if the calculated degree of separation is one, storing the content uploaded by the second member and associating the uploaded content to the profile of the first member; and

if the calculated degree of separation is greater than one, storing the content uploaded by the second member and associating the uploaded content to the profile of the first member upon receipt of an approval of the uploaded content by the first member.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving another request to view the profile of the first member; and

transmitting the uploaded content in response to the request.

14. A user profile management system, comprising:

a memory device in which user profiles and information about relationships between users are stored; and

a processing unit programmed to permit upload of content relating to a first user from a second user if a degree of separation between the first user and the second user is within a maximum degree of separation.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the maximum degree of separation is one.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further programmed to prompt the first user to specify the maximum degree of separation.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the processing unit is further programmed to receive and store the upload of content and to associate the uploaded content to the first user.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further programmed to receive a request to view a profile of the first member and to transmit the uploaded content in response to the request.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the uploaded content comprises an image file containing a photo image of the first user.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the uploaded content further comprises a caption associated with the photo image.