TRACKING MESSAGES IN A MENTORING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080114838A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Stella Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A method for tracking messages in a mentoring environment includes presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages addressed to an adult mentor and a content of e-mail messages addressed to a juvenile protégé, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the adult mentor and juvenile protégé as determined by an e-mail interceptor; displaying a status of an e-mail, between the adult mentor and the juvenile protégé, which has been intercepted by the e-mail monitor; in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed, blocking transmission of the e-mail to an intended recipient; and in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring e-mail messages between an adult mentor and a juvenile proté

gé

, the method comprising;

presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages addressed to an adult mentor and a content of e-mail messages addressed to a juvenile proté

gé

, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the adult mentor and juvenile proté

gé

as determined by an e-mail interceptor;

displaying a status of an e-mail, between the adult mentor and the juvenile proté

gé

, which has been intercepted by the e-mail monitor;

in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed, blocking transmission of the e-mail to an intended recipient; and

in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail contains alarming content, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient; and

transmitting a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes the alarming content of the e-mail, a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, a date and time-stamp for the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein alarming content of the e-mail is automatically determined by specific keywords in the e-mail.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a total number of e-mail messages transmitted between a specific adult mentor and a juvenile proté

gé

; and

in response to the total number of e-mail messages exceeding a predetermined number, sending a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the adult mentor and the juvenile proté

gé

is color-coded in a single displayed cell that is assigned for the specific e-mail message, wherein each single displayed cell identifies a sender of the specific e-mail message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each single displayed cell has a color-coded background, and wherein a color-coded background of orange indicates that an e-mail message has been sent but not reviewed, green indicates that an e-mail message has been sent and reviewed, and red indicates that an e-mail message has been reviewed and blocked because of alarming content in the e-mail message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by an Assistance Allocation Manager (AAM), a Data for Initiating Assistance (DIA) from a resource in a data processing system; and

in response to receiving the DIA, executing a rule, in the AAM, that is specific for the DIA and the resource that sent the DIA, wherein executing the rule in the AAM causes the steps described in claim 1 to be executed for the resource that sent the DIA.

8. A computer-readable medium embodying computer program code for monitoring e-mail messages between an adult mentor and a juvenile proté

gé

, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for;

presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages addressed to an adult mentor and a content of e-mail messages addressed to a juvenile proté

gé

, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the adult mentor and juvenile proté

gé

as determined by an e-mail interceptor;

displaying a status of an e-mail, between the adult mentor and the juvenile proté

gé

, which has been intercepted by the e-mail monitor;

in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed, blocking transmission of the e-mail to an intended recipient; and

in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:

in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail contains alarming content, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the intended recipient; and

transmitting a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes the alarming content of the e-mail, a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, a date and time-stamp for the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein alarming content of the e-mail is automatically determined by specific keywords in the e-mail.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:

tracking a total number of e-mail messages transmitted between a specific adult mentor and a juvenile proté

gé

; and

in response to the total number of e-mail messages exceeding a predetermined number, sending a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the adult mentor and the juvenile proté

gé

is color-coded in a single displayed cell that is assigned for the specific e-mail message, wherein each single displayed cell identifies a sender of the specific e-mail message.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each single displayed cell has a color-coded background, and wherein a color-coded background of orange indicates that an e-mail message has been sent but not reviewed, green indicates that an e-mail message has been sent and reviewed, and red indicates that an e-mail message has been reviewed and blocked because of alarming content in the e-mail message.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a download server that is at a remote location.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a download service provider to a client computer on an on-demand basis.

16. A method for monitoring e-mail messages, the method comprising:

presenting to a reviewer a computer-based activity tracking form that is populated with data from an underlying relational database, wherein the underlying relational database includes a content of e-mail messages between a sender and a receiver, and wherein the underlying relational database includes a status of e-mail messages between the sender and the receiver as determined by an e-mail interceptor;

displaying a status of an e-mail that has been intercepted by the e-mail monitor;

in response to a displayed status indicating that the e-mail has not been reviewed, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the receiver; and

in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail has been reviewed, enabling transmission of the e-mail to the receiver.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to the displayed status indicating that the e-mail contains alarming content, blocking transmission of the e-mail to the receiver; and

transmitting a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes the alarming content of the e-mail, a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, a date and time-stamp for the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein alarming content of the e-mail is automatically determined by specific keywords in the e-mail.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

tracking a total number of e-mail messages transmitted between a sender and an intended recipient of the e-mail; and

in response to the total number of e-mail messages exceeding a predetermined number, sending a warning message to an authority figure, wherein the warning message describes a sender of the e-mail, the intended recipient of the e-mail, an e-mail address of the sender, and an e-mail address of the intended recipient.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein a display of a status of a specific e-mail message between the sender and receiver is color-coded in a single displayed cell that is assigned for the specific e-mail message, wherein each single displayed cell identifies a sender of the specific e-mail message, and wherein each single displayed cell has a color-coded background, and wherein a color-coded background of orange indicates that an e-mail message has been sent but not reviewed, green indicates that an e-mail message has been sent and reviewed, and red indicates that an e-mail message has been reviewed and blocked because of alarming content in the e-mail message.