METHODS FOR CREATING AND USING ELECTRONIC MAILING GROUPS

• US 20080235334A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Deepak, Gupta, Namita
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,805 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]

Abstract

A method for creating an electronic mailing group. The method is implemented via execution of computer readable program code on a processor of a computer system. A first input is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The first input includes a first group name for distributing a first electronic mail message. The first group name is associated with a plurality of electronic mail addresses, based on a first set of received instructions. The first group name represents the addresses. After associating, information associated with the first group name is stored in the storage medium. The information is associated with each address of the addresses and designates each address of the addresses as a first recipient type selected from: To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient. At least one address of the addresses is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

Claims

1. A method for creating an electronic mailing group, said method being implemented via execution of computer readable program code on a processor of a computer system, said method comprising:

storing a first input in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein said first input comprises a first group name for distributing a first electronic mail message;

associating said first group name with a plurality of electronic mail addresses, based on a first set of received instructions, wherein said first group name represents said addresses; and

after said associating, storing information associated with said first group name in said storage medium, wherein said information is associated with each address of said addresses and designates each address of said addresses as a first recipient type selected from the group consisting of To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein at least one address of said addresses is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

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

after said storing said information, storing a second input in said storage medium, wherein said second input comprises a second group name for distributing a second electronic mail message;

associating said second name with said plurality of electronic mail addresses, based on a second set of received instructions, wherein said second group name represents said addresses;

after said associating said second name, storing information associated with said second group name in said storage medium, wherein said information associated with said second group name is associated with each address of said addresses and designates each address of said addresses as a second recipient type selected from the group consisting of To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein at least one address of said addresses is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein, for at least one address of said addresses, said second recipient type designated by said information associated with said second group name is different from said first recipient type designated by said information associated with said first group name.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

after said storing information associated with said second group name, associating said first group name with at least one new address, based on a third set of received instructions, wherein said at least one new address is not an address of said plurality of addresses, wherein said first group name represents said at least one new address and said plurality of addresses;

after said associating said first group name with said at least one new address, storing, in said storage medium, information associated with said at least one new address, wherein said information associated with said at least one new address is associated with said first group name, wherein said information associate with said at least one new address designates said at least one new address as a third recipient type selected from the group consisting of To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient;

associating, automatically, said second group name with said at least one new address, wherein said second group name represents said at least one new address and said plurality of addresses; and

storing, automatically, new information associated with said second group name in said storage medium, wherein said new information is associated with said at least one new address and designates said at least one new address as a fourth recipient type selected from the group consisting of To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

6. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program that when executed on a processor of a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

7. A process for deploying computing infrastructure, said process comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computer system, wherein the code in combination with the computer system is capable of performing a method, said method comprising:

storing a first input in a computer-readable storage medium, wherein said first input comprises a first group name for distributing a first electronic mail message;

associating said first name with a plurality of electronic mail addresses, based on a first set of received instructions, wherein said first group name represents said addresses; and

after said associating, storing information associated with said first group name in said storage medium, wherein said information is associated with each address of said addresses and designates each address of said addresses as a first recipient type selected from the group consisting of To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein at least one address of said addresses is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said associating comprises selecting, automatically, by a computer algorithm at least one address of said plurality of addresses from a preexisting list of electronic mail addresses based on preselected criteria.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said criteria are selected from the group consisting of corporate organizational hierarchy, organizational location, department classification, age, gender, job classification, security clearance level, employer, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

after said storing said information, storing a second input in said storage medium, wherein said second input comprises a second group name for distributing a second electronic mail message;

associating said second group name with said plurality of electronic mail addresses, based on a set of received instructions, wherein said second group name represents said addresses;

after said associating said second group name, storing information associated with said second group name in said storage medium, wherein said information associated with said second group name is associated with each address of said addresses and designates each address of said addresses as a second recipient type selected from the group consisting of To recipient, Carbon Copy recipient, and Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein at least one address of said addresses is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein, for at least one address of said addresses, said second recipient type designated by said information associated with said second group name is different from said first recipient type designated by said information associated with said first group name.

13. A method for sending an electronic mail message, said method being implemented via execution of computer readable program code on a processor of a computer system, said method comprising:

receiving a group name into a computer-readable storage medium, said group name representing a plurality of recipient electronic mail addresses associated with said group name, wherein each address of said addresses has a designation as a To recipient, a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein at least one address of said addresses has a designation as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient;

receiving at least one instruction, into said storage medium, to send said message to said group name; and

responsive to said receiving said at least one instruction, sending automatically said message to each address of said addresses, wherein said message is sent according to said designation for each address of said addresses, wherein each said To recipient is disclosed to all recipients of said message, wherein each said Carbon Copy recipient is disclosed to all recipients of said message, wherein each said Blind Carbon Copy recipient is not disclosed to any other recipients of said message.

14. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program that when executed on a processor of a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 13.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

17. A process for deploying computing infrastructure, said process comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computer system, wherein the code in combination with the computer system is capable of performing a method, said method comprising:

receiving a group name into a computer-readable storage medium, said group name representing a plurality of recipient electronic mail addresses associated with said group name, wherein each address of said addresses has a designation as a To recipient, a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient, wherein at least one address of said addresses has a designation as a Carbon Copy recipient or a Blind Carbon Copy recipient;

receiving at least one instruction, into said storage medium, to send said message to said group name; and

responsive to said receiving said at least one instruction, sending automatically said message to each address of said addresses, wherein said message is sent according to said designation for each address of said addresses, wherein each said To recipient is disclosed to all recipients of said message, wherein each said Carbon Copy recipient is disclosed to all recipients of said message, wherein each said Blind Carbon Copy recipient is not disclosed to any other recipients of said message.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Carbon Copy recipient.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said at least one address is designated as a Blind Carbon Copy recipient.

20. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program that when executed on a processor of a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 17.