SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DIRECTED FORUMS

• US 20080301115A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Mattox, John R., Hibbets, Jason S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An embodiment relates generally to a method of providing a directed discussion. The method includes providing for an on-line forum and providing a list of available personnel within the on-line forum. The method also includes receiving a query in the on-line forum and directing the query to the best available personnel on the list of available personnel.

Claims

1. A method of providing directed discussion, the method comprising:

providing for an on-line forum;

providing a list of available personnel within the on-line forum;

receiving a query in the on-line forum; and

directing the query to the best available personnel on the list of available personnel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a user profile with each user of the on-line forum, wherein the user profile comprises technical expertise data associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

parsing the query for at least one key word; and

searching the user profile of each user on the list of available personnel with at least one key word.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a status between at least one key word and the user profile of each user on the list of available personnel.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising directing the query to a best available personnel based on the status of a match between at least one key word and a matching user.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising directing the query to each user in the list of available personnel in response to status of no match for each user in the list of available personnel.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring a log-in procedure of a plurality of users for the on-line forum; and

determining a technical status of each user from the plurality of users as each user logs-in.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising placing a user on the list of available personnel in response to the technical status of the user being a member of the help group.

9. The system for providing a directed forum, the system comprising:

a server coupled to a network interface configured to interface with a network; and

a directed forum module configured to execute on the server and available for access by a plurality of users from remote locations over the network, wherein the directed forum module is configured to provide for an on-line forum, to provide a list of available personnel within the on-line forum, to receive a query in the on-line forum, and to direct the query to the best available personnel on the list of available personnel.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to associate a user profile with each user of the on-line forum, wherein the user profile comprises technical expertise data associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to parse the query for at least one key word and to search the user profile of each user on the list of available personnel with the at least one key word.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to determine a status between at least one key word and the user profile of each user on the list of available personnel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to forward the query to a best available personnel based on the status of a match between at least one key word and a matching user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to direct the query to each user in the list of available personnel in response to status of no match for each user in the list of available personnel.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to monitor a log-in procedure of a plurality of users for the on-line forum and determine a technical status of each user from the plurality of users as each user logs-in.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to place a user on the list of available personnel in response to the technical status of the user being a member of the help group.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the directed forum module is further configured to remove a selected user in response to the selected user logging off the on-line forum.