Method and System for Managing Message Boards

• US 20090089264A1
• Filed: 12/01/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven David Lavine
• Original Assignee: Steven David Lavine
• Inventors: Lavine, Steven David
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Information regarding the structure of information in a content database is maintained in a structure database. The structure database is used to correlate the data structure of a query to the structure of the content database, in order to determine that information in the content database which needs to be provided to a searcher in response to the query. In one embodiment, this search method is used in an online forum, and the forum maintains a reputation score for users with respect to given subject matter. The reputation score is dependent upon the quality of a user'"'"'s participation in the forum. A user'"'"'s reputation score depends upon the evaluation by others of information he posts and. upon the user evaluating information posted by others.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a network-based message board for allowing users to post messages for viewing, the message board comprising a plurality of messages received from a plurality of users, each message being associated with one or more tags that indicate the content of the message, the method comprising:

providing one or more selectable filters, each filter providing one or more selectable tags;

receiving, from a first user, a first set of selections comprising a selection of one or more filters and, for each selected filter, a selection of one or more tags of the selected filter;

retrieving messages from the message board based on the first set of selections;

displaying a custom message board for the first user, the custom message board comprising the retrieved messages;

receiving a new message from the first user related to the custom message board; and

associating the first message with the custom message board by associating the first message with the one or more selected tags of the first set of selections.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the first message to the message board;

receiving, from a second user, a second set of selections comprising the same selection of filters and tags as the first set of selections;

retrieving the first message from the message board based on the second set of selections; and

displaying the first message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for an unselected filter, selecting a tag for the unselected filter based on one or more selected tags of one or more selected filters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receiving, from the first user, a selection of one or more tags of a first filter, providing a second filter comprising one or more tags that are chosen based on the one or more selected tags of the first filter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving messages from the message board comprises retrieving any messages having associated tags that exactly match the first set of selections and any messages having associated tags that do not exactly match the first set of selections.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the custom message board comprises displaying the retrieved messages in order or relevance to the first set of selections.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a reputation rating for each user in the plurality of users, the reputation rating being a function of the degree of the user'"'"'s participation in the message board, wherein retrieving messages from the message board is further based on the reputation ratings of the users sending the messages.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a user'"'"'s reputation rating is dependent upon the evaluation by other users of at least one message sent by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a user'"'"'s reputation rating is further dependent upon the user'"'"'s evaluation of messages sent by other users.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a user'"'"'s reputation rating is dependent more on the evaluation by other users of at least one message sent by the user than on the user'"'"'s evaluation of messages sent by other users.

11. A system for managing a network-based message board for allowing users to post messages for viewing, the system comprising:

a message database for maintaining the message board comprising a plurality of messages received from a plurality of users, each message being associated with one or more tags that indicate the content of the message; and

a sorting module configured for;

providing one or more selectable filters, each filter providing one or more selectable tags;

receiving, from a first user, a first set of selections comprising a selection of one or more filters and, for each selected filter, a selection of one or more tags of the selected filter;

retrieving messages from the message board based on the first set of selections;

displaying a custom message board for the first user, the custom message board comprising the retrieved messages;

receiving a new message from the first user related to the custom message board; and

associating the first message with the custom message board by associating the first message with the one or more selected tags of the first set of selections.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sorting module is further configured for:

adding the first message to the message board;

receiving, from a second user, a second set of selections comprising the same selection of filters and tags as the first set of selections;

retrieving the first message from the message board based on the second set of selections; and

displaying the first message.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the sorting module is further configured for:

for an unselected filter, selecting a tag for the unselected filter based on one or more selected tags of one or more selected filters.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sorting module is further configured for:

upon receiving, from the first user, a selection of one or more tags of a first filter, providing a second filter comprising one or more tags that are chosen based on the one or more selected tags of the first filter.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the sorting module is configured for retrieving messages from the message board by retrieving any messages having associated tags that exactly match the first set of selections and any messages having associated tags that do not exactly match the first set of selections.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sorting module is configured for displaying the custom message board by displaying the retrieved messages in order or relevance to the first set of selections.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the sorting module is further configured for:

determining a reputation rating for each user in the plurality of users, the reputation rating being a function of the degree of the user'"'"'s participation in the message board, wherein retrieving messages from the message board is further based on the reputation ratings of the users sending the messages.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a user'"'"'s reputation rating is dependent upon the evaluation by other users of at least one message sent by the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a user'"'"'s reputation rating is further dependent upon the user'"'"'s evaluation of messages sent by other users.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a user'"'"'s reputation rating is dependent more on the evaluation by other users of at least one message sent by the user than on the user'"'"'s evaluation of messages sent by other users.