SELF-POLICING, RATE LIMITING ONLINE FORUMS
First Claim
1. A method of providing notification to a user, the method comprising:
- generating, by a computer system, an average message rate for messages originated by an active user of a computer-based service;
assessing user activity based on the average message rate without human intervention; and
providing notification to at least one active user of the computer-based service, from the computer system, without human intervention, of an effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and means for self-policing and automatically rate-limiting multiple-user online forums. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a set of rules that permit users to censure other users. A censured user has one or more “privileges” (which may include access to the online computer system or the effective message rate of a communications connection) taken away or diminished; the privilege is gradually restored if the censured user behaves. The censuring participant and other pertinent participants are notified of the effect of the censuring on the censured user. In another aspect of the invention, the online computer system automatically tracks the rate at which a user sends certain types of messages, and can message rate limit a user who uses too many system resources by sending a large number of messages in rapid succession.
52 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of providing notification to a user, the method comprising:
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generating, by a computer system, an average message rate for messages originated by an active user of a computer-based service; assessing user activity based on the average message rate without human intervention; and providing notification to at least one active user of the computer-based service, from the computer system, without human intervention, of an effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for providing notification to a user that when executed by a machine result in at least the following:
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generating an average message rate for messages originated by an active user of a computer-based service; assessing user activity based on the average message rate without human intervention; and providing notification to at least one active user of the computer-based service, without human intervention, of an effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system comprising:
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at least one computer; and at least one computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one computer having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising; generating an average message rate for messages originated by an active user of a computer-based service; assessing user activity based on the average message rate without human intervention; and providing notification to at least one active user of the computer-based service, without human intervention, of an effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification