METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR HOSTING INFORMATION EXCHANGE GROUPS ON A WIDE AREA NETWORK
First Claim
1. A method for concealing private information exchanged between users, the method comprising:
- intercepting, by a computing device, an original message sent from a first user to a second user, the original message containing information associated with the first user;
accessing, by a computing device, a data structure storing private information associated with respective users in order to identify private information associated with the first user;
locating, by a computing device, any of the identified private information associated with the first user in the original message;
generating, by a computing device, an altered message by concealing at least a portion of the located private information; and
sending the altered message to the second user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for hosting information exchange groups on a wide area network is disclosed, using various tools for promoting topical organization and self-evolution of the information exchange groups, and of a system of information exchange groups. These tools include methods for providing user rating of posts within the exchange group, for rating and ranking users of the exchange group, for rating and ranking links to related information pages and especially to related exchange groups operating according to the methods of the invention, and for continuously updating rating and ranking information. Additionally, methods are provided for users to found exchange groups, to filter information in exchange groups according to specified user preferences, and to protect private information from inadvertent disclosure to other users of the exchange group.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for concealing private information exchanged between users, the method comprising:
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intercepting, by a computing device, an original message sent from a first user to a second user, the original message containing information associated with the first user; accessing, by a computing device, a data structure storing private information associated with respective users in order to identify private information associated with the first user; locating, by a computing device, any of the identified private information associated with the first user in the original message; generating, by a computing device, an altered message by concealing at least a portion of the located private information; and sending the altered message to the second user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for private communication between users of an information exchange group, the method comprising:
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authorizing one or more users for access to an information exchange group; receiving, by a computing device, a private electronic address for a first authorized user; receiving, by a computing device, a request from a second authorized user via one or more user interfaces of the information exchange group to direct a message to the first authorized user; receiving, by a computing device, content for the message from the second authorized users via one or more user interfaces of the information exchange group; and sending, by a computing device, the message, including the content received from the second authorized user, to the private electronic address of the first authorized user, wherein the private electronic address of the first authorized user is not revealed to the second authorized user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for rank ordering a list of links on a Web page, the method comprising:
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measuring, by a computing device, an amount of traffic to or from a first Web page generated by respective other Web pages, wherein the first Web page includes links to at least some of the other Web pages; assigning, by a computing device, a rank for respective links of the first Web page according to the respective amounts of traffic generated by the other Web pages corresponding to the links; and ordering the links on the first Web page according to the respective assigned ranks. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification